Sesshoumaru found himself standing by a rushing river, staring blankly into the mist before him as the rain struck his body. As long as that half-demon brother of mine has that blade...I cannot cease in wandering around this world, feeling I'm about to lose something important. What is this feeling? The thought irritated him.Will Tenseiga be taken from me?

"Excuse me, my Lord," Jaken gulped. "But err... Isn't it best we head back now? It's raining awfully hard."

"..."

"Ah...! That is to say umm..."

"Jaken, do not waste my time in sputtering like that. It's annoying."

"I apologize... But, Lord Sesshoumaru, Rin and Kohaku are-"

"LORD SESSHOUMARU!!"

Sesshoumaru and Jaken turned around and found Kohaku running towards them. "What is it?" Sesshoumaru asked coolly when the boy finally made it to talking distance.

Kohaku bent down, panting. "Lord Sesshoumaru," he uttered hoarsely. "R-Rin... She was..caught in the...rai-rain."

Sesshoumaru's eyes widened at this. Rin. Without another word said, he made a great leap in search for the young girl. She won't last long in such a state. I must get to her.

"Boy, I trusted you!" Jaken scolded. "You know of Rin's condition! Little things like 'rain' could-"

"I know, Master Jaken, I know!" Kohaku fell to his knees, trembling and in the verge of tears. "I'm sorry! I tried my best to get us out in time but... Shelter wasn't close by. I couldn't...make it...didn't..!"

Jaken held his staff tightly, expression cross. Lord Sesshoumaru must be extremely worried. These humans cause nothing but problems!


Sesshoumaru sniffed the cold air. No good. The rain has pretty much washed away most of what's left of her scent. Feeling annoyed, he stopped by a small clearing, inspecting the area. To his luck, he found a cave nearby and entered it. Sure enough, there was Rin- laying on the floor with piles of leaves underneath her.

"Uhn..." she whimpered and winced.

Sesshoumaru walked to her side. "Rin," he called softly.

Rin's eyes slowly fluttered open as she looked up at her master. His presence allowed her a small smile. "...L-Lord...Seh..Sessh...." That smile disappeared, expression now of pain and distress. No good...my throat hurts too much.

"Don't waste your energy so carelessly," Sesshoumaru grumbled.

"Why..."

"...?"

"Why is it that...I fall ill so easily?" Tears collected in the corners of the young girl's eyes. "Because of this weak body, I..." She swallowed painfully, her sore throat worsening. "I'm a burden..to you."

Sesshoumaru was slightly caught off-guard by this, but remained stoic. "Stubborn girl," he mumbled, sweeping the bangs from her eyes with his hand. "I told you not to waste your energy. Just rest."

Rin let out another small smile. "I'm sorry," she whispered hoarsely.

Don't be- you're not at fault here. The youkai watched as the girl closed her eyes and fell back asleep. He then took a seat beside her and waited for the storm to pass. It was about 2 or 4 hours before that happened. But once it did, he went out in search of any herbs or fresh water.

Some hours after Sesshoumaru's departure, Kohaku and Jaken walked into the cave with Kohaku as the guide. "There, Master Jaken," he said, pointing at Rin's sleeping form.

Jaken tip-toed over to the girl's side and felt her forehead. "My goodness!" he exclaimed in shock. "She is absolutely hot! Her fever is definitely a high one. If we don't get her treatment soon, her illness may worsen. And Lord Sesshoumaru is still nowhere to be found. Oh, this is terrible! He'll have our heads if anything happens to her!"

Kohaku flinched at the short demon's outburst. "Please, Master Jaken," he pleaded. "Don't yell like that..."

"And why NOT!? I have every right to worry- so clam it!"

"Master Jaken..."

Ah-Uhn intervened by jumping between them and hinting towards the outside. The two-headed beast hissed and swung its tail.

Jaken frowned. "What is it, Ah-Uhn?" he demanded. "Can't you see I'm busy here?"

"To busy for me as well, Jaken?" came a low voice from behind.

Jaken jumped in surprise. "M-My Lord!" he squeaked and bowed respectfully to the silver-haired demon. "Pardon my rudeness. I was only..um..." He noticed some plants within his master's hand. "Herbs?"

Sesshoumaru ignored Jaken's remark and knelt down beside Rin. He shook her lightly. "Rin, wake up."

"Hn," Rin groaned sleepily.

"Take this," Sesshoumaru instructed, taking a nut-looking plant and splitting it open. He pressed it to her lips and allowed her to swallow the nutritious liquid. In no time at all, it ran empty. A feeling of emptiness filled his stomach. Was it enough?

Rin breathed to ease herself. "It's delicious," she commented quietly.

Sesshoumaru threw the drained plant aside. "Did you have enough to drink?"

"Yes."

"That's good."

Kohaku stepped out of the cave for a moment and looked around the surrounding area. He noticed dark, gray skies looming ahead, flashes of lightning reflecting from its mountainous surface. "Lord Sesshoumaru," he reported in a worried tone. "There's another storm coming. But this time, it's way bigger..and worse. I think it might even be enough to fill the river bank and flood part of this forest."

Jaken scowled. "And the danger in that is?" We can always build a wall around here or something.

The young lad walked back inside and leaned on a wall. "River demons may arise from all this," he explained. "If the flood waters reach this cave, we're sure to meet trouble. A lot of it." He looked at Rin with sorrowful eyes. "And Rin is in no condition to be moved out of this cave."

"...oh." And we definitely cannot abandon that useless girl here. Lord Sesshoumaru will not even HEAR of it! Jaken sighed.

Both looked at the stoic youkai with questioning eyes. "What do we do, Lord Sesshoumaru?" Kohaku finally asked.

Sesshoumaru looked towards the outside world, golden eyes glowing with silent valor. "Let the storm come," was his stolid reply, and not a word more. He turned to Rin, who was already once again fast asleep.

Jaken shuddered. This aura emitting from Lord Sesshoumaru's body... His hand gripped his staff tightly. It's like a barrier that will not allow any intruder to pass through no matter what. This is the first time I've felt such a strong kind of energy come from him. Could Rin possibly be the cause?

"Do you sense it, too, Master Jaken?"

"Eh?" Jaken looked up at Kohaku, who was also looking at the same direction he was. "What are you rambling on about now?"

Kohaku blinked slowly and then closed his eyes. "That energy Lord Sesshoumaru is unconsciously giving off...it's protectiveness. And something else, too, but I can't quite put a finger on it. I've felt it once, but it's such a distant memory..."

Jaken understood and nodded, saving a sarcastic remark or two. "That, boy," he mumbled, "Would be love."

Love, huh? Kohaku inhaled, damp air filling his senses. He saw an image of a certain brown-haired young woman- beautiful, brave, loving, strong, and graceful. Onee-san...A humble smile formed on his lips. "I bet...she was definitely the one that gave me that feeling."

Thunder bellowed, signifying that rain was not far away now.

Sesshoumaru involuntarily held Rin closer to his body, trying to keep the horrible clamor from reaching her ears. He picked up on the sound of rain hitting the ground which finally turned into a full-blown shower. The sound of the nearby river's waters rising were also detected as well as the gust of wind that shook trees mercilessly here and there.

"Raaauuu...!!" Ah-Uhn growled, suddenly standing alert and eyes full of fury.

Kohaku and Jaken immediately stood guard. "Just as I thought," Kohaku gulped uneasily. "The water IS going to reach us... The demons are coming this way."

"And from the way Ah-Uhn is acting," Jaken added. "There seems to be quite a great number of them."

"Don't worry, Lord Sesshoumaru!" Kohaku assured the silver-haired demon. "Master Jaken and I will hold those demons back! We will not let them get to Rin at all!" I must protect what Lord Sesshoumaru holds dear. He brought out his weapons. Even if it's the cost of my own life! Much to his shock, the youkai walked past him and Jaken and took the leading position. "...Lord Sesshoumaru..."

"My Lord, what are you doing!?" Jaken sputtered.

"You two," Sesshoumaru began speaking. "Watch over Rin and protect her." He readied his claws, fingers cracking at the force of flexing. "I'LL be the one to extinguish these demons."

"But-" Kohaku tried to protest.

Sesshoumaru shot him a cold glare. "That's an ORDER," he snapped.

He was dead serious.

Jaken knew this, and pulled Kohaku back. "Let's go!" he urged the boy. "We must do as Lord Sesshoumaru says to not get him angry anymore!"

"R-right..." Kohaku, along with Jaken, ran to where Rin was and both surrounded her small form.

Water began spilling into the cave, running past Sesshoumaru's feet. He sniffed the air, the stench of blood and musky breaths entering his nose. They're coming- and as Jaken said, it's a quite a number. They're drawn by the scent of illness Rin has. He stood firmly upon seeing a cloud of demons approaching the cave. They will not get past me no matter what.

"So many..." Kohaku and Jaken trembled a bit.

Sesshoumaru and Ah-Uhn leaped out of the cave, ready for battle. I'll make sure of that.