By Arckangel030672
Chapter OneAs usual, Rin and AhUn are awaiting Lord Sesshomaru's return, and, as usual, they are both utterly bored.
Usually when Master Sesshomaru tells her to stay behind with AhUn, he's off on one of his endless battles. This time it was no different.
Though she's beginning to get the feeling that her waiting behind is for her own safety, Rin's mind knows different because Lord Sesshomaru cared nothing for the safety of humans. Maybe it's just her safety he's concerned about though, she thought. But that would be ridiculous. Besides she knows how to take care of herself. After all, it was Sesshomaru who taught her how to defend herself.
As her thoughts wandered, Rin hadn't noticed Lord Sesshomaru's return.
While he approached the beautiful spot of tall grass at the edge of trees where Rin and AhUn were lazing about, Sesshomaru was struck with a sense of belonging. With it came a reassurance for Rin's safety.
"Welcome back, Milord!" Rin calls out with a wave of her hand and a smile to her beautiful face. "You fared well it looks like. I hope you've not sustained any injuries this time?"
"Rest assured, Rin, that this Sesshomaru is well," he replies with an annoyed glint in his amber eyes.
"I'm so glad," Rin says a little too cheerfully. "Jaken was not a very pleasant host. He's such a stick in the mud."
The imp, upon hearing his mannerisms being torn to shreds, perks up. " Am not!" he exclaims childishly. "Good evening, milord," he greets with a slight bow.
Sesshomaru turns to Jaken with one of his rare amused stares. The imps acting uncharacteristically, he thought. I wonder what he's been up to while I've been away.
"Do you have anything to report, Jaken?" Sesshomaru questions.
Jaken looks up a little too quickly at his lord than looks to the ground. Does he suspect, Jaken wonders. "Nothing of any importance, milord."
Sesshomaru takes a last scrutinizing glance at Jaken than, "Than lets be off," he commands as he heads in the general direction of his great castle.
When they arrived at the castle, Sesshomaru sensed a familiar presence. Concerned, or what he thought felt like concern, he swiftly ran in the castle ahead of Rin and Jaken at supernatural speed searching out the presence. When he came to his study, he found InuYasha slouching in the chair behind his desk. Surprised, Sesshomaru moved to attack and defend but halted when he caught the scent of blood. Curious now, he crept silently towards the smell and came to an unsurprised halt in front of InuYasha.
"InuYasha," he said.
Silence.
"InuYasha, answer me," he commands.
More silence.
An odd sense of brotherly concern washes over him and moves him into action.
He treads to his desk, careful not to alarm InuYasha's automatic defense system, and moves to grab him and toss him over his shoulder only to be suddenly frozen in his steps when InuYasha says unconsciously, "Kagome!"
It sounded like distress to Sesshomaru, but he wasn't all too sure, so he proceeds to grab up InuYasha and throw him over his shoulder. He brings him to an empty room in the castle, and as he drops him into a heap on the bed, Rin, followed by Jaken, comes in as InuYasha yells out Kagome's name again.
"What's happened to him, Master Sesshomaru?" Rin asks.
Sesshomaru looks at Rin, prepared to answer in an unkind way only to be stopped mid-sentence and forced to rethink his answer when he sees her distressed features. "I don't know. But when he wakes, I intend to find out."
His gaze seeks out Jaken's than says, " Go get hot water and cloths, than have one of the servants help clean his wounds."
He didn't have to help his half-breed brother, but he didn't want to waste his time in bringing him back to life with Tensaiga either just to find out who would've done this to him. Plus, InuYasha wouldn't've sought him out here unless he was in dire need for help.
"Yes, milord," Jaken says as he speeds off to get the supplies.
It was a week and four days before InuYasha regained any kind of consciousness to relate the story of how he came to Sesshomaru's castle. By that time though, Sesshomaru had already heard most of what happened from Kaede and Shippo talking. From them, he learned that InuYasha along with Kagome, Sango, and Miroku became engaged in an enormous battle with Naraku. And that Naraku came into the possession of Kagome and the Shikon Jewel. He doesn't know what happened to Sango or Miroku, but he intends to find out by InuYasha. Though only God knows why he should care.
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