Promise Me, Chapter 1:

An Unknowing Loss

 

“It is the nature of all lines, as with kingdoms to fail. Nothing is forever, and this is how it is to be.” ~Toshiro Saerel

 

Sesshoumaru sighed. The girl had never had time to be a child, and it was his fault. Given, she had grown up in wealth and power, holding the favor of the Great Demon of Aimree, but she had known naught excitement save for battles. The girl should have run and played with the other children; but he had at that time seen it unpractical. The great demon lord had one shortcoming: parenting. Still, between himself and the child, they had managed to live the way they sought. And yet, with all his prosperity, he had so many regrets. Amongst them, that he had substituted a new sword or kimono for a loving smile, and books of philosophy for the stories of his adventures that she so eagerly begged for.

But the time to correct that was now past; Rin was not a child, but a young woman. A fine warrior, a talented mage, and a beautiful wife for any man who could satisfy the Demon Lord’s standards, who had yet to make himself known. Sesshoumaru could keep Rin happy for a time, but she would eventually, inevitably, grow tired of the mix of general, father, sensei, guard, and unconditional devotion that she found in Sesshoumaru. And he knew it.

The one bad thing, he mused as he stood on the balcony, about Rin, is that she will become old and die, if the battlefield doesn’t claim her first. A soft, rueful breath of air escaped his lips. The Youkai smelled the wind. A storm coming from the east. Wonderful. This just might give them the edge they needed to win with no losses. The Great Lord Was so caught up in his musings, he didn’t smell the horse as it pulled up to the front gates. He did hear the steps, running up the tower steps. And he was prepared when the door was thrown wide open, sending a gust of wind ruffling his hair and kimono. The girl in the doorway had just come from a military camp; Sesshoumaru could smell it on her hair, clothes, and skin: sweat of training and massed humanity. He honestly didn’t understand why she insisted on attending a camp for commoners when he would welcome her to stay with him gladly. The excitement of seeing her Lord and adopted father that had caused her to barrel through the door was replaced by military respect. Rin snapped her helmet to her side and drew her sword in a salute.

“Reporting for duty, my Lord. You summoned me?” she barked in the manner she used with her troops.

“I certainly did. Do you not realize that it’s been four months since I last saw you? You’re not on duty now, by the way, so you can drop the formalities,” he added. The girl smiled and placed her helmet on the bench. Something about seeing her look so grown up tweaked a nerve in Sesshoumaru’s heart, but he dismissed it.

“Well?” he queried. “Come here. Let’s have a look at the elusive Rin.” The young woman flushed with the embarrassment of being so long away.

“I didn’t realize how long it had been. You know I would never intentionally leave you; you’re all that I have, save for the camp.” Sesshoumaru regarded her with an eye for any apparent change. There was much, of course, and suddenly it hit him like a tsunami how much of her growing up he had missed in trying to control the land and make her a suitable ruler in his place. She was very different, and yet exactly the same as she had been all those long years ago, a child chasing butterflies in the meadow, blissfully ignorant of the horrors in life, horrors she could now defeat with a single blow. But their happiness in that one moment could never last.

“I don’t want you to fight. You could be hurt,” Sesshoumaru muttered, frowning.

“So could you,” Rin responded. “Besides, I swore myself to you. And whether you like it or not, that means I have to fight.” For a heartbeat, the little girl Sesshoumaru had known surfaced, and then suddenly her arms were about his waist, and nothing was different. Rin was still just a little child, delighted at seeing fireflies, even if it was only so in his heart.

“If you must fight, then let us be happy for one more day. You will join me for dinner and to greet the troops. Goodnight, Rin.” Sesshoumaru sighed, voice tinged with uncharacteristic sadness. If Rin noticed, she gave no sign. Although Sesshoumaru said goodbye only for a short time, he felt like he was loosing the one person he had left. It felt empty, and it was not a feeling the demon lord liked. As he watched his little girl stride away, battle armor clanking, he decided that if he was to suffer a loss, he would choose not to acknowledge it.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Hope you liked it! I think it will be very long. Please R&R to [email protected]!