Chapter One: Don't Leave Me

Disclaimer- I don't own Inuyasha

"Rin…"

It was just one whispered word, but within that word, there trembled a new kind of fear, something that Sesshomaru had never felt before in his entire existence. The girl, Rin, was dead, freshly killed and sprawled out on the path as if thrown there, like a child throws their rag doll onto the ground. He reached for his sword, knowing that once it had saved her before. He hoped that it would save her again. Though, he knew it was not likely.

His heart sunk.

His heart sunk when he learned he had been right. Nothing had happened when he released the sword from its sheath. He cursed under his breath and looked down at Rin's cut face before he placed it back. He knelt down in front of Rin, his hand fell to her face, and he carefully stroked her cold cheek, flinching a bit when the warm blood that oozed from the cuts hit his fingers. This wasn't, no, this couldn't be happening. Not to him, not to Rin.

"Lord Sesshomaru, I think it's best if we bury her and leave," it was Jaken's voice, annoying as ever.

"No," Sesshomaru whispered, continuing to stroke Rin's cold, pale, unfeeling cheek. "I must try once more, just one last time."

He stood and unsheathed the sword again. This time, he could see the foul creatures, searching Rin for whatever life still lingered. Instantly he swung at them, making them disappear in a commotion of fury. He knelt back down and whispered softly to her, "Come on, Rin. Breathe…you must breathe."

Slowly her dark eyes opened and she looked up at her Lord Sesshomaru. Life slowly leaked back into her face, and movement found its way to her body. She tried to sit up, but she was still too weak and pain had begun to take over her. The cuts in her skin were deep and meant to kill. She coughed once and looked around.

"Lord…Sesshomaru?"

He smiled. Her voice was weak, and she had coughed and struggled to make the words come out, but it was enough for him that she had talked. He reached down and picked her up, though she was a bit larger than she had been the first time. Somehow he had found enough strength in his only arm to carry her.



Rin's first reaction to being held was to bury her face into the crook of his neck and cry. Sesshomaru frowned as he watched and felt her body shake with each sob. He wanted more than anything to help ease her of her pain and of the memory of death, but he couldn't. All he was able to do was bring her back to life.

She stopped crying and looked up into his eyes, her own eyes confused and frightened. Sesshomaru swore under his breath and looked down into those lovely brown eyes.

"What exactly happened, Rin? Tell me," it wasn't really a question, it was an order. Rage flowed through his entire body; slowly turning him into what he was…a demon. He growled under his breath, too low for Rin to hear, and thought about all the things he could do to the filthy humans who had hurt his precious Rin.

"I really don't…I can't really remember, Lord Sesshomaru," she whispered, "I'm sorry."

He smiled down at her and shook his head, "There's no need to apologize, Rin. Please don't worry yourself over it."

Sesshomaru looked to his left toward the green imp who followed him loyally and asked, "Jaken, where is An-Un?"

Jaken's squeaky voice answered in a shrill, "Right here!"

The imp brought An-Un up to Sesshomaru and then looked curiously at Rin. "Is she going to be alright, milord?"

Sesshomaru set Rin down gently atop of An-Un and turned to leave.

"Yes, she'll be alright," he said in a low voice, "Watch her, Jaken, and don't let her out of your sight. Your life depends on it."

Rin was the first to open her mouth, but for a moment words wouldn't come out. Jaken glanced at Rin and then at Sesshomaru.

"Where are you going?" the imp and girl asked at the same time.

A fire burned within the demon lord's eyes as he started to walk down the path away from Jaken and Rin. "Nowhere that concerns the two of you. Now do as you were told, Jaken, and watch Rin."

Soon Sesshomaru had vanished far down the path, leaving the imp and the girl alone.



Sometime later on the forest path, Rin was growing tired of the silence. They had stopped for the night in a small meadow in the woods, far from the path, because Jaken insisted that it would be safe.

"Master Jaken, where do you think Lord Sesshomaru went?" Rin asked in a curious tone, as she sat beneath a large Japanese Pine. She played with the hem of her kimono out of nervousness, and every once in a while she would look around her to make sure she was truly safe.

"You silly girl," Jaken said, shaking his head, "He went after those bandits that attacked you."

"Oh," she said quietly.

"Oh? What do you mean Oh?" Jaken exclaimed. "My lord Sesshomaru could be in grave danger because of you, and all you say is Oh? Foolish, stupid girl, where else could be possibly be?"

"Master Jaken…"

"What is it now?" He seemed annoyed, and glared at her with his large impish eyes.

"Do you think that Lord Sesshomaru cares for me?" Rin seemed to be choosing her words carefully, and she seemed reluctant to ask such a thing.

"What do you mean? My Lord doesn't care for humans," Jaken said, and shook his head. "You speak so ridiculously."

"I see," she said sadly and looked over at An-Un before closing her eyes and leaning back against the pine. "Master Jaken?"

Now he seemed angry. He looked at the girl sighed, "What is it? What do you want?"

"If he didn't care for me, why would he save me?" she asked timidly.

Jaken tried to think of an answer. Hesitantly he said, "He saved you the first time because he wanted to test the powers of his inherited sword. He saved you this time because…"

"See," she whispered, "You don't know the true reason."

"That may be so, but I'll have you know…"

"Jaken," this time it was Sesshomaru's voice, low and hidden in the shadows. He walked up behind the green imp.

"Oh! Milord, I'm so glad you're back safe! I was just talking to Rin about why you saved her," the imp said happily.



"And that would be?"

"He doesn't know, Lord Sesshomaru," Rin replied. She stood and leaned back against the bark of the tree, "Well not about this time, at least."

"Ah, I see," he said and looked toward Rin, his ember eyes sparkling in the firelight.

"So did you have any luck with whatever it was you were doing?" Rin asked, looking at him curiously.

He nodded and walked over toward the fire, "Indeed I did."

"Good!" Rin said cheerfully, "I'm glad."

She stepped away from the tree and proceeded to pick a wildflower. Before her fingers wrapped around the stem, her eyes fell onto a gravestone, lying crooked, and broken in the weeds. She reached out and touched it gently with her finger tips.

"Lord Sesshomaru," the little girl asked, looking down at the three gravestones, "May I ask you something?"

"What is it?"

"If I died…would you miss me?"

Sesshomaru looked down at the girl. "You mustn't say such foolish things, Rin," he told her.

She nodded her head and muttered a 'yes', but for a moment she wondered why he would not answer her. Maybe Jaken was right. Lord Sesshomaru had no place for a human girl in his heart.

She picked the flower lying beside the gravestone, and turned around, to find Sesshomaru watching her.

"Lord Sesshomaru, may I ask you something?"

"What is it?" he asked.

"When I die, or if I had died today, would you miss me?"

Sesshomaru looked at Rin and closed his eyes. "I thought I told you not to talk of such foolish things, Rin."

"I know Lord Sesshomaru, but Rin is just…very curious. Jaken once told me…" she stopped, hesitating. Was this such a good thing to talk about?



"Yes, keep going," Sesshomaru said, his ember eyes now watching her again, a curious and amused smile playing across his face.

"Remember when that demon took me to his lair, and kept me there with those other children?" Rin asked.

"Yes, I remember," he told her.

"Before I followed the demon to his cave, Master Jaken told me about how you were going to have a giant kingdom, and how he was going to be your right hand man and all, and I asked what I was going to be…" she stopped, hesitant to continue.

"Continue…"

"And he told me that you had no room for a human girl in your kingdom," Rin picked up another flower. "So it made me curious."

"Do you always listen to everything Jaken says?" Sesshomaru seemed to be amused.

"Yes," she replied.

"Well, maybe you shouldn't listen to him. If I did have a kingdom, or whatever he was talking about, you would be a part of it. Him on the other hand…"

"No, don't say anything about it to Master Jaken, please!"

"I won't," he chuckled.

"It's getting dark and we have a long journey to start in the morning. Why don't you get some sleep," he told her, before turning away.

"Where are you going?" she asked.

"I won't be far, I promise," he assured her, and so decided she would lie down, and go to sleep.

"Sweet dreams, Lord Sesshomaru," she whispered to the dark.

"Sweet dreams, Rin," he whispered, but it was too low for her to hear.

Rin stood still on the forest path and listened as the bandits shouted out to her. This reminded her only of her family's death, and it frightened her to know she would die like that. She tried to run, but her leg was weak from the arrow they had previously shot at her. She stumbled to the ground and then felt their hands.



"No!" She shouted, "Please leave me alone!"

But the hands persisted, tearing at her kimono. They weren't only touching her, but slicing at her with their knives and swords and daggers. They were just tearing her apart for the fun of it.

"No! Please don't! Please Stop!" She cried again and again. Where was Lord Sesshomaru? Where was Master Jaken?

"No…no…"

"Rin, wake up!" Sesshomaru's strong gentle voice woke her from her dream. She looked up at him with frantic tear-filled eyes. "It was only a dream."

She looked around her. They were still in the meadow. She was safe. "A dream…"

"Yes," Sesshomaru said, "It was just a dream. You can rest now. Go back to sleep."

He turned to walk away but Rin sat up and tried to fling herself at him. "Don't leave me, Lord Sesshomaru! Please don't leave me!"

Sesshomaru stopped and turned. He went back over to her and sat beside her in the grass. With his hand he guided her head back down, and she closed her eyes. He smiled and stroked her long dark hair.

"I could never leave Rin," he told her softly, "I could never…"