A/N: This is NOT a SesshomaruXRin story.

Now that I've scared off half of my potential readers, let me explain what this is all about. I was browsing stories featuring Rin, and I found an interesting one about her turning into an inu-youkai. However, I didn't really like the direction that the story took, and gave up on it. But the idea stuck with me. So I decided to use it here, but for something completely different. Like I said earlier, this isn't a romantic story at all. The pairing certainly has a lot of potential to be good, but I feel that their relationship is more of a father-daughter relationship than a romantic one. So, I'm going to take the idea of Rin transforming into something else and explore what that means for their father-daughter relationship. However, I will be making Rin a hanyou rather than a full youkai. A) I don't think that it's possible to get rid of human blood entirely without something as powerful as the Shikon no Tama, which is no more at the time of this story, and B) with Sesshomaru's attitude towards his little brother's bloodline, I figured that making Rin a hanyou would definitely test how far Sesshomaru has come as a character since the beginning of InuYasha. With all that out of the way, enjoy.

Unconditional

Chapter 1: Disaster

Sesshomaru stood on a hill overlooking the village that his hanyou brother called a home. The full moon cast the quiet village in a pale light that even a human would not have had trouble seeing in. It had only been a few days since Naraku's defeat, and Rin was still recovering from the ordeal. Sesshomaru would not have remained in the area otherwise.

As a slight breeze pulled at his clothes, hair, and mokomoko, his thoughts turned towards the young girl that he claimed as his ward. He did not regret the time that he had allowed her to follow him, and he valued her life and happiness above any power he could attain. He became slightly amused at that, but his face did not show it. In giving up his quest for power, he had attained more than he'd ever had in his entire life. The Bakusaiga resting at his hip was assurance of that fact.

But, that thought brought him to his current problem. Naraku used her to get to me, he thought darkly. And that was not the first time he had done so. Nor was Naraku the only one who had used her; the Band of Seven incident was still fresh in his mind. Traveling with me is becoming far too dangerous for her, he decided. She has also become distanced from her own kind. This will not do.

Making up his mind, he began to move towards the village. This late at night, only a few animals were out to see his passage. The dogs tried to bark at him, but one growl was enough to show them who the alpha was. He approached a very specific house. There were many scents emanating from within, but the only one he cared about was the young, flower-laced scent of his ward. He carefully stepped into the house, not wanting to disturb Rin's rest.

"I was expecting ye to appear sooner; she has been asking about you constantly," an old, tired voice said softly.

Sesshomaru was mildly surprised to find that the old miko was still awake. But, with all the injuries and other ailments incurred by that final battle, he should have known.

"I expect ye have come take her, then," Kaede stated.

"No, this Sesshomaru has not," he answered in turn.

Kaede's eyes widened a bit in surprise.

"This Sesshomaru wishes for you to look after Rin," he told her.

Her face showed even more surprise at that. "Are ye certain ye want me to look after?" she questioned hesitantly.

"Rin must re-acclimate to humans," he explained curtly.

"I will do my best," the old miko assured him. He smelled no deceit in her scent, and his ears told him that her heartbeat had remained steady. He turned to leave, but she spoke again.

"But you must tell her this yourself," Kaede ordered.

Sesshomaru's eyes narrowed in annoyance, but he did not argue with her. He knew that Rin would not take it well if he just left her here without a word. He gave a slight, almost imperceptible nod, and then left without a sound.

He had left Jaken and Ah-Un in the forest around that strange well, and he was slightly relieved to see that they were both sleeping upon his return. Jaken was a good servant, but he was also irritating and tiresome. And the imp had very little patience for Rin, even if she had grown on him.

Sesshomaru seated himself near Ah-Un, and began to dwell on his thoughts. He knew that he had made the right decision, but he was uncertain of how it would affect Rin. He knew that she would obey him to the letter, but he also cared for her happiness. Perhaps he could find ways to visit her once she began to live in the village.

He leaned over to check Ah-Un's saddle bags. He was careful not to wake the two-headed beast as he dug through the bags to find what he was looking for. After only a moment of searching, he found it; a neatly folded, flower-patterned, pink and purple kimono. It was tailored by the best, and would make a suitable gift for Rin. He hoped that it would make their parting easier on her.

A small part of him that he did not consciously acknowledge also hoped that it would make the parting easier on him.

Dawn broke beautifully over the forest, stirring the great Daiyoukai from his light sleep. His servant and mount continued in their sleep, but he could tell that they would both wake soon. Knowing Rin, it would be a few hours before she woke. He would allow her that time, as well as whatever time she might need to eat. Then he would take her from the village and inform her of his decision.

Deciding that he would leave his servants, Sesshomaru stood, intent on going deeper into the forest. A good hunt would help to keep him occupied. With his speed and enhanced senses, there would not be much of a challenge, but hunting was a part of his nature, and he would not deny it.

He began walking at a steady pace, his nose, eyes, and ears completely focused on the surroundings. Already he had heard many smaller animals in the near vicinity. There were rabbits, foxes, badgers and a few birds. None of them were appealing as prey. He needed something bigger.

The scent of deer reached his nostrils, and he turned his head in order to properly examine it. It was a grown and powerful buck, going by the scent and size of the tracks. With that same look of impassivity on his face, he went to hunt his prey.

Rin awoke with a large yawn several hours after Sesshomaru had left on his hunt. When she didn't see blue sky above her, she panicked. However, she remembered where she had been the past few days and was able to get herself under control. Lord Sesshomaru does not show fear if he doesn't need to, so Rin will do the same!

"Ye are awake, I see," the voice of Kaede, the old miko, called.

Rin sat up to see where the old woman was, and found her sitting near the fire pit, working on a pot of stew.

"That smells very good," Rin observed cheerily. "Is it for Rin?"

"Yes, child," Kaede told her sagely.

Rin sat up with her usual energy and gusto. She was used to eating raw or stealing scraps, so the stew before her seemed absolutely heavenly. The old woman gently poured her a bowl, and Rin attacked it with great haste, enjoying the taste but not really savoring it.

She set the bowl down, a content smile on her face. "That was very good," Rin complimented. "Thank you very much, Lady Kaede."

"Ye are welcome," Kaede returned with a warm smile.

"Can Rin go outside?" the child asked, her eyes shining with hope for the answer.

Kaede just couldn't say no to that face. "Yes, ye may, but be careful. If ye become fatigued, return here."

"Yes ma'am!" Rin replied enthusiastically.

With a giggle, the little girl was up and out the door. Seeing the blue sky over her head was doing wonders for her. Being outside just felt right. She could see some of the village children playing further off. Rin had talked to a few of them, but she didn't really know any of them very well. Besides, now that she was almost better, she would be going off with Lord Sesshomaru once again. She smiled at that, and then went off to find the flowers she loved so much.

Sesshomaru's kill was clean, and he was able to keep his regal clothes spotless. He had allowed the buck to run, and it gave what could have been considered a good chase, had Sesshomaru not been savoring the hunt.

Now though, he was hovering around the village, just out of the pathetically poor sight of those humans. He knew that it would not be long before Rin woke up, and he suspected that the old miko would let her play outside today. That was when he would speak to his ward of the future.

Sure enough, Rin emerged from Kaede's home. She looked over to where other human children of her age were playing with some kind of ball. However, she did not go them, and instead headed for the forest, likely to find a meadow full of flowers. Sesshomaru would never understand her fascination with the brightly colored plants, but they made her happy, so he indulged her.

He quietly but quickly skirted around the village, intent on intercepting his ward just as she entered the woods. She was completely unaware of his presence, happily skipping farther and farther away from the village. Sesshomaru merely watched her as she walked through the forest. He was waiting until there was no chance that they would be interrupted by the irritating village humans. After nearly ten minutes, he judged that there would be no interruptions.

"Rin," he called calmly.

She quickly turned around, and the way her face lit up upon seeing him softened his scowl, ever so slightly.

"Lord Sesshomaru!" she called joyously, rushing over to greet him. She stopped a few feet from him, and started up into his face with her bright smile. "Rin is so happy to see you!"

"Hn," was all he said in response.

"Rin was going to go pick flowers, but seeing my lord is much better!" she continued.

"Walk with me," he told her flatly.

"Yes, milord!" she responded enthusiastically. After a few moments of walking through the forest, Rin spoke once again, "Where are Ah-Un and Master Jaken?"

"They are where this Sesshomaru left them."

"Oh, does that mean we're not leaving here yet?" She almost sounded disappointed at the idea.

Before Sesshomaru could respond, his senses picked up on something that should not be there. It was the scent of a youkai. It wasn't close enough to be a danger yet, but it was approaching alarmingly fast. It smelled like a weasel. Sesshomaru put a hand on Bakusaiga. Weasels weren't particularly dangerous, but, with Rin present, he would take no chances.

"Stand back, Rin," he ordered. He couldn't see her, but he knew that she was backing off even as the youkai approached.

Sure enough, not even a minute later, the weasel youkai entered Sesshomaru's sight. It was humanoid, which meant that it was more powerful than the average weasel. It was covered in brown fur, and its narrow eyes were red with malice.

"So it is true," it said in a slithering voice. "The great Sesshomaru has fallen so far as to allow a lowly human into his company," he cackled.

"Leave now, or your life is forfeit," Sesshomaru informed the youkai.

"I think not!" the youkai protested. "I think I'm going to take your title while you're—hrrk!"

Sesshomaru did not even give it the chance to finish as he sliced Bakusaiga through the pathetic youkai's torso. He stood back and watched as Bakusaiga's destructive power took root, ripping the youkai to pieces.

In flash of light, the youkai disappeared into a cloud of youki, surprising Sesshomaru. He quickly recovered and took a swing at it, but the cloud merely swerved and darted past him. Towards Rin! Sesshomaru realized as a pit formed in his stomach, his mother's words to him about Rin's last chance at life echoing in his head.

He turned quickly, but it was not quickly enough. The cloud of youki had already vanished into the small body of his ward. When her eyes opened, they were red, like the youkai that Sesshomaru had just tried to vanquish.

"Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha!" the laughter was a sickening mixture of Rin's and the youkai's voices. "I knew the risks, that's why I waited for you to be with your human," it told him in glee. "Now you would not dare strike me down!"

Sesshomaru was at a loss. The youkai was right. He would not strike Rin down. And he was unsure of how to deal with youkai possession, having considered the tactic too cowardly to be worth learning. Then, it hit him.

"Rin! Fight him!" Sesshomaru barked harshly.

"Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, as if a puny human girl could—ack!"

The youkai began choking and clutching at Rin's neck. The eyes squeezed shut, and when they were opened again, they were clear, though red was bleeding back into them.

"Y-yess… Lord… Sesshomaru," Rin's voice struggled to answer.

And then she collapsed, her breathing labored as she fought the youkai with everything she had. Rin had a strong will, but Sesshomaru knew that it was only a matter of time before she succumbed to the possession. He had to get her to someone who could help. Perhaps InuYasha's monk and the old miko, Sesshomaru thought desperately. He sheathed Bakusaiga and carefully lifted Rin, cradling her in his right arm. He only hoped that he could get her the help she needed before he lost her forever.

A/N: So that's the first chapter. Bit of a cliffhanger I know. But that's all I wanted to cover in this opening chapter. I wanted to set up the overall tone of the story, get the pieces moving, and introduce the problem. I know that Rin hasn't become a hanyou yet, despite what the description says. Don't worry, it's coming next chapter. Leave a review letting me know your thoughts. I accept all opinions that aren't flames.