Yay, book two! Sorry it took so long. So, if you haven't read book one yet, I strongly suggest you do. Anyways, hope you enjoy! Thanks for reading this far! .... R&R?

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"Oh what a shame,

What a rainy ending given to a perfect day,

Just walk away, no use defending words that you will never say,

And now that I'm sitting here, thinking it through,

I've never been anywhere as cold as you…"

-"Cold As You," Taylor Swift

~ A Broken Heart ~

Her hands, rough from close to three months of travelling, met the crystal perfect surface of the water. She splashed herself a bit in her eagerness to acquire the water's feel on her hands, and withdrew suddenly, giggling.

"The water's fine, free of any sort of dirt! This will be perfect to bring back to camp!" Daichia exclaimed as she stood up, smiling. Her just-past-shoulder length chocolate brown hair swayed in the gentle breeze, green streaks shining in the last rays of fading sunlight.

Sango walked the last few paces to the water's edge, joining Daichia. They gazed for a minute at the water, across the tiny pool they were standing at the edge of and to the fast-flowing river itself. It had just come over a waterfall, the highest Daichia had ever seen. She glanced at the demon slayer girl standing beside her. "So let's gather the water, shall we?"

"Mm hm!" Sango nodded and looked over her shoulder to see where Kirara had gotten to. In a few seconds, the two-tailed demon cat no bigger than a kitten had jumped on her back and ran onto her pink kimono-clad shoulder, mewing quietly. Daichia's travelling companion giggled.

The human and half-demon started to fill the clay pot they had been given earlier with water. When they finished, Daichia looked around one last time to savour the beautiful view. She craned her neck to see to the top of the waterfall. What she saw made her gasp and turn to Sango faster than lightning.

"Oh my god Sango, there's someone at the top of the waterfall!"

Sure enough, when Sango looked she could just see the shape of a human standing on a log at the very edge. Daichia's hanyou eyes could even make out that she was a young woman, around the earth demoness's own age. Why would someone do something that stupid? You could fall with just the slightest wrong step!

While Daichia was absorbed in her own ponderings, Sango put one hand over her mouth and screamed. Daichia looked at her questioningly.

"She jumped! Kirara, take us up!"

In seconds the cute, innocent looking kitten transformed into a huge cat the size of a cougar, with fire at its paws. Sango jumped on the demonic cat at once and pulled Daichia on as well, before she had time to protest.

They soared high through the air. Daichia was used to riding Kirara, but the sudden climb scared her slightly. She gripped Sango's back so tightly that she could hear a little gasp, and the earth youkai remembered her superior strength and loosened her grasp.

They climbed higher and positioned themselves below the falling woman. Daichia would catch her, since she had been falling for some time already and would make a hard impact when caught.

"Ready yourself!" Sango called and a second later the woman fell into Daichia's outstretched arms.

Kirara dropped a few inches, soaking up the impact. Daichia knew she would see bruises covering her arms later tonight, but another's life was ten times as important. As she looked down at the woman, who had fainted while falling, Daichia's eyes widened. It can't be… Rubi!?!

Kirara touched ground, and Sango jumped off. Daichia followed more slowly.

"Sango, I know her. She's a half demon, a fire demoness to be exact."

"A demon? Are you sure she's not dangerous?"

"Yeah, we're friends. I can't really imagine why she'd want to perform suicide… she looked pretty happy when I last saw her." The earth youkai thought back to when they had last met. Rubi, talking to the Lord of the Western Lands himself as a slight blush graced her face, and then him leaving with her on his back…

Sango's voice drew her out of her musings. "Daichia-chan, maybe you should run back to camp ahead of me and…" she looked questioningly at her friend.

"Rubi," Daichia interjected.

"And Rubi, and tell the others that we're coming," she finished.

"That's a good idea. See you back at camp!" Daichia yelled and took off running.

She flew through the trees, pushing her hanyou speed to its limit. She wanted to get everything prepared, and felt a need to see her to-be mate again.

Breaking through the last group of trees, she surveyed the camp. Miroku, an 18 year old monk, was sitting on a log by the fire. He nodded and gave a little wave. The child fox youkai Shippo was playing with one of his many toys he always had with him. He glanced her way and smiled.

But one face stood out from all the rest. He had scented her arrival long ago, and had already stood up. His blood-red kimono and hakama rustled as he walked towards her. The dog ears perched on top of his head twitched slightly, and as always Daichia was overcome with an urge to touch them, feel the softness of them on her skin. But she pushed the feeling aside and ran up to her love, throwing her arms around him and gazing into his beautiful amber eyes.

"I missed you," she breathed.

"Where were you two? You guys told us you wouldn't be long!" His eyes held accusation, but it was made playful as he bent down and placed his lips on hers. It was a short kiss, but Daichia understood. Inuyasha hated showing affection in public.

"I can take care of myself," she grumbled as he pulled out of her embrace and stood back.

"Ha, like I believe you." He smiled teasingly. "But seriously, what took you so long?"

"Well…" Daichia started, "we saw a woman about to jump off a cliff. When she jumped, we caught her. She's a half demon, like us! Remember when I told you about meeting that kansai youkai, right after you…" she smiled, "you know, confessed your undying love for me?" Daichia giggled as Inuyasha hit her on the arm.

"Yeah, I know. Rubi, wasn't it?"

"That's right. Well, it was her. Sango's bringing her back right now."

As if on cue, the demon slayer stepped into the clearing, carrying Rubi in her arms a little awkwardly. She laid the unconscious youkai on the ground. Miroku had gotten up and walked over.

"Now don't you try anything!" Sango warned. Miroku grinned sheepishly. He was known for his slightly perverted side, including a fondness for women's bottoms.

Daichia looked around. "Sango, did you bring the water?"

"Right here." She nodded and handed the demoness the clay pot of water.

"Now, if I could just wake her up…"

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The first thing Rubi felt was a cold splash of something on her face. Is this how they greet heaven's new residents? she thought. For that was obviously where she was waking up to find herself. She was certain that nobody could survive a fall off a cliff that high.

Voices now reached her ears. She opened her eyes, the lids feeling like they were weighed down with many bricks. A groan escaped her lips.

An awful sight met her eyes. Why was he here, even in heaven? He was the very thing I gave up my life to escape from. Would god be that cruel?

The long silver hair, the piercing amber eyes… but no. This was someone else. He had dog ears atop his head, and a younger face. How can they look so alike?

"Rubi? Rubi?"

A familiar voice called her name. Rubi connected the voice to a name from her past in a few seconds. It was Daichia who was calling her. She shifted her head slightly, and her friend's face came into view. It was a bit blurry.

"Am I dead?" Rubi managed to croak out.

"Um… I can understand why you think that, but no, you're not, thankfully." Daichia smiled down at her in an all-too-familiar way. How could I have survived that fall? Rubi was quite sure that the only thing broken was her heart.

She put two and two together, and was not sure whether to feel annoyed or joyful.

"Why did you save me? It was pretty obvious that I wanted to die."

Daichia's eyebrows pushed together in a look of concern.

"Everyone should live. But…" she glanced around at the group gathered beside them. "Do you want to tell me what happened?"

Rubi's heart split open again at the thought of what he had said to her. Tears flooded to her eyes again, but she refused to show them to this many people. "No… I don't think I'm ready yet."

Daichia nodded and didn't press her.

"But I do have one question… who are you, and why do you look so much like Ses- the Lord of the Western Lands?"

The boy let out a "Feh" and narrowed his eyes. "Because we're brothers- half brothers, that is. My name's Inuyasha."

Oh, it's Inuyasha! That's why he looked so familiar- not just because he looks like him. But, if they're brothers…

"Could you answer me one thing?" Rubi looked straight into his eyes quite seriously. He nodded.

"Are you anything at all like your half-brother?"

Inuyasha only thought for a moment before shaking his head in disgust. "Anything like that self-absorbed bastard? Not on your life!"

"Inuyasha-" Daichia cut in warningly, as she remembered that Rubi travelled with the Demon Lord, but stopped when Rubi herself cut him off.

"Good," she replied, and gave him a slight half-smile, closing her eyes.

Daichia was putting the pieces of information Rubi had hinted at together, and thought she could guess the basic reason of Rubi's attempted suicide, but wanted to hear it from the kansai youkai herself before she drew any conclusions.

"Oh!" Daichia exclaimed, remembering that Miroku, Sango and Shippo hadn't been introduced to her friend. "Rubi, this is Miroku, a monk, Sango the demon slayer (don't worry, she doesn't kill her friends), and Shippo, a kitsune youkai."

Rubi nodded at them all, and they let out murmurs of greeting. The group then dispersed, leaving Daichia and Rubi alone.

"You might want to watch out, Miroku's a bit… questionable," Daichia advised as she gestured to where the monk in question sat with Sango. His hand went for her bottom, and he immediately received a slap in the face.

"I see," the fire demoness commented, smiling slightly once more. Rubi was not sure that she'd ever fully smile again.

"Can I ask you a question, Daichia-chan?"

"Ask away."

"What is your relationship with Inuyasha?"

A bright grin lit up Daichia's face, and Rubi could guess the answer before the earth demoness said a word.

"We're to be mates this mating season, in just over a month!"

An image invaded Rubi's mind. Sitting in a cherry blossom garden, Sesshomaru by her side, with Daichia and Inuyasha there as well. Talking, laughing- the word sisters-in-law came to mind as well.

But it hurt too much.

"Congratulations!" Rubi just managed to spit out and look pleased at the same time. She desperately hoped that Daichia couldn't hear the pain in her voice, or lack of enthusiasm. It wasn't her friend's fault.

Inuyasha looked up at her words and smiled, blushing slightly. Rubi could see why the earth demoness was attracted to him, but his older brother overshadowed all of her thoughts. It must run in the family, she thought, grimacing.

Daichia had walked over to Inuyasha with a look of excitement evident on her face. She whispered something into one large dog-ear and he nodded, though a tad reluctantly. Daichia then bounced over to Rubi again.

"I have the perfect solution!"

"Do tell," Rubi said.

"Well…" Daichia looked a bit cautious with the subject she was about to bring up. "Uh… are you not travelling with your… group anymore?" She had correctly sensed that Sesshomaru was a bad topic.

Rubi pushed her lips together sadly. "No… I'm not."

"Why don't you come with us, then? We have plenty more room!" Inuyasha looked at her. She stuck her tongue out.

A small smile graced the fire youkai's lips. "Yes… I think I would like that."

Rubi tried to sleep, but the night seemed to be pressing down upon her, along with unwanted thoughts. Would Rin be alright without me? At least she had a group to travel with now, and wasn't quite alone. She had friends- Daichia was a lovely companion, who was finally someone of her own age, and she had talked to Sango a bit tonight, and found her to be quite friendly. Yes, she was now travelling with his half-brother, but she was pretty sure that Inuyasha was a good person, so unlike his sibling. Rubi moaned quietly.

She gave up falling asleep as an unreachable goal and stood up without a sound. She needed to be alone tonight.

Walking in the pale moonlight over a hill, the fire demoness remained deeply in thought. She decided to sit on the hillside, watching the long grass blow around her in the gentle breeze.

"You okay?"

Rubi jumped and mentally cursed for not bringing her fire-staff. But it was only Daichia who had disrupted her sad musings, a worried frown on her face. She sat and made herself comfortable beside Rubi, and looked up at the moon.

"I'm sorry… you probably heard me get up, right?" Rubi asked.

"No, I was awake when you left for your "midnight stroll." Seriously Rubi, please tell me what the matter is! I hate seeing you this down in the dumps. I might be able to help you, you know…" Daichia pleaded, making Rubi make eye contact.

Rubi sighed. She just couldn't hold back the tears this time, and they streamed down her face, like water bursting from a newly broken dam.

The earth demoness gasped when Rubi's arms latched themselves around her neck. Daichia held her friend as she sobbed, and knew at that instant that she needed to get to the bottom of this.

"Rubi… it's something about Lord Sesshomaru-sama, right? He did something to you!" Many thoughts came into her head then, some much more unpleasant than others. Yes, Sesshomaru-sama was her lord, but if he did anything to hurt her first friend this badly… he would pay.

Rubi nodded. Her crying had eased up slightly, and she sat back up again, blushing. Daichia offered her hand for support, and the kansai youkai gripped it gratefully.

"I… I loved him, secretly, deep down inside."

I was right about that, Daichia thought, but seriously, what sane demoness wouldn't? Many do even when they live far away from him, but she was even travelling with him, day and night!

"And just last night- I… I-" she clutched her chest, like the very memory caused pain, "confessed my love to him."

That couldn't be good. From all the rumors I've heard, and those few moments I spent face-to-face with him, I could easily believe that that couldn't be a good thing.

"But…" and Rubi murmured this in a whisper, like it was the most painful part of all, "He rejected me. In the worst way possible. He insulted my power, status… everything. And what's worse, he is going to mate a feline-youkai wench who has loathed me from the moment she saw me." The tears flowing down her face were silent now, but just as significant as the ones before.

Daichia hugged her tightly. She knew that actions would speak much louder than words in this situation.

So there, I've told someone else, Rubi thought. It does feel slightly better.

"So, what are you going to do?"

She glanced back at Daichia.

"What can I do? It's not like he has to experience some sort of punishment. He's the Lord of the Western Lands. He can do whatever he likes."

"Good point, but now you have us. You'll always be safe, Rubi-chan- from whatever and whoever comes our way. Inuyasha has fought his older brother more than once and lived to tell the tale- I'm certain he'll do it again."

Rubi nodded and sniffled. Yes, she'd have to slowly glue her heart back together, piece by piece- but it would'nt be half as hard now that she had a shoulder or two to lean on. And she had found a safe haven- and that was all that mattered at this moment in time.

- End