Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha.

A/n-- If you're reading any of my other stories, check my profile to see if I'll be deleting it. (There will be more information on my profile.) Sorry for the inconvenience!!!

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Part OneGrowing up and its Surprises

Rin sat grumpily on Ah-Un's back. Jakken chattered away at her about her attitude and Lord Sesshomaru ignored them both, walking calmly ahead. This wasn't really how she had wanted to spend her birthday.

A girls' 16th birthday was supposed to be something special. It was considered her first day of womanhood. She should be happy. But she found herself feeling the same as every other day, with more temper, maybe, but still the same. Sesshomaru was still silently oblivious to her and Jakken was still…Jakken. Neither had even bothered to congratulate her. Apparently, demons saw nothing defining about her becoming a woman.

Well, if they didn't think of her as a woman, she saw no reason to act like one!

She moaned in frustration and covered her ears. Jakkens' ranting was starting to make her head pound. She glared at the offending imp.

"Jakken, could you please be quiet!"

Jakken was stunned. Whether by her frankness (or lack of respect, if you prefer.) or her angered tone, she didn't know, and didn't really care either. Whatever the case, it shut him up, and that was what she had wanted.

Of course, then the toad had to switch from lecturing to questioning.

"What's got you in such a foul mood, girl?"

"You."

"What? How dare you-"

"Jakken." Sesshomaru silenced the 'insulted' demon. "You're giving everyone a headache."

Jakken gaped at his Lord for a moment, then muttered an apology and surrendered to the quiet enigma that was Lord Sesshomaru. Rin frowned even more. Since when did Lord Sesshomaru admit pain? She sighed and let the peace calm her disturbed mind.

The rest of the day's aimless wanderings were spent in an increasingly tense silence. Rin fell asleep at some point and Jakken looked like he would burst at any given moment.

-:-:-:-:-

Sesshomaru watched Rin carefully when they finally stopped to make camp. She seemed more energetic now, since she had spent so long sleeping during the day, but a frown still sat heavily on her being.

She seemed to be steadily becoming more nocturnal. He had only noticed in the passed month or so. Sometimes she went days without sleep. Very odd behavior for a human. She was also more edgy and emotionally unstable. One second she would be the image of bliss, and then the next thing he knew, she was the stormy equivalent of a hurricane (minus the destructive power.). Sometimes she even seemed slightly intimidating. Today had been a good example of that.

She had started the day with a smile, as if expecting something good to happen to her. He had thought it was because of the fruit and bread assortment he had found for her. It had been an unofficial way of saying 'happy birthday'. But, steadily, she had become more and more gloomy. He hoped it was because of Jakken, not himself. At least he had halfway given her something.

"I'm going to go find more fire wood." Her soft voice broke his thoughts. He nodded, letting his face show something other than complete carelessness in hopes of gaining a higher standing in her mind. He nodded and she disappeared into the trees.

-:-:-:-:-

Rin wandered a little before she actually started collecting wood. She didn't really mind getting lost anymore, unfortunately for Sesshomaru, for she had found she liked being alone sometimes. And no matter what, the demon lord always came and found her.

Then rain started to fall. Funny, she hadn't seen the weather change. She dropped her three sticks and ran for the shelter the branches of an old oak provided. But before she got there, an intense pain consumed her back, causing her to fall with a cry of pain.

It felt like something was trying to tear her spine out. She tried to get back up, to reach the protective oak, but that only made it worse. On her second attempt at moving, the drag back down made her head land on a rock and everything went black.

-:-:-:-:-

Sesshomaru growled quietly at the rain. Rin didn't like rain and she was still out hunting for wood. He stood slowly as the girls fire went out with a serpentine hiss. The down pour might as well have been a tsunami, and was now being joined by thunder and wind. The dog demon started in the direction Rin had gone. It wouldn't be easy to find her with the rain washing her scent away, but by god, he was going to find her.

-:-:-:-:-

When Rin came to, the pain was gone, but the rain wasn't. If anything, it had doubled its icy torrents. The pain was replaced by a stinging numbness; almost as though she had been dropped in a half froze lake. The rain had invited some friends into the sky too; thunder and lightning. But that, she found was the least of her problems.

Other than the fact that every rain drop stung, she made a shocking discovery when she slowly sat up.

It almost made her scream.

-:-:-:-:-

Sesshomaru stopped when Rin's scent was completely overwhelmed by that of some kind of bird. He snarled in frustration. Jakken ran right into him, which didn't help the matter. Then something else reached his nose that made him hurry onward in fear:

Wolves.

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It's kind of long, but what can you do? There's a short chapter in the future somewhere…I think. You'll just have to keep reading and see!

I haven't got a set love stiuation yet, so be ready for alot of suprises!