Conundrum by Wolfe

Honor & Respect

The young child behind her whimpered in fear. Kagome's grim expression twisted as she acknowledged that she could not spare a moment to comfort the small girl. Another attack lashed at her shield and she could feel the threads of her power begin to unravel at an alarming rate.

Luck was not on her side as a second blow sliced through her holy barrier and made a solid hit upon her battered body. Her vision darkened as she tried to continue to grasp at life, grateful that her body had managed to land above the innocent child she was fighting to protect.

“Kukuku. You are supposed to be the Miko of the Shikon No Tama?” the enemy laughed. “Please! You can't even attack me! All you can do is cower behind that pathetic excuse for a barrier!”

The youkai sauntered over to her broken body. Kagome struggled to maintain her breathing, forcing air into her shrieking lungs. Most of her body felt cold, heavy, and mainly numb.

A bad sign, she knew.

“I told you I will be taking that ningen girl with me,” he spoke again.

A scream weakly ripped itself from her throat as one of his feet decided to step on her lower back. His youkai strength found her ningen bones too easy a challenge to break.

Fleetingly, Kagome realized that though she was going to die, she was pretty sure her foe just paralyzed her lower body permanently. A feint tingle spread over her and a smile came to her lips.

Rin's breath hitched as the miko's last breath of air brushed her cheek, ceasing her course, ragged breathing. The woman's body went completely limp on top of her, though through her tears, the young child could care not for how heavy the weight above her was.

The male youkai reached down, grabbed at the late miko's clothing, and tossed her carelessly behind him, smiling with sadistic pleasure at the crunching thud her body made against a random tree.

“Now, little ningen, my Master as asked for you. Best not to keep him waiting.”

Rin closed her eyes tightly, waiting for those clawed hands to grab at her.

After a few long silent moments, she bravely peeked with one eye, only to throw both wide open when her vision landed upon her beloved Lord.

Quickly, she scanned for the evil man, but finding no trace, she looked hurriedly, with an innocent child's blatant concern, for the woman who died in her protection. Her lord was standing in a place so close, she was unable to see much of the clearing.

Jaken came scuffling into the clearing, made his way to her and stood there at her side. Rin was confused and look to her Lord for answers.

Sesshoumaru turned to face his ward, ensuring she was not able to see the broken ningen female, or the scattered remnants of the foul male youkai attacker. “Rin,” was all he said. His face didn't even seem to move and remained emotionless, but the intense look in his eyes caused the young girl to collapse in a waterfall of tears.

Jaken reached automatically to hold the girl child before his Lord had given the order. Remorse, loss, and such an immense sadness rolled off of her in more then just waves. It was a torrent of grief. What struck the Taiyoukai, was that the grief was obviously not for the situation she had just been in. It was not that she had almost been kidnapped or possibly would have died.

No, it was grief for the loss of someone's life. A life you hold of importance within your own. Rin was drowning in her grief for the death of the female ningen who died attempting to protect her. The breeze brought him the scent of the woman and he took the moment to analyze it.

It was vaguely familiar. One he was sure he had crossed once before, but had not bothered to remember it. Now, though, he memorized it, setting this ningen's sent to memory, something he had never done before.

There was a certain soft spice to her scent, almost like cinnamon dusted apple blossoms in the zenith of spring. He noted that it was as fresh as the blooming season, yet held a warmth of winter about it. The normal coatings of grime and week old sweat were lacking. Her blood was prominent and he found it to be much spicier.

“S-sh-sha,” Sesshoumaru's eyes narrowed on his young ward as she attempted to speak. “Sh-sha-she she sa-saved me.”

It was all the girl could say.

Something subtle inside him changed. He wanted to know why this female ningen protected his ward even to her death, but he did not go around bringing pathetic ningens back from the dead. The thing that seemed different to him, though, was that it wasn't just his curiosity that made him want to revive her, nor was it his ward's overwhelming remorse, but a glimmer of respect.

For so long he viewed this weak race as greedy and insignificant. Yet here was a young female willing to sacrifice her life for another. Giving Jaken a sharp glance, Sesshoumaru approached the mangled body. He had this almost violent urge to know what her expression had been at her death. Was there fear in her eyes? Was there regret?

Coming on her body, he noticed that her face was covered, and he, Lord Sesshoumaru, bent down and with his own bare hand, revealed her features, getting blood on his claws.

He truly did not know what to make of her face. Her eyes were wide open with a softness the dead should never possess. A smile graced her lips and her features were relaxed. He knew she died while still on top of his ward. But to have no fear when death takes you?

Not that he would ever admit it, but death was not something he, Sesshoumaru, looked forward to.

What creature could die like this? Surely no human would accept death with such warmth? And all for the sake of someone else?

A hum came from his hip. Should he? She was human. She was weak. She had died and welcomed her death.

“Sesshoumaru-sama,” came a little voice behind him. “Pretty Lady said that Sesshoumaru-sama would come. Pretty Lady said to believe in Sesshoumaru-sama. Pretty Lady said to live honorable like Sesshoumaru-sama.” Rin stopped talking. It seemed like there was more to say, but her breath had begun to catch once more. Jaken held her a little more tightly, mumbling about flowers and chases in an attempt to cheer the girl.

A thought struck Sesshoumaru: Here was possibly the only ningen to have gained more of his respect in the act of her death, then in the lifespans others have tried. He would go as far as to say that her death was far beyond noble and honorable, that it would put many a youkai to shame.

Without a second thought, he whipped out his sword and slashed twice at her body. He watched as her soul, which he now saw had struggled to stay, seem to relax and settle back down into her body. He watched her face the whole time, as if wanting to see if it was an illusion and the girl truly did fear death.

But as her skin reconnected, her lungs patched and filled with air, and eyes closed and moistened, the smile never left her face.

Her breathing would not even out, proof that she was far from being fully healed. Scooping her up in his one arm, Sesshoumaru walked back to his ward and faithful servant. “We're leaving,” was all he said as he walked off.

Rin for her part had been so unaware to anything other than her grief, she did not notice her Lord's bundle. Once she had climbed onto the back of the two headed dragon, waiting for them a few meters away, she fell into an exhausted slumber.

Jaken quickly mounted behind the girl and held on, ensuring she didn't fall as they took off, following their Lord as he headed straight for his own home.

All the while they travel in silence and Sesshoumaru's thoughts could not stray from the conundrum in his grasp.