InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Unforeseen Obstacles ❯ Sink into this darkness, sink into this cold… ( Chapter 21 )

Disclaimer: I don't know Rumiko Takahashi, so I can't say I own any of this. Now the warning: YAOI. That's right, man lovin' man. If you don't like that, you don't have to read another word. If you don't like my pairing, you don't have to read it, but you'll be missing out! I'm constantly reading InuYasha fics with pairings I don't like just because I like the story. But if you don't like my story, please be polite when you tell me. And also, tell me why. Or if you do like it, review and write whatever you want, LOL.

 

Notes: More disturbances and unseen attacks…

 

Genre: Drama, romance…
Rating: R
Codes: Mir/Sess
Feedback: Reviews are something that give me a happy little thrill. They're also making my muse purr and chatter.

 

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Unforeseen Obstacles…Chapter 21

Sink into this darkness, sink into this cold…

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The moon was still high in the night sky when Sesshomaru was awakened by a cry. He listened for a moment and heard whimpering. Rin. He sat up immediately, waking up Miroku, who blinked sleepily up at him.

 

“What is it?” Miroku asked quietly, rubbing the sleep from his eyes and becoming quickly alert.

 

“Rin,” Sesshomaru answered as he reached for his clothing. Miroku grabbed his robes and was dressed before Sesshomaru could finish tying his pants. He ran for the main camp as fast as he could. He broke into the clearing, his heart racing and his left hand ready to uncover the curse in his right. He stopped still, searching for Rin, breathing heavily and worried. He could hear her crying and it wasn't a sound he had ever heard before. He found InuYasha bent over her, frowning down at the child. Miroku realized she was crying out in her sleep. He released his sutra beads and walked to her quietly. He bent down and met InuYasha's eyes.

 

“Kid's having a bad dream,” InuYasha stated. Miroku saw concern in his eyes. He nodded to InuYasha, and then knelt by Rin, brushing her hair away from her face, drying her cheeks and forehead of sweat and tears. Rin didn't awaken and he gently lifted her into his arms, saying her name softly. The cries subsided and her eyes began opening.

 

“Rin-chan, it's only a dream. It's time to start another,” Miroku said, stroking her hair back.

 

“Hmm?” Kagome said, sitting up in bed. “What's wrong?” she asked sleepily. Her voice woke Sango, who also sat up and looked over, rubbing her eyes. Kohaku and Shippo remained asleep, but Kirara let out a soft mew of concern.

 

“Rin's just having a bad dream, nothing to worry about,” Miroku answered. “Go back to sleep.” Kagome yawned widely, nodded and lied back down. Sango continued watching quietly, but also relaxed. Sesshomaru stepped into the clearing and watched as well.

 

“Miroku-san?” Rin said softly.

 

“Yes, Rin,” Miroku answered, laying her back in her bedroll. Rin hiccoughed and rubbed her eyes. “It's okay to go back to sleep now,” Miroku whispered.

 

“I don't want to see it again,” Rin answered, another tear escaping. She brushed it away agitatedly.

 

“See what?” Miroku asked, lying down next to her. He propped his head up on his hand and looked down at her.

 

“Everyone.” Rin was quiet for a moment and Miroku waited. “Everyone dying.” Miroku blinked, his mouth opening in surprise. He assumed she was dreaming of some terrible youkai or oni. Some monster that could be chased away by another dream.

 

“Who is everyone?” He asked.

 

“My-my parents. My brothers and sister,” she whispered. “I-I had to watch them all…” Rin closed her eyes tightly and tensed, then released a breath. Miroku realized she was trying not to cry.

 

“It was only a dream,” Miroku said, running his fingers through her tangled hair gently. Her eyes closed a little and she relaxed.

 

“No. It was a memory,” she said. “I had to watch them. My mother told us to hide. I hid. They k-killed Father first. Then my siblings—they tracked them down and killed them. Then the found my mother, who had hid near me. I-I can still hear her scream,” Rin choked out. Miroku was horrified. He had no idea the girl had been forced to witness something so horrible. He didn't press her to find out who `they' were. He let her talk at her own pace, but it seemed she was done. Her eyes closed and her breathing slowed down. Miroku started to sit up, but stopped when he heard her voice again. “Please don't die, Miroku-san.” Miroku looked down at the child, who was looking past him. “Please keep him safe, my lord,” she whispered before closing her eyes one last time.

 

Miroku didn't leave her side all night.

…

 

Miroku woke the next morning, stiff and sore and wondered at how cold it was. Then he realized Sesshomaru wasn't there and he looked around and found he was lying next to Rin. The night before came rushing back to him and he sat up, stretching out the kinks. His first impression was that he was the first one awake, but then he realized that Kohaku was quietly building a fire for breakfast. Miroku shivered and wondered why it was so cold when it had been so nice the day before. He glanced over at the rising sun and saw the clouds covering the sky. He sighed, that meant it would be raining all day, it seemed.

 

He looked back at Rin and smiled when he saw her peeking at him. She smiled back and sat up, stretching. He frowned when he saw how badly her hair needed to be combed. Rin seemed to know what he was thinking, because she stood and walked over to Ah-un and pulled her comb out of their saddle pack. She started combing her hair and he called to her. “Rin, come here. Let me.” Rin smiled broadly and skipped over to him, sitting in front of him, very still. He combed her hair carefully and then retied her side ponytail. Once he was satisfied, he handed her back her comb and retrieved his own.

 

“May Rin comb your hair, Miroku-san?” the little girl asked, smiling. Miroku handed her the comb and released his hair from its tie. Rin was surprisingly gentle. Sango woke and smiled over at Miroku and Rin, then stood and joined her brother at the fire, where he was spearing some fish he had obviously caught before anyone else awoke. Miroku noticed that the boy was a restless sleeper on the few nights he had spent in the camp. But with the memories Kohaku harbored, it was no surprise. The siblings spoke quietly at the fire and Miroku smiled when he heard Sango laugh at a story Kohaku was telling about catching the fish. He had never seen her so happy and for a moment, he wished he had not chosen Sesshomaru. But it was nice to be with someone who didn't slap him every time his hand wandered. It seemed so very long ago now since they had passed that plagued village that had started this adventure. So long ago since they had fought Zetsumei. And now he had a lover and the child he had been striving to create for so long.

 

Rin took his hair tie and pulled his hair back into its usual ponytail. Then she came around to admire her work and hand him back his comb, which he tucked back into his robes as he smiled at her. She smiled back.

 

“Your hair is so short!” she said. “Sesshomaru-sama's hair takes much longer to comb!”

 

“Sesshomaru lets you comb his hair?” Kagome asked as she sat up.

 

“Mm-hmm,” Rin affirmed. “Just sometimes, though. Miroku-san's hair is so much easier! But it's fun to feel the end. When I comb Sesshomaru-sama's hair, it seems to go on forever. It's softer, though, so my fingers don't get so tingly so fast,” she happily chattered. “I like to comb hair,” she added.

 

“Would you like to comb mine?” Kagome asked. Rin beamed and happily trotted over to Kagome, taking her brush and looking at it in confusion.

 

“What is this?”

 

“It's a hairbrush,” Kagome explained, and then showed Rin how to use it. “It combs more hair faster than a comb.” Rin was silent for an entire minute as she learned to use the hairbrush, following Kagome's example. But Rin, when given the chance, would talk forever. No one would have guessed she had been mute for almost an entire year before meeting Sesshomaru.

 

“Your hair is the softest of all, Kagome-chan!” Rin exclaimed. “And it smells like berries. How do you get it to smell so nicely?”

 

“Shampoo,” Kagome answered. Miroku stood and walked off while the girls talked amongst themselves, which seemed to have awakened InuYasha, although it was always hard to tell when he was asleep and when he woke. He nodded to InuYasha, who returned the gesture before hopping out of the tree. Shippo woke up and joined InuYasha in gathering around the fire as Miroku walked away from everyone. He found Sesshomaru sitting on the same rock he had occupied the night before, watching the sun rise.

 

“I am sorry I did not return last night,” Miroku said. Sesshomaru glanced over at him.

 

“Do not be. Rin required your presence. I am fine alone.” Sesshomaru returned to watching the landscape changing under the dawn. Miroku sat next to him and watched as well. The sun was setting the sky on fire over the green hills and Miroku leaned against his lover, feeling very content. It was nice to just sit and enjoy the morning and, despite the cold, it was a beautiful morning. The colors faded quickly, the reds and oranges replaced with varying shares of grey. Miroku pushed closer to the taiyoukai, seeking heat, and was surprised when Sesshomaru lifted his arm and placed it behind him, pulling him even nearer. Miroku moved the fur around until he was under it as well, pressed against the warmth of Sesshomaru's side.

 

Miroku looked up and frowned when he saw Sesshomaru's face. The youkai looked unhappy, his lips turned down and his brows drawn together. “What is wrong?” Miroku asked, nervous.

 

“It is too cold for this time of year,” Sesshomaru responded. Miroku's frown deepened; the weather shouldn't be eliciting such a strong reaction in the usually stoic demon lord. “There is a scent on the air that I do not like.” Miroku sniffed, but of course, he smelled nothing but Sesshomaru, wrapped up as he was by the youkai. Miroku slid his frigid fingers inside Sesshomaru's haori, pressing them against the hot skin there, but he couldn't seem to get warm. A fine tremor had started to work its way into Miroku's body, especially his teeth. Sesshomaru's arm tightened around him and his hand began rubbing the monk's arm, trying to warm him.

 

“Are you cold?” Miroku asked, as Sesshomaru seemed, if anything, to be getting hotter.

 

“No. Your body temperature is dropping very quickly,” he responded. “We need to check on Rin,” Sesshomaru said. Miroku stood with the youkai, forced up by Sesshomaru standing. He stepped quickly alongside the youkai, not releasing his death grip on him, though he did take his hand out of Sesshomaru's shirt. Sesshomaru didn't try to remove him, either, which showed that he was obviously concerned. Miroku didn't get warmer by moving around, as he should have, and he began to truly worry as well. It was getting harder to move and all he wanted to do was lay down and go back to sleep.

 

The camp was obviously being affected as well. InuYasha was wrapped around Kagome, having put his fire rat haori on her first. Jaken was blowing on Rin's hands, cupped in his own and keeping her as near the fire as was safe. Kirara was wrapped around Sango and Kohaku and Shippo was gathering more firewood. Ah-un was glaring to the east, their tail lashing in distress.

 

“Lord Sesshomaru!” Rin cried and broke away from Jaken, running to the men. Miroku pushed away from Sesshomaru so that Rin could have his place. The youkai lord lifted the girl and walked to the fire, sitting in front of it and beckoning to Miroku. The monk joined them and sat next to Sesshomaru, who draped his fur around all three of them, Miroku at his side and Rin in his lap.

 

“What the hell's going on?” InuYasha asked while vigorously rubbing Kagome's arms. Shippo came running up, tripping and spilling the firewood he had just collected. The young kitsune picked himself up, rubbing his knee, and began tossing the wood on the fire, causing it to blaze higher. Kohaku reached out and stuck his hand in the fire and didn't move until Sango snatched it out. His fingers were blistered and charred, but he didn't seem to notice.

 

“But it's warm,” he whispered, looking dazed. Sango pulled him into a tight embrace, leaning back as Kirara wrapped her tails more securely around them, growling her uneasiness.

 

“It's obviously some youkai doing this,” Sango said, her voice shaking as badly as her body.

 

“One dealing with cold?” Kagome responded.

 

“No.” Sesshomaru said. All heads turned to him. “The air is not cold, it is only you mortals. Your bodies are becoming cold. Those with youkai blood are remaining unaffected, so it is most likely that it is a youkai, but not one dealing in cold.”

 

“What then?” Kagome asked.

 

“Something draining your life, not your heat,” InuYasha said, putting the pieces together. Sesshomaru nodded.

 

“Like a vampire?” Kagome asked, sounding sleepy. InuYasha shook her shoulders and her eyes shot open. “This isn't good,” she said, weakly.

 

“We have to find what's doing this and stop it,” Shippo whimpered. “Or we could lose all our friends!”

 

“Yeah, but I can't just leave Kagome to freeze to death,” InuYasha growled. “Damnit! Whoever you are, show yourself, you coward!” he shouted into the forest. Sesshomaru listened very carefully for any sign of a response. The scent changed slightly and he watched Ah swing his head, followed by Un a moment later.

 

“Jaken. Your blood is cold; you cannot help these mortals. Go with Ah-un to find the… ban…paia,” he carefully repeated what Kagome had called the youkai. “Bring it back.”

 

“Yes, my lord,” Jaken said, grasping the Staff of Heads and climbing onto Ah-uh, who happily took to the sky immediately, setting off to the southeast. Sesshomaru shook Rin, realizing she had fallen asleep, but she didn't awaken. He was getting angry now as he listened to her tiny heart slowing its path. Soon she would be dead and he was powerless to stop it. Everything had gone very quiet until the only sound that was left was the crackling of the fire. Sesshomaru watched Kohaku's eyes close slowly and he wondered if he would have to watch every mortal in their group die before his very eyes. When he felt Miroku get heavier against his side, he decided he could wait no longer. He stood, spilling the monk onto the ground and lifting Rin. Miroku jumped back, away from the fire even as Sesshomaru put Rin dangerously close to it. Her eyes opened and her heart sped up, reacting to the heat.

 

Well, that answered his question as to whether or not keeping them warm was doing any good. He sat back down and reached for Miroku, dragging the monk as close to the fire as he dared. Miroku knelt in front of the flames, reaching for them and Sesshomaru watched to be certain he didn't make the same mistake Kohaku had. He wanted to run through the forest, track down the thing killing his mortals and melt it beneath his claws. So strong was the desire that he heard Miroku make a sound of pain before he realized he had flexed his claws into the monk's arm. He pulled his hand away apologetically. A spark jumped from the fire and landed on his pants, burning a small hole and he worried that Jaken would fail him at a time when it was imperative that he not.

 

He was just beginning to imagine several different ways he would murder Jaken if Rin or Miroku died before he returned when he heard a mighty yowling. He glanced to the southeast and smiled as he recognized the scents of Ah-un, Jaken and the… vampire. This time, he gently pushed Miroku away and set Rin down in his arms while standing. He heard Jaken's pained yelp and a black shape came flying into the camp. Sesshomaru stood eye to eye with a horse-sized kitsune, its head down and fangs bared in a snarl.

 

“Back off, dog,” it hissed. Sesshomaru's eyes narrowed and he smiled as he realized he was going to get to pay this thing back for the feeling of powerlessness it had forced on him. It was not a feeling he was used to and it was something he never intended to feel again. He struck without warning, feeling a surge of satisfaction as his claws sank into the fox's flesh. He released his toxin and felt fulfillment when the monster screamed. It leapt away, trying to blend into the shadows, but his mark was upon it and even if it were to escape, he would tack it down and kill it easily. Its shoulder was mostly melted away and it snapped in fury, its red eyes blazing. “You think I can only take nourishment through life-force?” it growled. Sesshomaru frowned and reacted a moment too late as the fox spun and bit Miroku, the only mortal left unguarded. Miroku had used his body as a shield to protect Rin, who the kitsune had actually dived for.

 

“No!” Kagome screamed. Sesshomaru didn't miss a second as he moved faster than sight to draw toukijin and bury it in the fox. But the fox had moved and he sliced into the air. Sesshomaru spun, infuriated by the scent of Miroku's blood in his nose. It clung to the back of his throat and his sight went red. He swung toukijin again, releasing the blade's energy, but the fox evaded the blow as though it had been slow. The muscle that had melted under his claws was reformed, whole. Sesshomaru heard the faltering of Miroku's heart and he sheathed toukijin.

 

“Giving up?” the black kitsune asked.

 

“Go away!” Shippo yelled, then cowered when it turned to him.

 

“Stupid kit,” the vampire fox growled. “Consorting with mortals. Have you no dignity? You lie with the dogs?” Sesshomaru had no time to waste on the kitsune at the moment. Despite healing the damage, Sesshomaru's scent was firmly planted in its skin and he could track it once it left. All the humans were moving around, so he knew it couldn't fight and drain them at the same time. But Miroku was dying, so he pulled tenseiga and waited. He wouldn't take a chance that Miroku's soul would flee before he could return to the body from a fight.

 

He noted InuYasha releasing Kagome and drawing tetsusaiga. He watched his brother fight the fox, who used its foxfire to burn him, making some comment about how it preferred its food cooked anyway. He ignored the banter and concentrated on studying the way the fox moved, the way it evaded, what signs it watched for as Sango and Kohaku joined the fight. At the same time, he watched Miroku, Rin holding his hand as he died from the tear in his throat. Sesshomaru knew tenseiga would heal it as easily as it had healed the wounds the wolves left on Rin's tiny body months ago. It had been almost no time at all to Sesshomaru that he had loved this mortal man and he would not be robbed of the short time he would have him. Mere decades at best. To someone who had lived centuries, it was just not that long a time. Some months seemed barely longer than days.

 

Finally, he saw his moment to strike as InuYasha found his. The brothers swung their father's fangs in unison, healing and destroying with one stroke. Then everything was quiet. Miroku sat up, Rin clinging to him and the black kitsune was no more. The clouds finally dropped the hot rain they had been threatening all morning, breaking the silence.

 

“What a waste of a morning,” InuYasha grumbled as he slid tetsusaiga back into its sheath.

 

“Indeed,” Sesshomaru agreed. “Let us continue our search for Naraku.” With that, Sesshomaru turned and walked into the rain, not bothering to glance behind. He knew they would follow.

…

 

To be continued…

 

Banpaia is the Japanese for vampire, in case you couldn't tell. It's rather obvious it was introduced from outside of Japan, but that doesn't mean there can't be any. Of course, those bat youkai looked rather like vampires themselves, but this was a completely different kind. Expect the next few chapters to be darker and more centered around the action/adventure and drama rather than the main relationship.