Eagerly Watching, Silently Waiting

~*~ A figure stood on a hill silently watching the sun set and the moon rise into the sky. Why am I even alive? I do not deserve a second chance at life. You and I both know this yet here I am just as I was the day I died. She turned her head to see if she could spot what she had been seeking. I don't want to just walk up to him and say I am here to kill you now; you are no longer aloud to live. Not seeing what she was seeking she turned back to the cliff she was near.

I do not want to do this yet I know I must. I will kill him no matter what it takes. She blinked and looked at the sky once more as a figure appeared beside her. You must kill him; he has to die in order for things to be set straight. "You are right Mosuke he must die, yet I myself am dead why I am here?" the figure turned and touched her forehead as it faded, you are here because only your strengths along with his will kill him. Find him and kill him, most of all do not fall in love. It will cost you dearly. As for being dead you are very much alive, you have been reincarnated in this body, you just have your original memory. The girl nodded and turned heading for the river that would lead her to her prey.

Upon reaching the river she leaned down to drink from it knowing that it would not be long before the one she was seeking would hopefully seek her out. She closed her eyes and drank deeply from the river enjoying its icy coldness. Finally she opened her eyes once more gazed at the river. The moonlight bounced off it and gave her reflection a white aura, but around it was a thin line of the colors that are usually locked in a prism. She sighed and once more closed her eyes, the same eyes that seemed to hold pale liquid gold.

I know that I am the same person that I was before but, why do I feel so different. She reached up and softly patted her tail; yes I must be as strong as I was before I died. Shouldn't I? She opened her eyes and looked down; the image of the human girl looked back at her. Ankle length hair the color of liquid moonlight fell in waves around her head giving her an angel like appearance. She leaned closer to the water till she almost touched it, yes it was there, though faded her mark was still there. Her beloved mark of a moon with a ring around it was still on her forehead. But there was one problem she was no longer a full blood youkai. She was human, and everything that went with it. I.E. sense of hearing, sight, and smell.

~*~
Sesshoumaru walked swiftly in front of the small group he had. He wanted to get as far as the river tonight before he would let the small human in his group to rest. The human girl continued to chatter non-stop to him for what seemed like hours but felt like years. "Rin, for my sake be quiet." "Hai" she replied and began to hum softly to her self a mindless tune. Sesshoumaru sniffed the air as a scent crossed his nose. The scent meant only one thing to him, easy prey and a thrill of the hunt before the kill. He left Rin and Jaken behind him, much to Jaken's dislike. "Sesshoumaru-sama take me with you!" Sesshoumaru hurried through the trees not wanting his prey to get away before he could kill it.

~*~
Try and hide I will seek you out and kill you. She thought with a laugh. As she waited for him to make a mistake and show her where to find him, she trailed her finger in the water creating small waves. But what she had not expected to happen was for Sesshoumaru to show up with company.

~*~

Jaken beat Rin on her head again for being slow and hurried after Sesshoumaru, managing to catch up as he stopped at a few trees by the river. "Sesshoumaru-sama what was the hurry to get here?" Jaken asked moments before he was stepped on (an: toady go squish ^^). Sesshoumaru walked back the way he came deciding to not kill while Rin was near him, after all she was a small child. Just as he reached a small clearing he noticed that Rin had not followed him at all. Where can that child be. And where is that useless baka of a toad. I am such a fool for letting them follow me. Just as he had those thoughts two screams filled the air, one came from Rin the other from a youkai being torn to shreds. Sesshoumaru ran to see about Rin's safety and came across instead a dead youkai and a passed out Rin, not to mention the one that had saved Rin very much dead.again.

A second youkai was getting ready to rip them to shreds as the mysterious girl had done to its companion. Its chance never came as a pair of claws went through it, causing steaming hot and bloody pieces to fall all around Sesshoumaru, and the girls. Sesshoumaru turned and checked Rin even though he never showed it he was happy to find she was still breathing. He then walked over to the other girl as the Tenseiga pulsed in its sheath. A life for a life, I will let you live only because you saved Rin. I wish I knew why in seven hells I keep saving these worthless humans. Sesshoumaru stood with the Tenseiga in hand and sliced at the lifeless girl, not bothering to wait until she awoke he went to Rin and picked her up. "Jaken, watch that girl till I return." He said in an emotionless tone to the toad that hid behind a tree. "H...Hai Sesshoumaru-sama."

Sesshoumaru walked a few hundred miles before he stopped at the place he had been heading too. His palace loomed before him old, sturdy, along with the powerful aura it gave off. He walked inside it and to the second floor stopping only at a bedchamber to put Rin inside it. He then left to fly back to the river to get the mysterious girl. She will be a companion to Rin. She will have to understand that is her duty in return for me giving her back her life. Now that she is going to care for Rin I can do what I want again and I will not have to fear for her safety any longer.

~*~

The early morning sun streamed in through a hole in the curtain, waking the room's occupant. I know I died for the second time, and it was foolish to do so yet I am alive again. I tire of these life and death games. It must have been the one that I was told of that wields the Tenseiga. I must thank him for what he did. A soft knock at the door brought the sleepy girl from her thoughts. "Come in." she whispered softly half afraid at what maybe behind the door. She let out a breath that she hadn't realized she held as a small girl came through the door. "Ohayo..." The little girl began as she screwed her face up in effort to remember to recite all that she had been told. "I'm Rin, Sesshoumaru-sama says breakfast is ready and to come eat. He also says if you starve your self he doesn't care, and he is not going to save you again. He also said don't bother to apologize."

The girl blinked; wow she remembered all of that. Amazing. She got up and dressed in a kimono that had hung in the closet. Then she turned to Rin and kneeled before her. "Ohayo Rin, my name is Tsukinoiri. Please show me where the dinning hall is." Rin smiled and took Tsukinoiri's hand, "Hai, it is this way, Tsukinoiri-sama." Tsukinoiri blinked again, Sama? "Rin-chan why did you call me Sama?" she asked in a soft voice. Rin kept tugging at Tsukinoiri's hand getting her to hurry. "Am I not supposed to? Sesshoumaru- sama has me call him that." Rin's voice clearly gave away what she could have been thinking. I have confused her now; I will disregard it and speak to Sesshoumaru about it later. "We are here." Rin announced dropping Tsukinoiri's hand and hurrying to the table.

~*~

Sesshoumaru looked up as the door to the dining hall opened and two humans walked through the door. Rin hurried to get to the table in fear of not getting something to eat, but the mysterious one took her time. She looks very nice in that White and sliver kimono. wait what am I saying she is a human. "Sit eat what you want." Sesshoumaru stood and began to leave the table when the soft voice of the mysterious girl reached his ears and even then he almost missed her words. "Arigato for saving me, will you not stay and be with us Sesshoumaru?" Sesshoumaru turned and looked into her eyes before returning to his chair. Her eyes they are so different from normal humans. Not to mention lovely. Bah, what are you thinking Sesshoumaru. She is human do not fall for her.

"Rin, after you finish you may go where you like here. Just do not wander near the lake." Rin nodded before beginning a stream of questions to Tsukinoiri. Tsukinoiri quietly told Rin that she would not answer her questions, and that it wasn't polite to ask such questions to a guest. Sesshoumaru sat picking at his apple as he tried to figure Tsukinoiri out, as well trying to figure out how to stop liking her.

~*~

As Rin left the table she looked at Tsukinoiri and smiled "You are very pretty." She stated shyly before running out of the room. Tsukinoiri reached up and brushed a strand of her hair out of her eyes, smiling at Rin's compliment. Sesshoumaru stood and began to leave the room as well when he stopped and looked at her. He let his eyes travel up Tsukinoiri's petite but fit body and let them linger on her forehead where her faint mark lay. "What mark is that? I have never seen a human ware a demons mark." She reached up and brushed her mark briefly "I do not have to tell you why I wear this mark." She replied in a soft yet toneless voice much like Sesshoumaru himself. He looked at her in shock even if he didn't show it. "If you will excuse me I will be leaving shortly." Sesshoumaru open and closed his mouth not sure what to say.for once.

~*~

After the scene she had made at breakfast she had retreated to her bedchamber. (Sesshoumaru just went to a room to sulk and destroy things in a rage because he Sesshoumaru Lord of the Western lands had been told off.) I can't believe him.treating me like that. Who cares if I have a mark on me? "But you do care." A small voice in her head answered. I can't help it if I have the thing in this body too. But I am alive so I should be thankful. That arrogant jerk, he thinks he owns everyone. Tsukinoiri sat up and sighed. He needs to learn respect. : Knock. Knock: "H...Hai?" "Sesshoumaru-sama wishes to speak with you." Jaken stated in a cold tone. "Hurry up wench you don't want to keep him waiting." Tsukinoiri walked to the small window in her room choosing to ignore the toad.

~*~

"Jaken, why has she not come?" Sesshoumaru stated coldly as he watched Rin play through the window. Jaken instantly looked afraid, "Sesshoumaru-sama I do not know." "Well go find out Jaken before I hurt you." "HAI!" Jaken screamed as he ran from the room, and up the stairs. What is it about this human that interests me? Am I going soft? No I must not think such things. "Jaken." Sesshoumaru called to the toad that stood on the other side of the door. "Sesshoumaru-sama she says you don't own her and she does not have to listen to you." Sesshoumaru walked quickly to and through the door crushing Jaken (an: toady go squish ^^) as he made his way upstairs. No one says no to me and lives.

~*~

Tsukinoiri sat on her bed counting the seconds till she would tell Sesshoumaru himself that he did not own her and she did not have to listen to him.

~*~

Sesshoumaru walked towards the stairs, I do not have to tell you why I wear this mark, she says. well she is going to tell me all that I want to know if she wants to live. "You don't really want to kill her." This Sesshoumaru has no feelings for humans. Sesshoumaru paused on the sixth step, Rin is a different matter. He continued towards the top, "Face it your going soft." Sesshoumaru is not going soft, I am still as mean and as me as ever. "You are beginning to like her, face it you had another reason for bringing her back to life." Jaken caught up to Sesshoumaru as he stopped once more on the thirteenth step, he kicked back wards as something reached out and touched his foot. Jaken flew down the stairs, and out a door, and down some more stairs, and through another door. Down yet more stairs until he rolled to a stop next to a cliff, which at the bottom was a pool full of piranhas. "Ow" lays in typical Ranma pose. Unfortunately for Jaken the part of the cliff he was on crumbled and he fell down to the piranhas. (A/n: fish food ^^)

~*~ Tsukinoiri stood up and looked out her window at Rin playing down below. She watched as the little girl walked towards the lake and stopped. "Keep walking" she whispered and smiled as Rin walked forward and got closer to the edge of the lake. "Keep walking," she whispered nudging Rin forwards with her mind.

~*~ 349 steps later, Sesshoumaru continued walking towards her room, "There was no other reason for bringing her back." Yes there was, you just won't accept it. "It is not like some stupid human would scare me anyhow. She is here mainly to serve me and that is final." Sesshoumaru raised his voice; You don't have to shout I can hear you just fine you know. You do like this girl though do you not. She would make a good mother like figure for Rin wouldn't she. "I do not like her she is a human, although she is pretty cute." He stopped and looked up, the last sentence spilling from his mouth as he noticed she stood there listening.

~*~ Tsukinoiri stopped as she heard Sesshoumaru speaking to himself. She listened in amusement until he said she was cute, she frowned and spoke to him, "Rin is in the lake." She spun around and hurried to her room, slamming the door shut behind her. That is one odd youkai. And I am supposed to deal with that, Mosuke you have got to be kidding. She sighed, knowing that he wasn't kidding he never did. She watched Rin sitting there in the lake, and released her mind after having her walk out of the lake and take a warm bath. Once Rin was all dry again she went back out side, just as Sesshoumaru walked outside as well.

~*~