The full moon cast rays of light on the chilling scene below.
Jaken fearfully backed away, eyes glued on the figure towering above him. His master's glare had become crimson while his fangs had lengthened considerably. Sesshomaru drew back his hand, claws dripping with deadly poison, causing the imp to cower. "P-please, Lord Sesshomaru, whatever has you so upset, I'm sure we can---NO!" Ducking swiftly, Jaken barely avoided being slashed by the demon's nails. Mustering all the speed he could, he flew past his master and quickly sought Rin. "Come on, girl! Run or you will surely be killed!"
Before Rin could speak, something heavy struck her from behind, knocking her to the ground. Rolling onto her back, the young girl yelped when Sesshomaru pinned her beneath him, his weight crushing the air from her lungs. Grinning wickedly, he bent his silver head and sank his teeth in her shoulder, swallowing the blood that flowed forth. Screaming in pain, Rin struggled to free herself, but was no match against his demon strength. Fighting for breath, her sight began to dim rapidly. The clink of unsheathing metal told the child that the end was near.
I hope you'll forgive me for doing this, my lord, Jaken thought, jamming the Staff of Two Heads deep in the soil, blasting a blue ray of energy toward Sesshomaru. Lifting ten feet into the air, the demon landed hard on the unforgiving ground. The terrified imp hurried to Rin's side, imploring her to get up. "Hurry, for heaven's sake!" A cold shadow covered him, stilling his heart. Weakly trying to fend off his master with the Staff, Jaken whimpered as two clawed hands brought him level to Sesshomaru's face. Feeling agony shoot through his small body, it was only then that he noticed an eerie glow around him.
"M-Master Jaken!" Rin cried, stiffly climbing to her feet. Dropping the half-dead imp, Sesshomaru rounded on her, advancing slowly. Tears flooding her eyes, the young girl spun, diving into the trees, hearing him behind her. Eventually reaching a clearing, she spotted the Bone-Eater's Well in its center. Aware that the loss of blood was slowing her, Rin made for the Well, halting at its edge to pivot, blanching. Sesshomaru burst from the forest in his demon dog form, acid saliva pooling on the earth. Choosing not to think what his teeth could do to her now, the child vaulted over the Well's side, flinching when his jaws snapped right where she had been. Blackness blanketed her while she fell, unsure of her destination.
*^
"You hear that?" Kagome asked, certain a roar had rolled across the valley. Judging by Inuyasha's hunched shoulders, she knew her ears were not playing tricks on her. Suddenly, the half-demon took off, forcing the others to sprint to keep up with him. "Inuyasha, where are we going?"
"The Bone-Eater's Well!" he answered, growling as a second bellow sounded. "Got this funny feeling Sesshomaru's over there!"
^*
Opening her eyes, Rin found herself in a shack lined with strange objects. Touching her shoulder gingerly, she was surprised to discover the wound was almost healed. Kagome said the Well's full of demonic energy. Peering into the hole, the young girl jumped back to avoid the pink aura that sped upward. Recognizing it, she quickly exited the building, crashing into someone who grab her firmly. "Let me go, he's coming!"
"Calm yourself, girl," the old man said gruffly, tilting her chin to look at him. "First of all, how did you get into this yard? Are you one of those lock-pickers that want a glimpse of our shrine?" The door on the shack blew outward before Rin could warn the man of the danger he was in. "What in God's name? Y-you're not h-human!"
"He's a demon! Get away from him!" the child yelled, unintentionally gaining Sesshomaru's attention. Scenting the air, he detected her blood and shoved the man aside, fangs exposed. Just as he went to bite her arm, Inuyasha rocketed out of the shack, followed by Kagome and the others. Watching the half-demon rush toward his brother with his sword raised, Rin clutched onto Sesshomaru's robes, ignoring when he stiffened. "Lord Sesshomaru, snap out of it!" Mustering her courage, the young girl yelled at the top of her voice. "I love you!"
Nearly doing a faceplant, Inuyasha jerked to a stop, Tetsusaiga limp in his hand. "Did...did Rin just say she loves Sesshomaru?! Oh, boy, that is one messed up kid." Abruptly, he slammed into the ground, groaning. "Kagome, you don't need to use the Beads every time I say something stupid."
"Grandfather!" Kagome ran in his direction, but Sesshomaru interposed himself between them, red-tinted golden eyes narrowed. Knowing Rin's statement had quelled his demon side somewhat, she cautiously raised her hand to caress his cheek, doing her best to not imagine him using his poison claws to slash her. The brief contact was enough to dispel the remaining rage inside him, reverting him to his preffered form. Her insane act accomplished, Kagome raced to Inuyasha, who gave her a strange glance, eyebrow cocked. "Sit, boy." Cursing her, the half-demon met the soil with a thud.
"Kagome, what on Earth is going on?" Trembling, the old man approached the group, giving Sesshomaru a wide berth. "One minute I'm cleaning the yard, the next all hell had broken loose! And what's this talk about demons? It's the twenty-first century! Demons simply do not exist!"
"Look again, human," Sesshomaru said, generating an energy whip that faded from sight. "Rin, where is Jaken?"
"On the other side," the child replied, refusing to meet his eyes. Without a word, the demon went down the Well, returning five minutes later with the imp's prone body. Laying Jaken on the ground, Sesshomaru pulled Tenseiga out of its sheath and swung it, destroying the netherworld minions. Coughing, Jaken rolled on his side, shaking his head, much to Rin's relief. "Thank goodness you're ok!"
"Hate to cut this short, but we really should be going," Miroku said, leading the others to the Bone-Eater's Well. Vanishing inside it, the last one to leave was Sesshomaru, Rin on his back due to her fatigue. Dumbfounded, Kagome's grandfather entered the house to tell his wife a lie.
A/N: Goes to show you that even Sesshomaru has a switch: the full moon. Please review.