InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Things Never Meant to Be ❯ Things That Can Never Be ( Chapter 1 )

Things That Can Never Be

Chapter 1

Rin walked back through the woods to the castle. It was dark, but her spirits were light. She'd had a great day in the village, and now she was looking forward to a quiet night at home. Maybe in front of the fireplace before a blazing fire. She could play a tune on her pipe while her lord sat in his high-back chair and Jakken complained of all the "noise" she was making. The thought of it made her smile, and suddenly, she couldn't wait to get to the castle gates.

She picked up her pace and walked more swiftly through the nearly barren trees and dried underbrush. All of a sudden it seemed much later than it was.

It also seemed that someone was following her. The crunch of dry leaves behind her, the wind whistling through the treetops.

Calm down, she commanded herself. It's probably some animal looking for food. A small animal looking for food. A small, harmless animal looking for food.

Still, as the sound of crunching leaves grew louder, and thereby closer, she felt the need to hurry just a little faster.

She broke through some brittle branches. This is ridiculous, she told herself. You're perfectly safe in these woods. No one would hurt you. Who'd want to hurt you? It's an animal. A small, harmless, frightened animal looking for food . . . But weren't hungry animals the most dangerous? No matter how small?

The wind gusted. She ran.

"Rin!" A voice called out to her.

She stopped in her tracks. It was Sesshomaru. She bowed her head. "My lord."

"Rin. What did I tell you about walking in the woods alone so late at night?"

She smiled to herself. "There's nothing to worry about," she said. "I'm not a little girl any more, you know. I'm sixteen; I can look after myself."

His amber-colored eyes narrowed.

She lowered her gaze. "And, besides, I'm never in any REAL danger. Everyone in these parts knows I stay with you. Attacking me would be an instant death sentence. I hardly think anyone would risk their life to snatch me."

His gaze remained fixed on her a moment longer, then he turned to leave. "Come," he said. "I never want to catch alone in the woods again."

She sighed heavily and fell in step behind him. "I don't see what the big deal is. Why can't I go off on my own every now and then? Why does Jakken always have to `hold my hand?' Don't I have a right to my own life?"

He gave a slight laugh, as if amused. "The next thing you'll be telling me you want to run off and marry some inane boy."

Rin shrugged. "Well, I should hope I wouldn't have to RUN off," she said. "But I suppose, eventually, I'll want to start a family and settle down. Isn't that the natural progression of things?" she asked.

He declined to respond.

"Any way, I wasn't doing anything wrong. I just paid a visit to the village." She ran to catch up with him. "And guess who I saw there?" she asked.

He seemed as distant and unaffected as usual.

"Your brother," she answered her own question. "He was there with his woman, and she said I could come visit with them, so I did."

Still no response.

"She's very nice," she said. "His woman. Kagome's her name, I think. She's much more pleasant than your brother. Not so grumpy and grouchy and always complaining. I don't think he likes me much. He kept staring at me the whole time I was there." She stared up at him. "You two have the same eyes," she said.

Not a blink, not a smile. Nothing.

"And he didn't really say anything to me. He just remarked I had your scent all over me." She blushed scarlet, but her lord didn't seem to notice. "They have a hut together in the village," she continued. "It's kinda small, but it's clean and it's cozy. And they seem really happy together, the two of them. Genuinely fond of each other."

Still nothing.

"And Kagome did my hair. She washed it with something called shampoo, and it made it really soft and it smelled good. And she said I had the best head of hair she'd ever seen. She's such a flatterer, she is. And then she told me I was getting prettier and prettier every day, which is a genuine compliment coming from someone like her. Oh, and Kagome's expecting again," she said. "It'll be their second one. Their son, Kisho, is so cute. He's five, now, I think they said. And she wants a girl this time. He's the spitting image of his father, Kisho is. But he's got his mother's smile. Such a cute kid," she beamed. "I want one just like him, some day."

Sesshomaru stopped in his tracks.

She stopped with him.

"Why are any of these things my concern?"

She lowered her head and shrugged, digging her toe into the ground. "I was just telling you what I did I today," she said. "I thought you'd be interested," she added.

He stared down at her. "For future reference, those two are of no interest to me."

"Sorry," she said quickly.

He stared a moment longer, then continued on his way to the castle.

Rin kicked at the ground. She hated when he did that. Stared her down. Made her back down. Made her feel small and stupid and insignificant.

What had she said that was so wrong, anyway? She was just making conversation. Just telling him how her day had been.

Why did he have to be so cold all the time? Couldn't he warm up to her just a little? Couldn't he at least pretend he liked having her around?

She sighed and stared up at the sky. What was she complaining about? This was the way things had always been. Hadn't he always protected her? Hadn't he given her everything she could've possibly wanted? Her lord simply wasn't the type to show emotion. Never was, and never would be. It was something she thought she was used to.

But why did it bother her so much this time?

"Rin," he called back to her.

"Coming, lord." She ran to catch up to him. She entered the castle gates a few steps behind him.