Shessomaru loses Rin after the final battle against Naraku, but is given another chance by a sakura spirit to have Rin once again. She will be reborn in six hundred years…but will he take his chance or let pride get in the way?
A.N.: This chapter has been edited, so if you have read this before, then I strongly suggest you reread. Sorry about that.
Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha, unfortunately. If I did, I would be one of the richest women in Japan…maybe she'll relinquish rights one day? I wonder…
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Rin's POV'The trees…they are so beautiful,' I think to myself. I feel as if I can just sit here forever, watching the cherry blossoms fall to the ground. 'The trees…are they crying for me…?' I wonder in a slow blur. I am propped under the biggest one, slowly dying of wounds inflicted in battle. My last battle, before death, is with poison, and even then I am losing. Poison can't be cured by the Tensaiga, the life giving sword of my lord. It would bring me back again, back to life, only to suffer the effects of poison and die again.
I don't want him to blame himself for what will happen today. I know him…despite his stony façade and cold eyes, there is a wonderful, beautiful person buried too deep for those who don't know him well enough to see. I know that he will care…it's not that I hope for it, but I know…I have traveled with him for over nine years, and I watched him every chance I could. My savior since our first encounter…Sesshomaru sama. Tears form under my eyelids, and one falls from the corner of my eye as I struggle not to cry. It is so hard…I don't want to leave. Not right now. I love life too much- the smells, the tastes, the sights, the feelings-especially the feelings…
I know it does not help to feel sorry for one's self…so I'm not going to be. It's all going to be over in a few more minutes, anyways.
It becomes harder to breathe, and my chest begins to hurt as I begin to pant from lack of oxygen. I see a figure entering the sakura grove, regal and slightly haughty, as is his manner. I wonder if this is an illusion that my feeble, near death mind conjured until he stops in front of me, and though I see it hurts his pride, kneels in a manner that he can be closer to me, for comfort. It makes me smile, just a little, to see that he would do this for me. "Rin," he says simply, but I can hear more meanings in his tone of voice, though they elude me. I look into his face, drinking in the details before my time is up, and I can see something there…I just don't know what. It frustrates me, and I look harder, but every time I feel that I have it down, it changes again.
My eyes weaken, and I give a little gasp when my vision gives out. "S-Sesshomaru sama!" I cry weakly, trying to get a grasp of my dark world. It is so cold…so lonely. I shiver in fear as my isolation continues, unaware of what is going on outside, in the light. A warm hand covers mine and the darkness recedes a bit, but only just a bit. It becomes even harder to breathe, and I knew that I was going to die with my last breath.
As I fell completely into the blanketing darkness and my heart slowly gave out, I gasped with my last breath, "Aishiteru…"
Shessomaru's POV
This Sesshomaru cannot accept it. Rin, dead?
Looking down upon Rin's stiffening body, it registers somewhere in this Sesshomaru's head that she has departed from this world. But, for some strange reason, I do not wish to relinquish her from this Sesshomaru's grasp. She is -was- always there. She was ningen, and had such a frail, short life. Hmph. Such a big problem, this ningen's lifetime was. This Shessomaru expected himself to be able to ignore the lowly bug I had resurrected. She would quickly fade out of my life, as a thousand human years was a blink of this Sesshomaru's eyes.
But she didn't. Somehow, the lowly ningen transformed from a small bug to a strange creature that managed to burrow into under my skin. How did she manage such a feat? Even now, were others to see this Sesshomaru, they would believe he was mourning the loss of a ningen child. Ha. May they rue the day they would think that. This ningen…she means nothing to me.
I set Rin onto the ground and try to force myself up, but my body will not respond. 'What?!' I snarl in my head to myself. 'Why can't I move?!' I growl in disgust of myself and glare back at the girl, only to feel myself soften…and found myself shocked at this. "This Sesshomaru will not be changed by the life of a lowly ningen!"
"She-"
I yank my left knee from the ground.
"-means-"
I yank my right knee from the ground.
"-NOTHING!"
I force myself to stand, feeling disgust for myself. Could it be true? Am I changing? Before my thoughts can jumble into a massive heap, I turn and prepare to leave. But I don't move. I know what I should do, but I don't wish to do it. I don't want to look at her face, and feel compelled to do-something, even this Sesshomaru is not sure. I take a step away and hesitate. And I turn back, my face feeling like a mask. This Sesshomaru will not leave Rin's body rotting in the sun.
He drew Toukijin from its sheath and blasted a hole in the ground big enough to hold her body, and slowly lowered her into her grave among the sakura trees. His mind was a roiling mass of confusing emotions. He thought to himself, 'Why should this Sesshomaru care for a lowly, orphaned slip of a girl?'
"Because she was yours."
The sakura trees surrounding him begin to glow, and a figure slowly emerged. She was dressed in a cherry blossom kimono and gave out a kind aura, along with the faint smell of cherry blossoms. A sakura spirit. Shessomaru thought he understood what the spirit meant. He had brought her to life again, and so Rin's life belonged to him, did it not? And as if the spirit could read his mind, she gave him a pitying look, making him feel strangely agitated. And then she spoke again.
"I guess you can still be stubborn, Lord of the Western Lands…but that's alright. You have six hundred years to figure yourself out."
"Six hundred years…? This Shessomaru does not understand and does not care enough to." He stared icily at her, wishing that she would leave. But you don't insult spirits or gods.
The spirit gave an airy chuckle, saying, "In six hundred years, the girl will be reborn. The gods have decided to give you a second chance at love, Shessomaru. Until the time you can meet, I will care for her."
She waved her hand, and a sakura petal floated down into Shessomaru's hand and became two solid gold parts so that it would last 600 years. The spirit took one piece of the petal and held it tightly, saying, "Do not worry. I will make sure this finds its way to her when it is time. "
The wind sighed, and the sakura spirit faded into the air, clutching the piece that belonged to Rin.
It took a year for Shessomaru to sort himself out. He had tried throwing away the petal, had tried leaving it with Rin, but he couldn't bring himself to. The year without her made him understand that life just seemed empty without her. He would wait the remaining five hundred and ninety nine years for her. His reason? Because he loved her. A sweet simplicity that now rang clear and true in his mind and in his heart. He loved a human, and yet he didn't care.
"Jaken."
"Yes, Shessomaru sama?"
"We are leaving."
"H-hai, m'lord!"
And so, they left.
And so six hundred years passed in succession. War had come and gone, as the demons had. They faded in and out of history, for a cycle always passed: they were discovered, lived with in harmony or tolerated, and then exterminated for a reason, whether it be jealousy or hatred. In the age that has come to pass now, demons were found out once again.
"Over six hundred years ago there was a hanyou named Inuyasha who was sealed by a holy arrow, pinned to a tree to stay in an enchanted sleep forever. It was Kikyo, his human lover, that had sealed him there. Historic sources say that…"
Rin sighed and began to tune out the teacher's voice. History was something she definitely didn't care about. What was the use of it? It wasn't like she played some big part in it anyway. She absently rubbed her pendant, a half-sakura petal.
"Hey young girl! Come here, there are plenty of wonderful things to see on this cart!"
Rin looked around, and seeing no one else, pointed at herself.
"Me?"
The old woman looked at Rin with a kind look in her eyes and nodded her head. She was a normal street vendor at the marketplace, selling jewelry and such.
"Come closer, child. Come here and see this pendant."
The 17 year old slowly edged closer, until she could see the wares that the vendor had to offer, and her eyes widened in delight when she saw the half-sakura petal. The old woman saw this and smiled. Rin picked it up and felt…complete with the pendant. She didn't know why, but it was as if she was meant to have it.
"Why is the pendant only half of a petal?"
"Well, the other half was sold some time ago. Maybe it ended with your fated lover, hmm?" The old woman's eyes crinkled with laughter.
Rin's fingers closed over the pendant, and she declared," I'll take it. How much?" She focused on her purse to find her money.
"Don't worry child. It's already yours."
"Huh?" Rin looked up to see that the old woman had vanished. "What the…?"
Rin frowned. Whatever happened, she had this necklace, and she had to repay the old lady…if she could find her.
'Hmm…I wonder if I will ever find my 'fated lover?' wondered Rin, and giggled out loud.
"Rin Takamuri!"
Rin shot out of her seat, startled out of her daydream. "Y-yes sir!" And then she blushed slightly at her outburst. Her teacher harrumphed and glared at her. "Just what about the history of the Shikon no Tama is funny, young lady?"
"Nothing, sir," Rin replied, embarrassed that she was caught daydreaming in her class.
"Then care to explain your laughter?" the teacher said, apparently not satisfied.
"I was-"
"She was probably amused by the idiocy of my half-brother, Mr. Sukito," a cool, yet amused sounding voice replied. Everyone turned to the door to see Sesshomaru, one of Japan's richest and most wanted men…not to mention he was a demon. The history teacher beamed, and he said with a certain pride in his voice, "Class, this man is a real slice out of history itself. He is the half brother of the hanyou that we are studying, Inuyasha. And since we have finished studying that part, we will study Sesshomaru and how he played a part in the last battle with Naraku." Sesshomaru looked somewhat sad when that part was mentioned, but kept his intense gold eyes on the teacher.
Rin felt like something had clicked into place, something good and right. It was a pleasant feeling, almost like she was complete. She felt calmed, and she didn't know why
"Now Mr. Sessho-" the bell rang, cutting the teacher short. The teacher sighed and then looked out at the class.
"Well it looks like time is up, class. Please read Chapter Twelve: Sesshomaru, Lord of the Western Lands." Rin was pretty sure that Sesshomaru had winced. "That is all. And Takamuri, I want you to stay behind a bit."
Rin groaned but didn't bother to protest. All the other students left, until only she remained in her seat. Sesshomaru turned his eyes to study the remaining student in trouble and froze.
"Now, Takamuri, I want you to read the side chapter entitled Rin and write a one page essay about it. Next time you won't daydream, eh Takamuri?"
Rin began gathering her books and stuff, and said, "Yes, Sukito sensei."
The sensei chuckled a bit and said, "It's a bit of a coincidence that your name is Rin, eh?"
"Sure, Sukito sensei." She rolled her eyes when he wasn't looking and finished packing, and left the classroom, a slightly exasperated look on her face.
The teacher began cleaning up his classroom, since he was finished teaching for the day. He chuckled again while wiping the board.
"Takamuri Rin has the same name as your charge, yes Mr. Sesshomaru? If history is right, then she played a big part in the death of Naraku, but died herself."
Sesshomaru's voice was strangled, yet controlled. "Yes. She did. I'm sorry, but you'll have to excuse me. I have something I have to do." And he rapidly walked out of the room. The teacher scratched his head, puzzled.
Rin sighed. This was just wonerful. She didn't want to do this stupid assignment! It was just…not fair. Just because she giggled. Jeez. The stupid fates seemed to be on her case. Not fair. While she kept on grumbling about her extra assignment someone called her name. As she turned around
Shessomaru stood there, staring. Six hundred years…and she still looked the same, as beautiful as ever. He grabbed her and hugged her tightly.
"Rin!"