InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Work in progress ❯ Five years ( Chapter 1 )

Disclaimer: Inuyasha is not mine….sadly

 

 

Chapter 1: Five Years

 

 

The young woman lied on her stomach prompted up on her elbows while combing a kitten's fur. Her casual kimono was white with red trimming and printed with deep orange flowers on the right side all tied with a simple black obi. Her raven strands spilled out to aid the kitten's play. The girl smiled with bright blue eyes as the grey feline wrapped his paws around her hand. The woman sat up at held the kitten up for a better view.

 

“I'm going to name you Mizu,” she announced as she peered at him. “You're eyes are like water, just like mine!” The cat mewed in delight which earned a giggle from the girl. Far off, the girl could hear her name called across the meadow. She gathered the kitten in her arms and dusted herself off as she stood and trotted to the direction of the call.

 

An older woman in a red kimono greeted her and led her back to a white horse. “Come on, we don't want to make everyone wait,” she said.

 

“Hai…” the young girl answered as she peered back to the flowery meadow feeling like she's leaving her only home. After mounting the horse side-saddle, she sighed to herself as she cradled Mizu. `Where are you?' she asked silently in the breeze.

 

The town of Takagami was rather large and could be considered as a small city that sat on the east coast next to Mount Fuji and south of Edo. The two women rode elegantly through the gates. Security was light these past few months since the demon war has finally been resolved the human town was finally rested after a long period of being extra cautious against demon advances.

 

The town was beautiful. Stone paved walkways and lush gardens. Blooming cherry trees were everywhere and rained their petals in the breeze. There was always music ringing in the streets and some performers from time to time. Unlike villages, everyone lived in houses rather than huts and no one went hungry.

 

The two women finally arrived at the town's shrine and slid off their steeds. After securing her horse, the young girl made a hurried pace through the courtyard and onto the deck of the temple. As she turned the corner, her face bumped into a firm torso.

 

“Hmm?” The girl gazes up to a young, handsome face. He had dark, long hair that was kept in a braid and violet eyes. Clothed in black and orange monk's robes with a silver staff in his left hand, the young man smiled back at her.

 

“Ah! Yuichi-sama!” She exclaimed before bowing her head in embarrassment. Yuichi let out a soft chuckle.

 

“Always in hurry aren't you, Rin?” He asked with a smile. Rin nodded in reply as she snuggled her cat against her chest. Noticing the creature, the monk bent down to her. “What do you have there?”

 

“Mizu,” She held up the kitten to his face for him to examine. Yuichi found this cat to be very unique. He had grey fur that puffed out exceedingly around his neck and on his tail. His tail and ears were tipped in ebony and was blessed with mysterious, blue eyes. This cat was very unique indeed.

 

Yuichi puzzled his face in worry before he asked his next question. “You didn't just find him somewhere, did you? His mother might be looking for him.”

 

“Don't worry, Yuichi-sama! His mother is the one who gave him to me,” she replied before maneuvering around the monk and toward to her courters. He looked back and watched her disappear in the grounds in wonderment.

 

 

 

`Five years,' he pondered to himself. A magnificent demon lord of the western region sat hunched over his table. Every map and scroll reports were scattered on the wooden surface. He strummed his fingers on it, making a pecking sound on the wood by his hard claws. The room was dim with only a small lantern to lend light to all of his scripts. The flickering light made is golden eyes flare and shine in the darkness like a beast. He pursed his lips before sighing to halt his strumming hand, only to run it through his long, silver mane.

 

The war took five years to finally settle. The southern demons were obviously too arrogant and persistent to know when to surrender their ransoms. The dog demon lord couldn't believe he wasted five whole years on those fools. At first he thought they were just idiots for trying to burn down a portion of his forest just so they can claim more land. But after the first year, he realized that he underestimated their strength. They were almost as annoying as Naraku was.

 

`Naraku was more trouble than he was worth. He was only just another hanyou after all,' he thought. He lifted himself off the tami mat and glided to his balcony door. He slid the shoji screen open and stepped out into the starry night. He leaned against the balcony railing.

 

Sesshomaru lifted his only arm to let his yukata sleeve fall back to the crook of his elbow to reveal a bracelet of red prayer beads. He received these from the human girl as a parting gift. The center bead had the character of love carved on its surface.

 

“Rin, I won't be able to visit you as often as I have now,” He told her as the two of them stood at the shrine gates. The twelve year old girl choked back her tears as she painfully gazes up into his stern, golden eyes. She clung to him by wrapping her arms around his waist and sobbed against his abdomen. He placed his hand on top of the girl's head as an attempt to comfort her like he had seen other humans do.

 

“Please don't go, Sesshomaru-sama!” she pleaded with her face nuzzling him and her hands clutching onto to his clothing. The lord gently pressed the girl back from her embrace and lifted her chin to peer back into her watery eyes. Her tears fell as she blinked and sniffled.

 

“This Sesshomaru will return for you, Rin,” he said with promise in his voice. “The priest said that you are doing very well in your training and will make a very promising priestess one day. After you completed your training, you may choose if you still wish to serve by my side.”

 

“I wish to be with Sesshomaru-sama forever,” she whispered breathlessly as her eyes continued to rain. He nodded and released her chin and then watched her shed the prayer beads from her wrist and placed them in his large hand. “They taught me how to make these and bless them with spiritual protection. I want you to have them so you do not forget me, Sesshomaru-sama…” He closed his hand around the bracelet and brushed his knuckles against her wet cheek then turned to leave.

 

Rin fell to her knees and cried in her hands as her lord left her at the shrine gate.

 

 

Five years has passed since then. She must know that he will come to her soon now that the war was done and over with. She'll be a young priestess now. How will he respond to her? She won't be the little girl that teased Jaken countless of times and give him flowers anymore. This thought worried him and even made his uneasy. Will he fall into the same fate as his father did in loving a human girl? No… This Sesshomaru will not have that happening. His pride burned like an angry fire in his mind but still… this made is blood run cold.

 

 

 

The Takagami Shrine was glowing with many lanterns and life tonight. A festival was being held in the large courtyard attended by the shrine residents, the elder court, and a few military personnel. Yuichi greeted many guests before making his way to accompany a fellow priestess. She wore her priestess attire with a red haori and black hakamas tied in an orange sash. Orange and red were the two colors of Takagami shrine and each priest and priestess bore either one of both of the colors on their person at all times.

 

“Ah, Miss Hatomi-sama, you look ravishing tonight,” Yuichi greeted with a friendly smile. Hatomi was one of the older and wiser employees of the shrine, however she was still rather young and beautiful in being in her thirties. She had a geisha pale face and soft brown eyes. She wisped her raven locks as she returns the young priest's smile.

 

“Arigato, Yuichi-sama,” she replied in her warm voice. “You look as well as ever. Are you enjoying the festival?”

 

“Ah! Yes, it turned out wonderful this year,” he replied before scanning the lively area. “But it seems the object of our festival isn't here yet. How is she?”

 

“She's was a bit nervous when I left her but she'll be here in time. I can relate, I was so frazzled at my completion it took every once of my strength not to faint,” she replied with a soft chuckle. “She has been my best apprentice. I never had trained someone as determined and hard working as she. I have all my faith in her.”

 

The woman's words brought another smile out of Yuichi. He would always worry about Rin for she was like a little sister to him. They played and even trained on some occasion together over the years. He remembered the first day she came to the shrine kicking and screaming refusing to let go of her guardian, Lord Sesshomaru. The tai-youkai had been a generous donor to the shrine for her care. Yuichi never felt any once of threat from this deadly creature but he couldn't help but feel a bit uneasy about his true nature.

 

“Hatomi-sama, do you mind if I ask you something?” he implored. After receiving a confirming nod, he stepped a little closer to the woman as to tell her a secret. “What did Lord Sesshomaru tell you when he placed Rin in your care?”

 

Hatomi peered up to him in silence while digging in her memories of the last encounter she had with the tai-youkai. “Hmm… Well he asked me to train her as a priestess and keep her safe until he returns to take her in his care again.”

 

“But why would he come for her when she is more than capable of caring for herself?” He questioned.

 

“Rin has been with Lord Sesshomaru ever since she was very young. I can see how Rin would want to see him again but I, too, have wondered on the demon's standing with her now that she has grown. The only reason I can muster is that Lord Sesshomaru wishes to use her priestess powers to aid his country by taking advantage of the girl's feelings for him. Even though that might not be the case, there is only one other explanation.”

 

“And what is that?” Yuichi asked as he watched Hatomi's mouth curve in a soft smile.

 

“Why it is love, of course,” She answered softly and almost loosing herself in the pleasant dream of that idea. Yuichi stared back at her dumbly as her eyes sparkled in her fantasy. As if on cue, the taiko drums began to play for the entrance of the new priestess. Everyone silenced their mingling and turned their attention to the figure standing on the top of the temple's steps.

 

She was clothed in a black kimono that was cut short above her knees and trimmed in white as well as tied in a teal obi. She had an overcoat that was dyed in orange and had white flowers printed on the back and sleeves with black trimming. This overcoat laid open and ended at her calves. Plain gaki sandals were supported by red straps over her feet.

 

Rin had tied her hair up into a long tail. She began to stroll down the steps causing her red earrings to swing and tickle her neck right below her earlobes. At the sight of her, Yuichi immediately turned back to Hatomi to question her.

 

“I know what you are thinking,” she said before he said a word. “She refused to wear the hakamas I got her because she believes that they make her look less feminine. The headmaster already approved of her new look so don't try anything. Frankly, I think it's cute.”

 

“Cute?” Yuichi repeated with a worried look. “Someone's going to snatch her up and take her innocence with her looking like that! I mean look at how short the kimono is! You can see her kneecaps for Kami's sake!” Hatomi giggled out a chuckle at the panicking monk before her.

 

“She'll be fine, Yuichi-sama,” she soothed. “I don't doubt that any man, human or demon, would be able to overwhelm her. Not even the Lord Sesshomaru.”

 

“You really think so?” he questioned.

 

“Yes, she'll be able to subdue him in an instant if he does anything against her wishes,” she said.

 

“Subdue who?” a voice rang. Hatomi and Yuichi turned their attention to Rin who just entered their little conversation.

 

“Oh, no one… heh heh!” Yuichi nervously scratched the back of his head as he smiled at her.

 

“You look wonderful, Rin-sama,” Hatomi said with a respectful bow.

 

“Rin-sama?” Rin echoed.

 

“Yes, you are full priestess now. You are among the high status of the Takagami Shrine now, my child,” Hatomi said with a warm smile. Rin started to blush when Yuichi followed Hatomi in another respectful bow.

 

“Now that you are a full priestess, what is your first action, Rin-sama?” Yuichi asked.

 

“I wish to go on a journey to help those less fortunate and visit some old friends along the way,” the young miko replied.

 

“Oh?” Hatomi pondered. “You are not going to retire back to Sesshomaru-sama?”

 

“No,” Rin replied with a sigh. “Since he hasn't come yet, I will journey this land and learn more about the outside world and train to strengthen my powers and technique. I have faith in Sesshomaru-sama. When he says that he will return for me, he will. But I'm not going to linger in this boring place any longer!”

 

With that, Rin earned a chuckle from her friends. Soon more people gathered around Rin in admiration of her new look until a tall young man threw an arm over her neck and using her shoulders to support his staggering stance.

 

“Hahaha! Look at her! Don't let her pretty eyes fool you; she even bested me at my own specialty! Rin, you don't plan on taking over my job, are you?” he asked. Rin could smell the sake on his breath and shoved him off to the side.

 

“Come on, Lee! You're joking right?” Rin asked.

 

“No, I'm serious! I never seen a student learn the way of the sword as fast and efficient as you have,” the swordsman exclaimed. “I'd bet you could take on the imperial army and win!”

 

Everyone busted out laughing when Rin's cheeks started to burn up. She wasn't used to so much attention but she braved it through the night. After some dancing, games, and mingling with some more friends, Rin slipped away to one of the shrine's botanical gardens. She sat on the edge of the arched bridge that crossed a stream and dangled her bare feet in the water as she rested her forearms and chin on the red wood railing. Her eyes sparkled with the stars as she gazed up into the twilight. A shooting star passes through the darkness.

 

`Sesshomaru-sama, it's been five years. Where are you?' Rin asked in silence one again only to receive nothing but emptiness.

 

AN: Hey, I think I have something good going here. Tell me what you think. I'm open to feedback! ^_^