InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ To Choose Another Life ❯ Underlying Betrayal ( Chapter 4 )

Hakunetsu: *sits at the computer watching the rise and fall of blankets nearby* The Demoness is passed out at the moment, curled under the blanket-cave on her bed. Apparently, she's trying to catch up on all the lost sleep from studying for her finals, which she passed.

*The blanket thing begins to stir*

Sesshoumaru: *sits down in another chair, quite amused* One would have to wonder if she likes to run herself into the ground or if it is just punishment. *mental sigh* Since she is obviously not going to be crawling out from there anytime soon, we are bringing you this chapter. *reads a few notes* First, she would like to thank all of you who have reviewed and read the story, and she says to keep the reviews coming to fuel her muse, which is on overdrive. *hands the rest of the paper to Hakunetsu*

Hakunetsu: *glares, but takes the paper* She wants to thank SilentBystander for the wonderful beta job and give her a giant bag full of any candy she wants. *pauses* Hey! She never gives me candy! *continues* And in her signature style…"Enjoy!"

Disclaimer: *pulls out sharp knives and stalks to the counter, raising one bade above her head* Well I don't own Inuyasha, so I'll just make salad. *slams the knife down and starts dicing the rights to the series* Lovely…

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Chapter Four: Underlying Betrayal

~She could feel him explore every inch of her with his soul. His clawed hands roamed over her body, toying with her breasts as his eyes held her still in their golden depths. He was teasing her, trying to break her and take her to new heights. He kissed along her jaw line, tracing patterns down her body until he reached just below her navel. His strong hands gripped her hips in an iron grasp, inadvertently digging his claws into the pure ivory flesh.

He raised his head slowly to look at her with lust-filled eyes. He desired to taste her and do everything and anything to bring her pleasure. Slowly, a seductive smirk played on his lips as he continued further down, pressing her legs farther apart. "I will make you mine so no one can ever touch you." His voice was rough and filled with raw emotion.

She stared down at him, her breathing labored, listening intently to each word that poured from his mouth. She didn't know how much more she would be able to take. He had brought her to her climax and now she teetered on the edge of oblivion. "Onegai, stop this torture."

He saw arousal and want pool in her eyes and he dipped his head lower, still keeping his eyes on her. "I will not stop until I have explored every inch of you…inside and out."

His clawed hand trailed up and down the inside of her thigh, tickling the sensitive flesh. He followed the path his hand made with soft kisses that pushed her ever closer to the edge. He suddenly opened her legs wider as his mouth covered her, tasting her sweet center for the first time.

Her back arched painfully off the ground and she let loose the scream that had built up in her throat.~

"SESSHOUMARU!" Rin screamed as her eyes flew open.

She immediately detangled herself from the white silk sheets adorning her bed. Her whole body radiated the heat she felt in her dream, making the thin sleeping robe cling to her. Once the last sheet had been kicked free, she sat up in bed covering her face with a hand, trying to regain her bearings and silently thanking the walls of the castle for being so thick. That night had played over in her dream as if she was there again, experiencing everything for the first time. Even awake she could feel his hands on her, teasing and caressing her. Rin could not help smiling at the memory as her thoughts followed the same path. `I wouldn't mind waking up like this every morning. It's quite…stimulating.'

Rin laughed at her own thoughts and shook her head. She ran a hand through her hair and closed her eyes. She didn't need to look to see if Sesshoumaru was there with her when she knew he wasn't, but strangely, it didn't bother her. She knew that he had stayed with her during the night and this morning he had other duties to attend. She bit her lower lip, blushing a bit and feeling extremely thankful he wasn't there to hear her screaming his name. `That's right, Rin. Just give him another reason to be arrogant.'

It was the first in a long time that she was not plagued by nightmares of the day she was killed by the wolves, and she was grateful for the reprieve. She pushed herself out of the bed and jumped a bit as her feet made contact with the chilled wooden floor. She padded over to the window and saw the sun just beginning to show on the horizon. Rin stared at its beauty for a few minutes before she was interrupted by a knock at her door, followed by a familiar face.

"Time to wake up, lazy! It is already past dawn and I brought you some fruit for breakfast," came the teasing voice of one of her more unusual friends.

Rin watched as said friend, Shinsei, sauntered into the room and smiled at her. "I am glad you are awake. I do not enjoy yelling at people, trying to wake them up, and then being hit with a pillow for my efforts," she jested, placing a small tray on a desk made of ebony wood.

"Good morning to you, too, Shinsei," Rin greeted as she walked over to her friend, trying to avoid looking at the fruit. She was only feeling slightly nauseous, and wanted to keep the contents of her stomach where they were.

Shinsei noticed the discomfort of her friend and smirked, knowing all too well what she was going through. "I know you do not wish to eat at this time, but you must." She pulled out a small vial filled with a purple liquid and handed it to Rin. "This should help with the morning sickness and allow you to feel better."

Rin examined the vial and looked to her friend with confusion. "What is it made of?"

Shinsei crossed her arms and look pointedly at Rin. "I'm not trying to poison you. It is made of various herbs and flowers. Just take a small sip every morning and it will settle your stomach for the rest of the day."

Rin's mouth formed an `o' and she sheepishly opened the vial and drank some of the liquid. She was happily surprised to find it did not taste bitter, but almost like sweet nectar. The nausea vanished instantly and her stomach gave a loud growling indicating that eating the fruit would be a good idea.

She sat down in the desk chair and watched as her friend busied herself with other things in the room she found interesting. Shinsei stood a couple inches taller than she was, with a body that was lean and toned from countless years of training. Her royal blue hair fell to the middle of her back and if one was to look at it in the light, they would see the small sapphires woven throughout. In all her years at the castle, she could only remember seeing it braided once.

Rin nibbled on a cherry as she watched Shinsei pull out Rin's usual outfit and lay it on the bed. She mentally snorted at the action. `I'm not a child that needs to be looked after.'

Her skin was alabaster white, but looked healthy. Her markings were breathtaking in just their appearance, but also bore a deeper meaning. Two black bands encircled her upper arms. `Ice' was written on the left one, while the right had `blood.' Each cheek had a thin black stripe that extended to the middle of her eye. Rin didn't know if there were other markings adorning her forehead, since it was always covered.

Rin always saw her with the silver circlet that wrapped around her head, coming to a downward point in the center. In fact, Shinsei was still an enigma that Rin had yet to figure out. The only colors her friend wore were dark shades of blue, black, and silver. She wore a black halter style top with a high Mandarin collar and a matching skirt. Two slits were on either side and started at her hips, allowing her the freedom of unrestricted movement.

Rin closed her eyes and proceeded to continue her breakfast, when one major characteristic dawned on her. She looked at Shinsei's bare back and at the two red lines on her shoulder blades. "Where are your wings, Shinsei? It is not often that you are seen with out them."

The demon turned and regarded Rin with a grin. "It is not exactly comfortable to sleep with wings such as mine, and not having them out makes it easier for me to get dressed. I guess I just forgot to release them after." She chuckled and turned away, the two lines glowing softly.

Slowly, the scars opened to slits and tiny white orbs flowed out, forming a pair of magnificent wings. A small flash of white light filled the room and then vanished, leaving a smile on Rin's face at seeing the new appendages. Two black wings folded proudly on her friend's back, with sapphires growing from the feathers. Shinsei smiled at her friend and then continued with what she was doing.

Rin relaxed in the chair and ate a slice of apple from the tray. She thought about Shinsei and her twin, Shinsetsu. They were almost identical, but he was taller than she was, and his hair was always in a high ponytail, never down. Of course, their clothing was different, but that same circlet embellished his head and he always had a high collar around his neck. They were blood demons, two of the few that had not been killed or enslaved.

It made her dizzy trying to unravel her mysterious friends, and she saved her ponderings for a later date. She was tired of the fruit and decided she ought to get ready before Hakunetsu had her head for being late.

Shinsei had prepared her a bath and was leaning on the doorframe of the bathroom, looking at Rin with a sly grin. "Rin, what if I told you there was something Lord Sesshoumaru and General Hakunetsu were hiding from you? And what if I told you that I have it with me?" she inquired.

Rin raised a single eyebrow, motioning for Shinsei to continue. The blood demoness brought a small scroll from behind her and waved it in the air. "Apparently the army is getting four new recruits today…all skilled in entrapment sorcery. Sesshoumaru planned on the General breaking in these demons without you knowing, but Hakunetsu is, how would you say, occupied at the moment."

A devilish smile appeared on Shinsei's face as she saw anger build in Rin's aura. She placed the scroll on the bed next to the training gear and walked to the door. She paused and looked over her shoulder at the fuming Colonel. "You are not going to break just because you are carrying a child. Trust me, I know about these things." Her voice quieted at the end and she walked out of the room. "Have fun, Rin..."

Anger radiated from the Colonel, who stood with her firsts clenched. She immediately went into action and completed her morning routine in record time. She snatched the scroll from the bed and exited her quarters, stalking towards the front of the castle. Her ire quickly rose just holding the parchment in her hand. `How could they! I am not fine china that will shatter upon the slightest touch. Then I guess I will have to show them...'

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Rin composed herself before opening the heavy wooden doors of the main entrance. She would not be seen as unfit to do her job. `Shinsei is right. I'm pregnant, not dying.' Taking in a deep breath, she let it out slowly and opened one of the doors, letting it close behind her. The Colonel mentally sighed upon seeing the four hooded figures waiting at the gate and untied the red ribbon from the scroll in her hand.

All the information was neatly written neatly, explaining in depth the skills and experience each demon possessed. It also made Rin's job a bit easier and allowed her to plan a strategy before engaging them in combat. According to the scroll, the new recruits were Kitsune youkai, not to mention siblings. All held knowledge of sorcery dealing with setting up and implementing traps, but one of them was an expert with deadly poisons. Not many had this demon's extensive learning in that area and it piqued Rin's curiosity.

Rin strode over to the four and stopped a few feet away from them, looking over the orderly line. She crossed her arms and introduced herself. "You have joined the Western Army and I will be your supervisor for as long as it takes for you to learn the ropes around here. I am senior officer Colonel Rin and I expect nothing less than obedience from you four."

The last figure on the left stepped forward from the others and bowed, the dark green cloak concealing his features. The demon straightened, removing his hood and looking at her with black eyes.

"Colonel, I am Akujin. This is my brother Jashin and my sisters Kiyoshi and Seiya. We have come to offer our services to Lord Sesshoumaru to use as he sees fit," he concluded as the others removed their hoods as well.

Rin was startled with their appearances after the cloaks were removed fully. `Arctic foxes… This type of demon only lives in the east, up in the mountains. The report mentioned nothing about this.' The demons before her looked exactly alike in appearance, from their pure white hair to the onyx eyes staring at her. The only way to tell them apart was to look at the lengths of their hair. Both of the males had short hair, while the females' fell to their shoulders.

Rin nodded once, acknowledging what Akujin had said. "Very well, follow me," she commanded sternly, hoping to stop all rebellious thoughts immediately.

The four followed obediently, but exchanged smirks at the ignorance of the human and lack of security around the castle. Their faces reverted to neutral as they entered the barracks and listened to the explanation of the rules and regulations. Akujin laughed to himself at the looks his family received from the other members of the army. `These fools do not know who they are dealing with.'

Each demon received the standard army uniform that consisted of white hakama and haori with black sleeves. The only difference between their uniforms and those of the other soldiers was a red band on each sleeve, presenting them as new recruits, better known as `fresh meat.' Rin quickly explained everything else to them, then instructed them to change and meet her on the training grounds. They filed into another part of the barracks leaving Rin to talk with some of the others.

"I see we're getting four newbies, Colonel. I do hope that you drive them into the ground," called a teasing voice that made Rin roll her eyes and turn around.

"You do not have to worry about that, Mangetsu, considering I did the same to you on more than one occasion," she replied, crossing her arms.

Mangetsu's forest green hair swayed back and forth as he shook his head in mirth. His golden eyes danced with laughter as he walked over to where she stood. "Now Colonel, is that the proper way to greet your Captain?"

Rin was more than happy to continue this banter, especially since he was such an easy target. "I would say yes, considering you rank below me, you have become too cocky over the years, and quite frankly, you're just annoying. Is there anything that I have forgotten? Oh, wait! There was one other thing. You still haven't improved on your hand to hand combat, yet you're in the barracks socializing."

Snickers were heard from all around the barracks, even from the very person for whom those remarks were intended. Rin joined in with their laughter and smiled, shaking Mangetsu's hand. This was ritual for the two. The exchange of lighthearted sarcastic remarks between the two always made the soldiers laugh and helped them feel less uneasy around Rin.

Everyone in the barracks applauded at the scene and the two actors bowed, thanking their adoring public. The laughter slowly died down as everyone returned to his or her previous duties, but Mangetsu stayed with Rin for some reason. She looked over him carefully and knew something was wrong.

"Mangetsu, what's the matter?" she questioned, placing a hand on his arm.

He furrowed his brows and looked around, scenting the air. "Something's not right here. There's a peculiar smell in the air and I don't know what it is. It's almost like when something is burned by acid…" his voice trailed off as it finally dawned on him.

"Everyone has to get out of h-" He was abruptly cut off by a tremendous explosion that collapsed the building, trapping all under the debris…

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Demoness: *yawns* I am able to think clearly now…though I do not think I should be out here since you are probably wanting to kill me at this point. I'm going to make this short and give you a little hint. Out of all the characters that have been introduced…one of them is a traitor. Can you guess who?