Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or any of its characters. I do appreciate the use of them though!

ONE

Rin

"Master Jakken! Look! It's a firefly!" She shook the little imp roughly trying to get him to appreciate the wonder at such a fascinating little bug.

"Leave me in peace you wretched girl." Jakken replied with his high squeaky voice and a rough shove of her hand from his shoulders. The firefly winked at her, almost beckoning and then proceeded on its way. There was a moment of indecision as she thought of her Lord returning and finding her away from the camp. She would just be extra careful to return before he did. He hadn't commanded her to stay after all. He had commanded Jakken to watch her so in fact if he did return it would be Master Jakken's fault. She giggled a bit but still determined to be back before her Lord returned. She just wanted to see where it was going anyway. Perhaps she would stumble on a field full of fireflies. Her eyes rounded at the thought and she quietly crept after the bug that seemed to be waiting for her at the line where the forest began.

She followed it for longer than she had originally planned when she did indeed stumble into a clearing. Just like the one where she had first met her Lord. Just as then there was a creature lying against a tree seeming to rest but she could tell the creature was weakened, perhaps from a battle. Instead of the terrible beauty that was her Lord the creature was an elderly and frail looking woman. She appeared to be human. Her eyes opened and saw Rin studying her. Rin was prepared to run when the old woman smiled kindly and gestured her forward. Rin hesitated a moment, knowing the anger the was sure to come if she was not there when he returned, but another kind smile and she took a few steps towards the woman. "Where do you come from child? How have you happened upon me?" The woman asked. Her voice was harsh and soft. Like an angry whisper.

"I followed the firefly from my camp at the edge of the trees. I should be getting back now." Rin felt uneasy as she watched the woman's eyes widen and then another smile, one not so friendly, spread across her face.

"Do you not know what I am girl?" Rin shook her head. She felt fear for this woman and could not understand why. "I am the faerie of these woods and I grant wishes to those who deserve it." Rin's curiosity got the better of her and she walked closer to the woman.

"A faerie?" The woman nodded. "But where are your wings?" The woman laughed a rich laugh that caused a hesitant smile from Rin.

"I have to hide them so humans don't take advantage of me." Rin made an "o" with her mouth but said nothing. "Do you want to make a wish?" Rin felt uneasy again. "You don't have to. I was just curious." Rin flashed back to her Lord saying the same phrase to her. Her unease was pushed back. Her Lord had saved her after he had spoken those words. How bad could this woman be?

"I don't know how." She responded quietly looking at the ground.

"Hmmm." The old woman said. "You tell me what it is you wish for and I will grant it. How does that sound?"

"Okay." Rin watched as the woman watched her. Time ticked by and the old woman grew impatient.

"Well, girl, what do you wish for?"

"To be with Lord Sesshomaru forever." She answered without hesitation. The old woman's eyes sparkled and her smile was back.

"Done."

Sesshomaru

"Rin, we're leaving." Sesshomaru's voice rang out in the camp causing Jakken to jump from his sleep. He began to stutter an apology but Sesshomaru had already turned towards Ah and Un. He heard nothing from the pile of fur that was Rin's sleeping pad. He stopped and turned slowly, allowing anger to seep into his voice. She had never defied him before; perhaps she had merely not heard him. "Rin. This Sesshomaru will not repeat himself." Still nothing. Jakken was cowering on the other side of Ah and Un as Sesshomaru stalked towards the pile of fur. He angrily snatched them up intending to waken the sleeping child when he was surprised at finding merely fur in his hands. No Rin. He released the furs to fall to the ground and turned his angry glare at Jakken.

Days turned into weeks and Sesshomaru had found no trace of Rin. His anger toward Jakken had cooled after the initial few days. The imps repeated prostrations and apologies were more bothersome than helpful so even if he hadn't truly let it go he was inclined to pretend just to make him stop. He had tracked her scent to a little glade in the forest but not beyond. No amount of destruction, threats, or downright torture had revealed a hint to her location though he had done plenty of all three. Most of the demon world had given him a wide berth of late. His already thin patience was at a breaking point with only the slightest provocation causing him to snap viciously at anyone. He had but one avenue left to try and he really, REALLY, did not want to have to go there.

He could just let it go. She was a human after all. One who was amusing and

distracting at the same time. Sure she brought him some measure of peace and her voice was pleasing to him, not to mention her teasing Jakken. But she was still human and they were a weak and short-lived species. He would have to live without her soon enough. Did he really need to go rampaging through the country every time she disappeared? Was he really that dependant on such a little frail creature? He thought of not hearing her voice laughing as she tripped the imp or never hearing another of those ridiculous songs she invented then proceeded to sing without pause. He thought about never receiving one of her odd little gifts or seeing the smile lighten her eyes. He gritted his teeth and stifled most of the accompanying growl then gathered his power around him and disappeared.

He reappeared outside of the demon slayers village. Any other day the knowledge of a demon, even a half-breed, living inside a village of demon slayers would be amusing to him. Any other day and if he had been here for any other purpose. Said half-breed wasted no time in charging him from the gate to the village, yelling loudly and swinging his father's sword like the clumsy fool he was. Sesshomaru dodged neatly and grabbed the blade of Tetsusaiga with his hand, shoving it and his brother to the ground. "Calm yourself Inuyasha. This Sesshomaru has not come here for you this day." The half demon eyed him warily and growled. Sesshomaru fought the urge to teach him a lesson in respect and instead waited for him to get to his feet.

"If you don't want to fight then why are you here?"

"I have come to for that woman you traveled with." Sesshomaru stated blandly. Inuyasha's eyes widened in confusion briefly before narrowing again and he proceeded to growl and curse.

"Over my dead body will you go anywhere near my mate." Sesshomaru felt his eyebrow quirk up and a small smile of disbelief spread his lips.

"Your mate, Inuyasha? Do you even understand what that means?" The mirthful contempt was ill concealed.

"Yea, probably a helluva lot better than you do." Sesshomaru raised an eyebrow at his brother, not understanding what he meant. "You'll never have someone love you the way Kagome loves me. She accepts me completely for who and what I am and yea we get into now and then but still she doesn't leave. She'd die for me. Hell she has died for me before! You have no idea what that feels like. What kind of commitment that is. You never will either cause deep down inside you're a cold hearted bastard and I'm gonna…"

"Inuyasha, SIT!" Sesshomaru watched as the enchanted beads pulled Inuyasha to the ground face first. The smile on his face evaporated at the sight of his brother, half demon though he was, at the command of a mortal. To see his father's blood so weak and tainted made his own boil. Sesshomaru turned to face the priestess in question and was surprised to find the girl had matured. Her beauty had changed from girlish to womanly since they had last crossed paths. She still disgusted his very being but he could appreciate a pretty face, even in a human. "You came to see me Lord Sesshomaru. I am intrigued. Would you care to come inside or would you rather stay out here?" Her voice had deepened as well.

"You promised not to do that anymore." A muffled Inuyasha spoke from the ground. Sesshomaru wondered if the woman's frail human sense could even hear him.

"I know I did. Don't come inside if you can't be nice to your brother, Inuyasha, I mean it." And with that she turned and walked back towards the demon slayers village. The nerve! Sesshomaru grinded his teeth together and managed to stifle the growl. He did however kick some dirt in Inuyasha's face as he walked past. Just for good measure.

Inuyasha's home was not what he expected. It was nothing compared to his palatial estate in the west obviously but it was more than he thought it would have been. Realizing he had ever put that much thought into it made his brow furrow slightly. "Please be seated if you wish." Kagome's voice interrupted his thoughts. She sat on the floor and watched calmly while he struggled to put into words what he wanted from her. Just as he open his mouth to begin, the monk who had also traveled with Inuyasha burst through the door wielding his staff in a manner as if he thought he might actually cause Sesshomaru damage with it. "Miroku, he's a guest." The monk raised an eyebrow at her then returned to staring at Sesshomaru's perpetually blank stare. "Why don't you join us, if Lord Sesshomaru does not object of course?" What did he care? What was one more person to witness the utter humiliation at seeking help from his half-breed brother and his mate?

"This Sesshomaru has come to ask for your aid, young priestess." He said instead, choosing to ignore the monk entirely.

"My…aid?" She stuttered. Her round eyes and faltered heartbeat betrayed her shock. Inuyasha managed to collect himself enough to come into the house and sat next to his mate. An identical look of shock graced his face as well. Sesshomaru resisted the urge to voice the groan he felt. Did he not just ask them for help? What did they want him to do? Beg? She recovered from her shock enough to formulate a question before his temper got the better of him. "I will do what I can. With what would you like my assistance?" She asked, still blinking rapidly but at least her heartbeat was within normal guidelines.

"My ward, the girl Rin, has disappeared." Sesshomaru stated with his normal bored tone. Kagome's eyes widened marginally but she said nothing.

"Did you try tracking her?" Inuyasha quipped from his place beside Kagome. Sesshomaru turned slowly and leveled a malevolent glare at his brother who turned from him only to cower away from his mate's disapproving eyes.

"I traced her a few feet from where we had camped for the night but not beyond. Do you honestly think, Inuyasha, that I would not try everything in my power before coming here?" Inuyasha looked as if he wanted to retort but it was the monk who spoke up.

"Where exactly was this camp?" Sesshomaru steeled his spine, promised himself to thrash the monk later, and gave him the location. All was quiet for a few moments while they thought and Sesshomaru waited impatiently, not that it showed of course. "I have heard of a sorceress who once inhabited the area around which you speak. It is a long shot but that is the only instance of demonic activity in that area that I can recall." The monk continued.

"Sorceress?" Sesshomaru asked as calmly as he could muster. It was a more promising lead than any he had discovered. No matter how that chaffed, for Rin he would swallow his temper at least long enough to find her.

"She had tried to take over the castle from what I understand. Her power deals mostly in the mind. The story is vague but she is said to haunt the forest around where the castle used to be, looking for someone to become her apprentice and complete her plans."

"Where is this sorceress?" Sesshomaru demanded. The monk thought a moment longer than described the supposed location to him. Without another word Sesshomaru began to gather his power around him.

"Wait!" Inuyasha yelled and something grabbed hold of his arm before he disappeared.

He reappeared outside the sorceress' castle and shook his arm to release whatever had grabbed hold of him. "Hey!" Inuyasha yelled as he crashed to the floor. Sesshomaru turned slowly with a growl to glare at his younger brother.

"Fool. What do you think you are doing?"

"I was trying to get you to stop and wait a minute."

"I have no need of your assistance Inuyasha, go home."

"I'm staying." Sesshomaru unsheathed Tokijin with the intent to strike down the half breed. Inuyasha drew Tetsusaiga but before they could fight a lilting laugh echoed throughout the room. Both men turned their heads towards the sound and found an older woman leaning heavily on a cane eyeing them with amusement.

"It has been a long time since I've had guests but never have I had those that fight with themselves." She spoke with a crackly voice but the aura of power around her pulsed. Sesshomaru had no doubt he was staring at the sorceress. He straightened up to his full height but did not sheath his sword. He had a feeling he would be using it soon enough.

"This Sesshomaru has come for what is his." The old woman's smile grew wider.

"Do you not recognize me, Lord Sesshomaru?" She asked. He had a vague sense of familiarity with her scent but he couldn't place it. He was in no mood to deal with games however. He had already wasted valuable time and much of his dignity to get here.

"You will return what is mine or I will cut you down." He stated simply.

"And what is that, exactly?" The sorceress replied with a sneer.

"My ward."

"Setsuna." The woman barked at the darkness behind her. "Come and greet our guests child." A figure emerged slowly from the shadows. Long legs wrapped in black fabric drew the eye to the curve of her hips all the way up her lean muscled body. Pale skin was finally revealed at the slender neck, which turned into a porcelain face. Sesshomaru's eyes took in the woman before him with his usual level of disinterest until his eyes met a pair of deep brown ones. Eyes that had laughed at him. Eyes that had smiled at him. Eyes that he himself had watched close every evening.

"Rin?"