This is a sequel to Forever with Lord Sesshomaru. I suggest you read that story first to get caught up, but this one can be a stand alone...
Summary: Kagome discovers that when you time travel things can get pretty messed up. A story about twisting time lines and family Kagome never knew she had in the modern era. How can she have a half demon for a niece? Set in all times and eras and back again. SxR mostly.
Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha or any characters from Inuyasha. Any original characters, please don't reuse.
Chapter 4
Defeated and Broken
Feudal Era – 1574
Itoh took one last look over his troops. "Prepare to move out towards Shouhei. You are the strongest and the best trained. If any one is going to down these demons, it will be us!" He half-expected his men to cheer, but only a few smiled. The rest stood still waiting for orders. Itoh inwardly smiled, proud of their response. My men are more than warriors, they are weapons.
"Commander Itoh!"
He turned as a young soldier came up and bowed. "The General wants to speak to you."
The commander nodded. "Remain here men. I will return." He followed the messenger back towards the rear of the camp. They neared the general's tent, and Itoh noticed it was being packed up. General Watanabe sat at a table drinking a cup of tea.
The large man looked up and motioned for Itoh to sit at the chair across from him. The commander wondered how his superior officer earned his position. He definitely was out of shape. "Itoh, I wanted to share some information with you."
"Yes General?"
The large man leaned over and smiled. "I've been watching your soldiers. I am quite impressed."
"Thank you Sir."
He leaned back and took a sip of his cup. "If anyone is going to defeat Sesshomaru, it will be your men." Itoh raised an eyebrow surprised. It was a compliment. "So, I wanted to share a piece of information with you. You see...Sesshomaru has a weakness."
"A weakness? How did you discover this?" He hoped it was more than demon superstition. I don't trust anything that those so-called priests tell us.
"The story is that Sesshomaru made some enemies when he chose to marry a human woman." He smiled again, an action that drew attention to his double chin. "They have discovered this bit of information and spread the word. They want to see him fall as much as our lord does."
"What weakness could the lord of the dog demons have?"
"Technically, he controls more than just the dog demons, but that's not important." He took another drink from his cup. "Apparently Sesshomaru's wife is over eighty years old, but she appears to be no older than a woman of twenty-five." Itoh had heard this rumor before. Very unlikely. "The rumor is that this is possible because she has a way of using Sesshomaru's demonic powers to keep her from aging. She also is a fierce warrior who is said to be invincible in battle."
"I'm sorry Sir, but my men are waiting. How is this a weakness for the dog demon?"
The large man frowned in annoyance. "She is invincible because she pulls from Sesshomaru's power. You see, any injury she takes, Sesshomaru's powers weaken because she needs them to heal herself."
Itoh suddenly understood. "If we fatally wound the woman, Sesshomaru would be easy to defeat."
General Watanabe nodded. "Don't kill her too soon though. It may not work if you do."
"Understood."
"So Commander, when Sesshomaru and his wife, Rin, reach Shouhei, make sure you're ready. That distraction at Shinakio won't give you much time to eliminate the Shouhei demons before they arrive."
"Are you sure they will be together?"
"All reports on the pair indicate that when one of the villages under their control fall under attack, they are there to protect their people. They will both show up at Shouhei. I guarantee it."
Commander Itoh stood. "Then we will be off. Good luck with taking the castle General." He gave a bow and then headed back to his troops. Things were beginning to look up. "Men," he got their attention as he neared. "You have a new goal once we reach Shouhei. We kill all the demons we find and then lay in wait to ambush Sesshomaru. Once we see them, we attack the lady Rin."
-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-
Rin walked into the Great Hall. She was still shaken after sending away her children. No mother should have to do that. She entered the room and looked for her mate. There must be over twenty dog-demons here. Thank you Karasaya. She saw Sesshomaru standing near the front of the room with Karasaya and Isas. She walked up to hear them discussing battle strategies.
"If we surround them, perhaps we can take out more of their men," Karasaya suggested.
"I would stick together," Isas responded. "Attack as a unified source."
"Do you think they will have archers? That's my only concern with fighting in our demon forms," Ami said from beside Karasaya. Rin was actually surprised the demoness was there. She wasn't much of a fighter.
Sesshomaru looked back and forth between each speaker as they argued the plan. Rin watched him. The demon lord finally looked over to her and raised his eyebrows. She didn't respond, so he turned to Isas. "Make up two groups each with four demons. They will attack any archers that are spotted. The rest will stand together to give each other support."
"What of Rin?" Karasaya asked. He turned to look at her and then back to Sesshomaru.
Rin looked towards her mate to find him watching her. "I prefer to fight with my sword. Rin and I will stand together." He looked away. "Put together your teams Isas; we don't have much time." He turned towards the rest of the crowd gathered in the room. "Prepare for battle. Notify Isas if you are in need of anything," he said in a louder voice. "We have a few hours at the most." The demon walked towards the door and Rin followed him.
"Sesshomaru?"
"Follow me," he simply responded. She followed him up the stairs and down the north hallway. He slid open the door to their quarters and waited for her to enter. The demon slid the door close behind them and looked over towards her. They stood silent for a few moments. Sesshomaru finally spoke, "They're gone?" Rin nodded assuming he was talking about their children. The demon reached for her and pulled her into his arms. She leaned into his chest feeling the comfort of his warm body. "They are safe. We have another task that requires our attention now."
She nodded. "I'm ready to fight Sesshomaru. These bastards are the same ones that would have killed my children. They'll see no mercy from me."
He gave her rare smile. "Hn. I'm very found of you when you speak like that."
Rin laughed into his chest. "I wish we had the time..." she said flirting with him.
The demon lord's smile disappeared, and he pushed her back. "If only." He let out a soft sigh. "Fetch your armor Rin. We must hurry." She didn't move but watched his eyes. There was a lot there that he wasn't saying.
"You're worried?"
The demon narrowed his eyes. "Do you doubt our strength?"
"Do you?"she countered.
"Ridiculous. No number of humans will be able to stand against us."
She smiled. "Then let's go and finish this. I want my babies home before nightfall."
-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-
Ryomi looked around her as AhUn landed in the mountain home of the dog demons. There were a few dog demons gathered there waiting for them. She didn't miss the fact that Daitaro was among them. Ken, who was sitting behind her, wiggled down AhUn's back and onto the floor. "Let me hold Genkei for you Princess," one of the dog demonesses named Rei said from beside her. She was Takahiro's mate, and Ryomi knew her to be a kind soul. She handed her baby brother down to her. The toddler had fussed the whole trip there, and Ryomi was ready to pass him on.
"Here, allow me to assist you Princess," Shiori's guard, Kazuya, said to her holding out his hands. Ryomi released her grip on her younger sister sitting in front of her, and the girl was lowered to the ground with the aid of her guard. Ryomi slid down the dragon demon's back to find Daitaro standing beside her.
"Accommodations have been made for you already," Rei said. She bounced Genkei up and down trying to get him to quiet. "Follow me."
"We'll bring your bags," Katsutoshi said. Ryomi nodded and followed after the demoness.
"How long do you think we'll stay here?" Kenchiro asked.
"I do not know," Rei responded, "but we will do our best to make you comfortable while you are here."
Ry looked down as Shiori grabbed her hand. "I want to go back to Mother," the girl said.
"We have to stay here for now."
"Don't worry Shio," Daitaro said from behind her. "Emiko is here. I'm sure she'll love to have a playmate for a while. The two of you will have lots of fun." Ryomi narrowed her eyes at him. She really didn't want to be around the demon at the moment.
"Excuse me Lord Daitaro, but I believe the ladies need some time to rest. Perhaps they can play later, but for now, please excuse them," Yemon said in a cold tone. He pushed past Daitaro and followed close behind Ryomi.
She glanced over her shoulder to see Daitaro frown and then turn away. She inwardly smiled. "Thanks Yemon."
"No problem. I know he pissed you off earlier."
She narrowed her eyes. "How do you-"
"He pissed on you?" Shio asked in a surprised tone.
Ry couldn't help but giggle. "No, he just made me mad. Don't worry about it. Boys can be stupid sometimes. Right Yemon?"
"Of course My Lady," he said with a sly smile.
-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-
Commander Itoh stood by the well in the middle of Shouhei Village. Something isn't right. He and his men had successfully taken the village without a fight. The priestess who had come with them was able to make a...mist that could dull the demons' senses. The demons didn't see them coming. Hear nor smell us either... They had completed their task as instructed and waited for the arrival of the dog demon, Sesshomaru. General Watanabe had predicted that he would come to the demon village's aid. So far he hadn't shown up though. The commander looked at the priestess standing over her large pot. The smoke pouring forth rolled out of the kettle and spread across the ground. "Do you sense any demonic aura?" he asked her.
The priestess shook her head. Her dark hair fell over her shoulders as she did. The woman was fairly attractive he noted to himself. "This whole place reeks of the demons' presence, but I do not specifically sense someone of Sesshomaru's power." The commander inwardly frowned. I wonder if she could tell the difference in his presence anyways. He waited there as his men brought reports that they had successfully terminated all the demons living in the village. I can't help but consider this a failure if Sesshomaru never arrives.
"Commander Itoh!" a voice called through the mist. A horse approached them, and Itoh recognized the same messenger who had come to him earlier from General Watanabe. "General Watanabe is recalling you and your men back. He wants Priestess Saika to come also."
"We haven't completed our goal yet."
"There's been a change in plans sir. Our scouts report that Lord Sesshomaru never left his castle. There was no sign of him during the attack on Shinakio either."
Itoh narrowed his eyes. So the general was wrong. "Make haste men! We're rejoining the main group. Help the priestess with her equipment. We still have a demon lord to slay."
-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-
"Sesshomaru." Rin motioned to him to join her. The woman was tying up her hair when she walked out onto their balcony. He followed her out there when she called and immediately caught scent of what she wanted him to look at. Smoke was coming out of the forest to the north. Shinakio. The demon looked down at his mate's face. The setting sun cast an orange glow across her angry frown. He knew she felt guilty about not going to help them.
"They will answer to us for their actions. We will stop this invasion here."
"Let's hope so," Rin said softly. She turned to him and set a hand upon his breastplate. "Let's go. They'll be here soon." She began to walk back into their room.
"Companion." The human woman turned back to look at him. He narrowed his eyes at her. "Where is the child who showed no fear? After witnessing all the creatures I've defeated, you show fear at a pack of humans?"
She smiled. "No My Lord, I haven't lost any faith in your strength...especially after last night." He raised his eyebrows at the suggestive comment and inwardly smiled. "I just..." she paused and sighed. She shook her head. "You're right. We're going to end this here!" Sesshomaru inwardly smiled at her determination. The human woman with the ferocity of a demon...
-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-
Yemon walked through the rocky corridor towards the cave's entrance. There were many caves that lead into the heart of the mountain where the dog demons' sanctuary was. This particular cave though had a half-demon that he wanted to talk to sitting at its entrance.
"What? I think of all places, here is one place you don't have to watch me," Ryomi said shortly without turning to look at him.
Yemon frowned. "Your father has many enemies, even among the dog demons." He walked up next to her and sat down.
"Heh, just leave me alone damn it. I'm perfectly fine here." She turned to glare at him. Her bright golden eyes mirrored the look her father gave when he was about to severely punish someone. She's enough like Lord Sesshomaru that she may decide she's tired of me. I don't think she has enough guts to be that cruel and physically harm me though.
"Shut up," he responded. Her eyes widened. "I didn't come here as your guard, I came as your friend. I wanted to make sure you were all right. Geez, Ry settle down."
"Friend? What kind of 'friend' comes to 'check on you' and then acts like an ass?"
"Hey, Daitaro basically told you that you weren't good enough for him, and you're still swooning over him!"
"Bastard!" A rock came out of nowhere, and Yemon barely had the time to dodge it. He felt it bounce off the wall behind his ear. Damn she's fast! The half-demon woman turned away from him and looked out of the cave. He turned to look down at the view. They were sitting at the edge of the cave entrance and were high enough that miles of the forest below were visible. It was an impressive sight as the sun was setting down over the trees.
He looked back at Ryomi. Her face showed no emotion, but he could see it in her body. She was breathing heavily, and her hands were tightened into fists. She's pissed. He inwardly sighed. "Look. I'm sorry." She didn't respond. He frowned. "I'm oh so sorry great and magnificent Princess Ryomi. Please accept my humblest and most sincere apologies. I will die of shame if you do not forgive me," he said sarcastically.
She looked over at him and rolled her eyes. "Shut up."
He chuckled. "Really, I'm sorry. I just didn't want you to sit down here and sulk over Daitaro. He can be an arrogant jerk at times."
"And you aren't?" She smiled. Yemon paused. He had to admit the princess was very attractive. "Stay out of my business. Besides, I wasn't even thinking about him."
"Your parents?"
The young-woman sighed. "They should have let me go with them. I'm more than capable of fighting," she said. "They could of used you too Yemon."
He shrugged. "Maybe they could have used me. You're right: you don't need a guard here. As for you...experience and knowledge are two different things. You've never gone to battle." She rolled her eyes. "Besides, you still can't beat your mother in a duel."
"Shut-up guard!" she growled. She turned away angry again.
Yemon inwardly chastised himself. He didn't want to tick her off, he had intended to offer any friendship and comforting she needed. He had grown up a guard. It was an honor to be given to the demon lord's house as a guard as soon as you were old enough to walk. He was the youngest of Lord Sesshomaru's personal guards, so the others didn't always take him seriously. When he was assigned as Princess Ryomi's guard, some of the others questioned the decision. Hell, I did too. He was glad that the demon lord had given him the assignment though. Ryomi was one of the few people who gave him the time of day. He was meant to only be her shadow, but she had always treated him as more...even as a friend. He looked back over to her. Her eyes were closed. "They'll be fine," Yemon said. "Your parents are very powerful." She turned her head and pushed her hair back over her shoulders. The action reflected the setting sun's warm hues in her silver hair.
"Didn't I tell you to shut-up?" The dog demon sighed but didn't reply.
Yemon leaned back against the cave wall. The pair sat silent for a moment, and he thought about what he was going to say to her. I might as well just leave her alone. "I didn't mean to insult you. I'll go if you want." She didn't respond, so he began to stand up.
"How do you know what Daitaro said?" she asked quietly.
He frowned and settled back down onto the stone floor. "I asked him why you were mad, so he told me," Yemon said. "I called him an idiot."
She half smiled. "Thanks."
"I consider him as a common enemy. Next time we see him, I'll hold him, and you can punch him. We can claim he was trying to come onto you."
Ryomi let out a small giggle. "Alright." She frowned and looked over at him. "This doesn't get repeated you know!" He nodded. "And you don't have to show me any sympathy! He's an ass, and I'm not upset about it."
Yemon raised an eyebrow. He was surprised at her words. "Strong words Princess." He smiled. "That's good. I hate when women harbor some belief that their asshole boyfriend can change with time. If he really cared about you, he wouldn't care that you're a half-demon. It's not like he's the only heir to the dog demon clan."
She nodded. "Yeah. It's funny how you think you know someone, and then it turns out that they aren't what you thought they were."
"Yeah," Yemon said. "Don't worry. I'll always be here – same old Yemon." He gave her a smile. She smiled back and then turned away. Yeah, she's not really over it... He inwardly sighed. "Uh, what I said earlier...about not having experience... What I meant to say was...it's because...it's not because you're a half-demon that your mom can beat you. I mean..." He sighed. What the hell am I trying to say? "That doesn't make sense. Let me start over." Ryomi raised an eyebrow. "You're strong, and it doesn't matter if you're a half-demon. Your parents are powerful, and it takes someone really powerful to beat them."
"I know. Besides, you can't beat Mother in a duel either," she taunted him with a smile.
"What? Who told you that?" Yemon tried to keep from looking embarrassed, but he felt his cheeks warming up.
Ryomi laughed. "Mom did."
He frowned. "Go figure." The demon leaned back against the wall. "I just wanted you to know that I don't think you're weak because you're a half-demon."
"Thanks," she replied. "Do you think they'll defeat the Edo army?"
He shrugged. "A bunch of humans against a bunch of dog demons. I don't see how we could lose."
She nodded. "Yeah." It was silent between them for a while as they watched the sun disappear. "Thanks for the company," Ry finally said. She stood up. "I'm gonna go check on the others."
Yemon stood. "Uh, yeah. Anytime. I'll walk back with you."
-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-
"I don't expect any of you to fight. If any of the Edo soldiers make their way into the castle, run. Get out of here. If they get this far, the castle is doomed anyways. We can rebuild a building; I can't get you back." Rin looked over the castle's staff. She had become close friends with many of them. Sesshomaru had gone ahead to give his final commands to the dog demon warriors, so she decided to do the same with her servants.
"Of course Lady Rin," Ori, the castle's purchaser and seamstress, replied. "But I have no doubts that our Lord will keep them at bay." Rin smiled.
"Forgive me My Lady, but shouldn't you remain in the castle with us?" the castle's cook, Ine, asked. "I know you're a strong fighter, but to risk your life-"
"I'm going Ine. No argument." The dog demon cook nodded sadly.
Ami stepped closer and gave the human woman a hug. "Good luck Rin. Please be careful." She smiled.
"I will Ami." Rin gave her a smile and turned towards the great room. Sesshomaru was just coming her way. She waited at the door until he neared. She saw him glance down at her as he passed. The woman followed close behind her mate as they exited the castle and walked east towards the flat land there. The Edo army will have to come through the forest to engage us here. That's bound to slow them down.
She paused as Sesshomaru stopped in front of her. Isas was waiting there. "My Lord," Isas addressed them, "Our scouts have indicated the the army will be emerging from that forest any time now. I also have reports that some of the men are carrying unknown weapons. We'll have to watch for them."
"What type of weapons?" Karasaya asked from beside Rin.
Isas shook his head. "I don't know what they're designed to do, but reports say they're made of steal but rounded like a stick. They're not sharpened to a point like a sword."
"Rifles," Sesshomaru responded. "I've seen them before. Be cautious. It can do more damage than an arrow, but is still not enough to kill a demon." He glanced behind him at Rin. She saw concern in his eyes. "Have your teams focus on them Isas. Warn them that it will be dangerous."
"Yes My Lord."
"You still want to take point?" Karasaya asked. "They'll be focusing on you then."
"No changes to the plan," the demon lord replied. "Now we wait." He turned back towards the forest in the distance. Rin inwardly frowned. The anticipation was killing her. It felt like her heart was going to pound out of her chest. This is it. She took a deep breath. Even if I die in this battle, I've saved my children. That means I've already been victorious. The woman smiled. The thought helped chase away her jitters. "They approach," Sesshomaru said. Rin strained her eyes, but didn't see anyone.
After a few moments, Rin finally saw figures moving towards them. She had no idea how many men there were, but the coming line of men covered the whole width of the grass field. Sesshomaru moved forward with a speed that only a demon had. "Good luck My Lord," Rin whispered after him. The rest of the dog demons remained behind beside her. They were to wait until the army was moving passed Sesshomaru. If any make it pass him... She watched as the Edo soldiers and her mate moved towards one another. The dog demon stopped, and she could see him unsheathe his sword, Raisaiga.
Sesshomaru's voice bellowed across the wind. "Dragon Strike!"
-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-
"Kami help us." The field before them lit up with lightening. Bodies and dirt flew up from the ground ahead of them. The smell of charred flesh and the screams of the soldiers were overwhelming.
Commander Itoh frowned at the outburst among his men. "Be silent." He didn't need his men to give up before they even went into battle.
"How do we fight something like that?"
"We don't," Itoh replied sharply. "Remember, we wait until we're given the order to proceed. We don't go in until the demons have been subdued." He looked to his left at the priestess. They were still inside of the tree line, protected within the forest. Priestess Saika stood there with her eyes closed and hands folded. The large pot in front of her was beginning to steam. She had better hurry.
"Are you ready Priestess?" General Watanabe called out. He sat upon his horse further back in the forest. Itoh could barely make out his figure. If he wasn't so fat, he'd be even harder to spot.
The priestess opened her eyes and stood straight. "Yes General." She lifted her arms and then pushed forward. In response, the steam poured forth from the kettle and headed out of the forest towards the demons. Itoh moved closer to the tree line so he could see across the field. Now let's see what Sesshomaru can do.
-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-
At first, Karasaya thought the cloud moving towards them was dust from Lord Sesshomaru's attack. He quickly changed his mind as it continued to move closer. He grabbed Rin's arm. "Lady Rin, move back!"
"What is that?" the woman called out. She moved back beside him. They weren't quick enough though. The mist moved over them like a tidal wave. Karasaya reflexively crouched down and covered his face with his arm. The mist burned his nose and eyes and tasted bitter to his mouth.
"What witchery is this?" he heard Takahiro yell from behind him.
"What is it?" Rin asked. Karasaya looked up to see she appeared to be fine. She was looking down at him. "Karasaya? What's wrong?"
"It doesn't affect you?" The woman shook her head. The demon suddenly felt sick. No, this isn't witchery...it's a spiritual attack.
"Get above it," he heard Isas yell to his right. He saw him transform into his larger demon form.
"Stay back Rin," Karasaya said as he followed after Isas.
-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-
"There Sir!" one of the men standing near General Watanabe called out. Itoh looked up to where he was pointing. One of the dog demons had transformed into his larger form and was standing high above the mist.
"Is that Sesshomaru?" one of his men, Jien, asked from beside him.
Itoh shook his head. This dog demon had a deep gray coat "No, Sesshomaru is white with a crescent moon on his forehead."
Jien turned to look at him. "So, you're saying Sesshomaru is even larger that that?"
"No idea. Most likely."
"You have your target!" General Watanabe yelled from his position. Itoh watched as the soldiers manning the cannons turned the great barrels towards the dog demon. "Fire on any demons that you see!" Itoh caught sight of him moving closer. Watanabe looked straight at him. "Send in the demon slayers to finish them off."
"Yes Sir."
-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-
Sesshomaru watched as the mist flowed around him. He instantly knew what was happening. They are trying to dull our senses. He looked at the field in front of him. The soldiers coming towards at him were harder to detect now. It makes no difference. "Dragon Strike!" He swung the Raisaiga out towards the forest. A surge of lightening flowed through the mist ahead of him. The great demon didn't know how much damage he did, but he knew it would slow them down.
"Sesshomaru! Sesshomaru!" He paused as he heard Rin's voice some ways behind him. Does this mist affect her too? He turned to find his mate a few feet behind him. The shock must have been evident on his face. It's dulling my senses more than I thought. The woman's eyes opened wide. "What is it? Are you alright?"
"I'm fine. You?"
"I guess it doesn't affect me. The rest are trying to get above it. Karasaya looked like he was going to be sick."
The demon lord nodded. "Stay with me. We'll keep the army back as the others recover."
"Should we go try to stop it at the source?" Rin asked. Sesshomaru looked her over. The fierce determination she had in battle had replace her earlier fear. She made a valid point. This would slow his warriors down. I don't know if the effects will be greater as we approach the source, and I won't send her in alone.
"Not yet. I don't wish to move into the forest until I know what is hiding there." Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes. The Edo soldiers had stopped. They're planning something. "Let's move in closer." He began to walk towards the forest and saw that Rin was following close beside him.
Suddenly a loud bang echoed across the field. He heard a loud roar to his right. Isas. "This way Rin." He headed towards his friend.
"What is it? What was that sound?" He ignored her questions and continued to move across the field. He stopped cold as he found Isas. The dog demon was in his smaller form hunched over on the ground. He was kneeling down with his arms across his chest. The smell of his blood was strong. "Isas!" Rin yelled as she saw him. She rushed towards the dog demon and knelt down beside him. "What happened? Are you alright?"
Another bang sounded through the mist. They are picking off my warriors one by one! Sesshomaru felt anger begin to build in his chest. As Isas pushed himself up, the extent of his injury could be seen. The anger quickly turned to rage. His chest had a large wound; the flesh look like it had been burnt had someone began to peel it off of his chest. Sesshomaru noticed that his mate had to turn away from the sight.
"Something hit me. My fur caught fire and..." He took a deep breath. It obviously brought him pain. "Forgive me for my weakness My Lord. This mist clouds my mind. I couldn't dodge it."
"Don't waste your strength on apologizing. Rin, stay with him." Sesshomaru transformed into his larger form. He grew until he was well above the mist. Let them target me! He let out a loud roar to draw attention to himself. He quickly identified the location in the forest where the mist was coming from. Another bang suddenly sounded, and Sesshomaru saw the weapon making the sound. It looked like a large version of the rifles he has seen before. He easily dodged the small object coming towards him. That is the best you can offer me? Pathetic. The dog demon jumped towards the weapon in the forest.
-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-
Itoh split his men up and sent them after the demons. They are easy to kill in this weakened state. Most don't have the power left to even stay awake. His group of six slayers stumbled across a female dog demon laying on the ground. The commander took his sword and quickly separated her head from her body. And they say demons are the most powerful force in these lands... He heard another roar to his left. "Move that way. They must have hit another one of the demons!"
He stopped quickly in his tracks as another dog demon grew in front of them. This one's true demon form was gigantic. "Commander!" Jien yelled from behind him.
"It's Sesshomaru," he said quietly. He couldn't see the demon's face through the mist, but he had no doubt that it was the demon lord. It let out a loud growl and disappeared in a leap. He must be heading towards the forest. He fought the urge to chase after the demon. "Our objective if Sesshomaru's wife. She must be nearby."
-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-
Rin helped Isas to his feet. "Thank you Lady Rin. Don't worry. It will heal."
"I know. I'm worried about the others who aren't as strong as you." How many others have been hit? She strained her eyes to look through the mist but couldn't see anything. She heard another bang. Hurry Sesshomaru. She turned her head as she caught movement out of the corner of her eye. "Isas?"
"I saw it." The dog demon stepped closer to her and began to look around. Rin held up her sword, Bakusaiga, in her right hand. She drew her other sword, Kiryoku, and held it in her left and stood alert ready for an attack. "Down!" Isas yelled.
Rin dropped to the ground as a knife on a chain flew over her head. She rolled away and back up to her feet to see a man come out of the mist towards Isas. The dog demon may have been injured, but he was still fast. He jumped towards the man, spun around the soldier and sunk his claws into the human's back. She saw movement to her right and swung Bakusaiga. The blade let out a green burst of energy accompanied by a loud rumbling as it cut down two more of the men. "Nice job My Lady." She turned to see Isas looking towards her. He was holding his chest once again.
"Isas, you should find somewhere to rest."
"I'm fine." Rin frowned at the obvious lie. She looked up as a shadow appeared behind Isas jumping out of the mist. She opened her mouth to warn him, but she was too late. The man swung a large sword down cutting through her demon friend from his right shoulder down to his left hip.
"ISAS!" The woman ran towards his murderer her and swung both of her swords. The wave of energy flowing from them cut the soldier in half. "Isas..." She took a step back looking down at the demon's corpse. He was gone. No, not Isas. She stood there frozen. She couldn't take her eyes off of him.
"Grab her!" Suddenly, she felt both of her arms being grabbed, and she was thrown backwards onto the ground. "Pin her down." A man jumped on top of her and another grabbed her wrists. Her arms were twisted and pinned to the ground above her head. The man above her used his knees to pin her legs down.
"Let go of me!" Rin yelled at him.
The human man's face was hidden by a mask, but she could see his blue eyes. They held the same cold look that Sesshomaru's did in battle. "Forgive me, but this is the only way we'll be able to defeat your husband." The man placed his left hand on her chest armor, and she saw a knife in his right.
Sesshomaru! Terror grabbed her, and she struggled to get free. "If you harm me in any way, know that you won't leave this place alive!" she shrieked.
"I'm not afraid to die for my lord," the man responded. He plunged the small knife into her chest above her armor. Rin screamed in pain and clenched her eyes shut. Help me Sesshomaru...
"Commander, it's not working."
She opened her eyes and looked up at the man through her tears. He was looking down at the wound. "I thought you were able to heal yourself," he said angrily.
The woman closed her eyes again. So they know my secret...that I'm connected to Sesshomaru. She had dropped her swords when they forced her to the ground, and Bakusaiga was out of her reach. It's better for me to die than to put Sesshomaru in danger. She gasped as it was getting harder for her to breathe. The taste of her own blood was bitter in her mouth, and she felt herself slipping away. Good luck my love. I can die peacefully knowing I saved my children. Suddenly, she felt a power surge through her body.
"That's it!" the man yelled above her. "It's healing!" Rin felt Bakusaiga sitting in her hands. No, Sesshomaru! She wrapped her fingers around the sword's hilt. She clenched her teeth as anger replaced her fear. With speed and strength greater than any normal human's, she ripped her hands free and stuck Bakusaiga in the chest of the man above her. She pushed him off and spun around in a sitting position. The soldier behind her was moving to stand. Rin sliced through his midsection before he was fully upright. His body fell in front of her in two pieces. She quickly got to her feet and picked up Kiryoku. I have to get to Sesshomaru.
-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-
The great dog demon pounced down on top of the soldiers operating the large cannons. Saika reflexively took a step back. He's gigantic. It was a strange oxymoron to her: that demons could be so beautiful yet so evil. The soldiers ran away as Sesshomaru toppled one of the cannons off of its wheels. The beast let out a growl and spit a green substance down onto the second cannon. The men standing nearby yelled out. A poison? The priestess looked behind her as General Watanabe began to yell orders. What am I supposed to do? Currently the general showed no interest in her. She looked back up at the demon as he continued to kill the soldiers standing just outside of the tree line.
Have I failed? Why hasn't the steam stopped Sesshomaru? Does it not affect him? She watched in terror as the dog demon continued to finish off the soldiers standing a few meters in front of her. Suddenly he began to shrink, and Saika strained her eyes to see the humanoid form of the dog demon. He drew his sword and held it up. Fear suddenly gripped her. He's coming after me next! She ducked down behind her kettle. I can't stay here. He'll find me here. Kami help me. She looked around and decided to run further into the trees.
She froze as the air around her suddenly heated up. The wind picked up, and the steam flowing from her pot suddenly changed direction blowing back into the forest. The air sizzled and crackled. She couldn't see anything because of the steam surrounding her, so she closed her eyes. Is this wind coming from Sesshomaru? After a few seconds, it stopped. She opened her eyes and looked around her. Many of the trees were smoldering; others were on fire. The priestess glanced around the pot. Sesshomaru still stood there. The trees closest to him had fallen over and some had been reduced to ashes. Her whole body began to shake in fear. He's the devil himself. She watched terrified as the demon transformed once again into his large demon form.
"Protect the general!" Saika turned around at the voice. A group of soldiers ran passed her towards Sesshomaru. Now. She didn't waste any time. The priestess ran towards the trees. After seeing the demon lord's last attack, she knew the trees wouldn't offer much protection, but it was better than sitting out in the open. She climbed up one of the trees and stepped out onto a low branch. The woman took off her bow and sat down on the branch next to the trunk. We're all going to die here...
She couldn't take her eyes off of Sesshomaru. She could sense his demonic power. Never have I witnessed such a powerful being. The great dog demon easily crushed the men attacking him. Saika couldn't help but watch the horrific scene. Suddenly the large dog let out a loud growl. She narrowed her eyes. It sounds like he's in pain. He spit another pool of poison onto the remaining men at his feet and then began to shrink down into his smaller form. He sank down to his knees. Saika held very still afraid he would see her. Is the mist working? Has it weakened him? The dog demon suddenly swung his right hand towards the kettle; it sat a few feet away from him. The pot suddenly fell in two pieces to the ground. How did he do that? The remaining steam flowed out from the broken pot and dissolved into the air. Nothing moved, not even Sesshomaru. He remained on his knees crouched over. He propped himself up with his right hand and his left rested on his chest. Was he injured? The woman looked down at the bow in her hands. She had been instructed in the spiritual arts. She slowly stood up on the branch. The demon didn't turn to look at her, so she continued to slowly move. The priestess drew an arrow out of her quiver and nocked it into the bow. She shakily pulled back the string. Let this spiritual arrow fly straight. Kami guide its flight. She released it. The arrow flew with a purple glow and struck Sesshomaru in his left shoulder. It hit! The demon let out a cry that was partly a scream, partly a growl.
-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-
Rin ran towards the trees as fast as she could. She no longer felt any pain from the wound in her chest. She reached up and touched the spot with her left hand. It's completely healed. She frowned. What effect did it have on Sesshomaru? The mist was thicker the closer she got to the forest. More than once, she stumbled over the corpse of one of her demon friends. The mist put them to sleep, so the humans had no trouble killing them. How many of our warriors are left? The thought caused the woman's chest to tighten. She took a deep breath. Now isn't the time to mourn the lost; I have to get to Sesshomaru. She broke through the mist and found herself at the edge of the treeline. Her eyes widened at the sight. Trees were strewn about, some smoking. Rin knew that it had to be Sesshomaru's doing. She ran further into the forest and finally saw his figure through the haze. "Sesshomaru!"
Her mate was fighting back a group of the human soldiers. He was moving slowly; very slowly for a demon. The woman ran closer and cut through two men so she could get to her demon lord. She glanced at his face, but couldn't catch his eyes. She didn't have much time to look him over though. Rin quickly turned around to fight off another soldier that came up behind her. She felt Sesshomaru's back against hers. Some of his white hair fell down over her shoulders. "You were injured?" his voice came near over her left shoulder.
"I'm fine," she said sourly. They both knew what her healing cost him. "Are you alright?"
She felt him step away. Rin took a step forward as another man moved into strike at her. She side-stepped to her left and spun around. She sliced downward across his back. As his body began to fall, she pushed it into another warrior coming towards her. He fell backwards, and Rin stepped forward to cut him down. She turned to her right to see another heading towards Sesshomaru's back. She lunged for him and stabbed the man in the back with Bakusaiga.
The dog demon looked over his shoulder at her. "Watch for the priestess. I do not know the direction she is hiding in." The woman's heart skipped a beat as she got the chance to look over her mate's face. He was obviously tired. This priestess has him worried? The demon looked away from her and stepped to his left to slice through another attacker.
Rin gasped when she saw his left shoulder. There was a huge hole in the skin going all the way down to the bone. The fabric on his sleeve looked like it had been burned away. "Sesshomaru!" He turned his eyes back at her without turning his head. He took a step towards her pivoting around to face her. "What happened to your shoulder?"
Without an answer his left hand flew towards her. She let out a startled cry as he pushed on her breastplate and sent her falling backwards. As she began to fall she felt his left hand move to catch her back. His right arm and Raisaiga extended over her head. The woman tipped her head further back and watched the upside down scene of Raisaiga's lightening attack cutting down another eight soldiers coming towards them. She looked back up at her mate as she felt herself being pulled up to her feet. Once again she felt nothing but awe for her demon lover. "Watch for the priestess," he repeated only a few inches from her face. He released her and turned around. She spun around and continued to fight the warriors coming at her. Is everyone else dead? Is the rest of the army coming after Sesshomaru and I alone?
The pair continued to fight back to back for what felt like eternity. More and more men slowly trickled into the forest from the field. As more and more men came at them, Rin begin to grow more and more panicked. They've killed everyone else...there's no one left...how long can Sesshomaru and I last? She kept looking at the trees searching for the priestess. She assumed the hole in her mate's arm was the result of the priestess attacking Sesshomaru once already. The woman was growing tired though and she could tell her attacks were getting weaker and weaker. Suddenly, she heard something hit the ground behind her. She turned to look as a cloud of smoke grew around them. No, not smoke...this is more of that mist. "My Lord?" she spun around towards Sesshomaru fearing for his safety. She moved in front of him to look him over.
The demon was crouching down with his left arm covering his eyes. He looked up at her; his golden eyes squinted into narrow slits. "Heh," he coughed. "It came from that direction," he said; his voice sounded gruff and strained. He nodded towards the trees, and Rin looked in that direction. It was hard to spot anything through the mist. She glanced around her. Luckily, the men had back away for a moment. The hair on the back of her neck suddenly stood up. Why are they backing away when Sesshomaru has been weakened? Wouldn't they attack? She looked back at her mate. "Can you move?"
"DOWN RIN!" The demon forcefully pushed her away from him. Rin stumbled and fell. She quickly turned to look at Sesshomaru just as a flash of purple hit him.
"Sesshomaru!" Her mate fell backwards and hit the ground stirring up the dust and mist around him. The world seemed to stop. The demon lord didn't move. No...NO! The woman jumped up and moved towards him. She fell down and knelt beside him. "Sesshomaru?" His eyes were closed. Rin looked down at his chest. A large hole and formed in his chest just above his breastplate. "You...you've been hurt worse before. Come on." Her voice sounded shaky in her ears. Truthfully, she didn't feel assured herself by her words. "Let's go. We have to get out of here so you can recover," she cried.
The demon's eyes slowly opened. "A sacred arrow. Heh, I'm not finished yet," he said weakly. "You will have to protect yourself at the moment."
"Sesshoma-"
"Get up Rin," he said in a stronger, stern voice. "They're behind you." She slowly nodded. Reluctantly, the woman stood up and picked up her swords. Now, I'll protect you. Rin stood firm beside her lord. The mist was beginning to fade once again, and she could see the warriors moving in towards them again. There are still so many of them. "Bakusaiga!" She crossed her swords in front of her and swung them outwards. The combined power of Bakusaiga and Kiryoku sent out a wave of blue-green energy cutting through the ranks of soldiers standing in front of her. With an anger and ferocity that came from having her family attacked and just being close to exhaustion, Rin continued to fight the men coming towards her. She glanced over her shoulder as she saw movement behind her. Sesshomaru had stood up and was fighting the men behind them with his poison whip. Hold on my love.
A movement to her left caught her eye. Rin turned to see a round object coming at them. She frowned as she recognized it as pottery. What is-? She moved to knock it away from them but wasn't quick enough. It shattered on the ground a feet away and another explosion of the mist engulfed them. She heard Sesshomaru growl in frustration. The woman moved towards her mate. "Stay low," she commanded him. He sank down to his knees. She wildly searched around her looking for a warning of another spiritual attack directed at the demon lord. The woman saw two men come through the mist towards her. She took a step away from Sesshomaru and attacked the two men. She had no problem cutting each of them down. Pathetic, she thought bitterly. She suddenly heard a cry from Sesshomaru.
She spun around to see a woman standing beside him. She held a dagger pulsing with a blue energy; the dagger was stuck into Sesshomaru's right shoulder near his collarbone. She was dressed in the garb of a priestess and looked to be fairly young. He's too weak to fight back. The woman caught Rin's eyes. For a split second both of them stood staring at each other. The priestess suddenly pulled the dagger from the demon's shoulder and pushed him backwards with her left hand. He fell backwards to the ground. An anger surged through Rin, and she charged towards the priestess. The other woman was quick; she quickly drove the dagger into Sesshomaru's chest before Rin could reach her. Rin lunged at her over her mate. Both women fell to the ground with Rin landing on top. "You stupid bitch!" She dropped Bakusaiga and punched the priestess in the face as hard as she could. "Didn't you vow to protect humankind when you became a priest?" she screeched.
"Of course," the priestess coughed spitting up blood. "I just destroyed the largest demon threat these lands have ever seen."
The realization that Sesshomaru was dying suddenly hit Rin. "No, you just killed the protector of the Western Lands. Now every demon that was under his rule will turn against the humans," she said hoarsely. Tears began to fall from her eyes. "Do you think a monster would go through all the trouble of figuring out to make his human lover immortal?" The other woman's eyes widened at Rin's statement. "I hope...I hope that when you're rotting in Hell that they tell you how many deaths you were directly responsible for – both demon and human." Bitterly, Rin picked up Bakusaiga and cut down across the woman's chest. She turned her head as a stream of blood splashed up at her. Satisfied that the priestess was dead, she rushed back to her mate. "Sesshomaru?"
The dagger was still lodged in the upper left portion of his chest. Rin pulled it out and saw that the spiritual energy within the dagger had begun eating away and purifying his demon flesh. The hole continuously grew as the energy spread through his body. "Run Rin," Sesshomaru said weakly.
She shook her head. "No, I'm staying with you," she sobbed.
"I won't...recover from this...Rin. This time I...am too weak." He was silent for a moment. The woman didn't know what to do. She had been with him for as long as she could remember. She had never thought she would have to live through losing him. My worse nightmare... "Weak... Pathetic...to be killed by humans," he said shallowly.
She shook her head and tears fell down onto his face. "No. No, you died saving your children. That's an honorable death. The most honorable death."
The demon gave her a small smile. "Precious mate. You've always been able to see the best side of every situation." Rin felt his hand on her arm. She took his hand and leaned over him. Her lips met his, and she lingered there until she needed to sit up and take a breath.
"Wait for me," she said quietly. "I'll follow behind you shortly." Her voice caught in her throat. "I love you Sesshomaru."
"Love you," he said softly and closed his eyes. Rin watched him until the sight of his decaying body made her sick. She closed her eyes and held onto his hand until she could no longer feel it.
"Knock her out," a voice said from her right. She didn't move. Please just kill me. How can I live without him? She heard movement to her right and then felt a thud across her head.
-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-
Ami stood at the Western Castle's front entrance. She wasn't a fighter; she had been raised to be a handmaiden after all. She still had the sharp senses of a dog demon though. She could hear the cries of those who were injured and she could smell blood; she also knew the difference between the human's and the demon's. She was completely shaken at the thought that her mate could be one of the demons out there who were injured...or dead. How could the humans have stood up against our warriors? How?
"The mist is beginning to clear," Ori, one of the castle's staff, said beside her. Ami nodded. The pair had been discussing the mist since the beginning of the battle. Neither of them could guess as to what purpose it served other than perhaps a weapon. Surely, it would reduce visibility for the humans much more than for the demons.
"Get back! The humans are heading this way!" Jaken yelled from behind her. The demoness turned to look at the small green toad. "We're shutting the doors," he yelled shaking his staff.
She walked towards him into the castle. "Do you really think that closing the doors will be enough to stop them Jaken?" she asked as she passed him.
"It's up to me to protect the castle while Lord Sesshomaru is away, and I say that -"
"I didn't mean to argue with you Jaken," she interrupted before he could go into one of his long rants.
"You should go Lady Ami," Ori spoke up. "You still have time to escape."
"You think these pathetic humans are a threat?" Jaken cried.
Ami glared at him and then turned back to the other demoness. "No, I'm staying. I won't leave here without Karasaya."
"Lady Ami!" Mio, the cat demon who cleaned the castle, ran towards them from the stairway at the back of the castle. "The army approaches. We've been watching from the balconies." The pink cat demon was visibly trembling.
"Now is the time to leave, if you wish to escape."
"No My Lady. None of us would abandon our home. If the castle falls, we go with it!" Ori responded defiantly. Mio looked down at the floor and nodded her agreement.
Ami nodded. "Let's go." She led the way upstairs and down the hall to the balcony that overlooked the front entrance. They had discussed that the best way to defend themselves was to make a final stand there. We'll thin down their numbers as much as possible before we have to fight them hand to hand. "Are you ready Ine?"
The castle's cook had made herself busy by boiling water and carrying it up to the balcony. "Yes Lady Ami."
"Everyone ready yourselves."
They stood and waited. Ami silently prayed that the castle's guards would appear and push back the army. She doubted her prayers would be answered. They heard noise outside of the front entrance, and then the door suddenly split with a loud crack. Splinters flew back into the castle's hall as the humans pushed their way inside. Ami waited for a number of them to push their way through and then yelled, "Now!" Ine pushed a large kettle of hot water over spilling the burning liquid onto the unsuspecting soldiers. Jaken used his staff and began to shoot fire down onto the men.
She heard one of the men begin to shout orders over the cries of pain. "Use the back entrance! Bring the archers forward!"
"Go to the back stairway Jaken!" Ami instructed. "Don't let them get up here!" She turned to the cook who had two more kettles of steaming water waiting. "Keep it up Ine!" The lady of the dog demons followed after Jaken.
The toad demon stood at the top of the stairs and sent fire down at the ones coming up towards them. "You human fools! How dare you enter Lord Sesshomaru's castle?"
Ami wrinkled her nose at the smell of burning flesh. She drew her sword and stood further back in the hallway prepared to defend herself and the castle's servants. She let out a cry as she saw arrows began to fly up the stairs and around Jaken. The little demon didn't run though. An arrow struck him in the midsection and knocked him back. "Jaken!" The human men began to pour out of the stairway into the hall. Ami took a deep breath. May I die with honor. She held up her sword as the first soldier struck at her.
-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-
Rin fought to open her eyes. The throbbing in her head made it difficult. She pulled her hands upwards to wipe at her face and realized that she couldn't move. I'm tied up. The woman finally pushed her eyes open and immediately wish she hadn't. No-I-how-no...no... She involuntarily threw up and her body began to convulse in sobs. She was back home tied to one of the pillars in the castle's great room. Corpses of dog demons lay around her along with the bodies of her servants. Some were so mangled and charred that she couldn't recognize which friend the body belonged to. "She's awake. Get the general," a voice said.
She tried to spit out some of the disgusting taste of vomit and blood and wiped her face on her shoulder. "Lady Rin. It's honor to speak with you face to face. " She slowly turned to look at the man addressing her. It took a moment for her to focus on him. He was dressed in armor and was rather large. She also noticed that he was holding a stuffed toy dog in his hands. The one Ori had made for Shio... "I hope that as a fellow human being, we can come to some sort of understanding." Rin didn't respond. After a moment he frowned and continued. "I understand that you are a mother. If you cooperate with me, I will happily free you to return to your children. You are human after all. I have no qualms with you."
"Human?" she said hoarsely. Her throat was dry and it burned as result of getting sick. "What difference does that make?"
The man furrowed his eyes and frowned at her. "I have vowed to help unite these lands for my lord, Oda Nobunaga. I will protect the humans of Japan and defeat any demons who stand in my way."
Rin felt the tears begin to flow from her eyes. "These lands were united. Under the rule of a powerful demon lord and a fair human woman, the Western Lands flourished in peace between the humans and demons. And you-you fools destroyed it! The demons in these lands are going to turn on the humans now! You've caused more harm than good!" she yelled.
"Silence. My offer still stands," the human man said. "I'll free you to return to your children if you help me. I could use you to help to convince the demons to surrender."
The woman shook her head slowly and closed her eyes. She had to admit she wanted to go see her children one last time. They will only follow me and kill them... Her body shook as she gathered the strength to reply. "No," she quietly said.
"I apologize for the redecorating in here. If you hadn't killed my priestess, she would have simply purified the bodies. I have no choice but to burn them now." Rin's eyes flew open to look at the man. Terror seized her. "Light the corpses and burn the castle down," the general commanded. He tossed the toy dog at her feet. "Good day Lady Rin." The men left after setting the bodies around her on fire, and the woman shook crying as the flames grew around her.
-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-
Myoga cautiously made his way into the Western Castle. What Toutousai said must be true! The castle is overridden with humans. Toutousai had sensed something happened to the Bakusaiga. It was the sword created from Lord Sesshomaru's regenerated left arm. He had given it to Rin when they had discovered the sword was connected to her and made her immortal. Toutousai said that he had sensed the Bakusaiga die. The old demon was a sword master and was in tune with all of his master's swords. If Bakusaiga died that could only mean that either Sesshomaru or Rin died...perhaps even both.
The tiny flea demon headed towards the great hall of the castle. It looked like the majority of the humans were coming in and out of that room. He hopped onto a small, decorative table holding an incense burner and a vase of flowers. He could clearly see into the large room from his perch. "Oh no! Lady Rin!" He could see the woman tied up to one of the pillars. A large number of dog demons laid around her. Myoga could only assume they were dead. He swallowed. If Lady Rin is tied up in here, that could only mean Lord Sesshomaru is... The small flea wiped his eyes as tears began to fall. It's not possible!
"You fools destroyed it!" Myoga looked up to see Lady Rin yelling at one of the men standing in front of her. "The demons in these lands are going to turn on the humans now! You've caused more harm than good!"
"Silence. My offer still stands," the fat, human man replied. "I'll free you to return to your children if you help me. I could use you to help to convince the demons to surrender." Myoga blinked in surprise. The children aren't here? They must have hid them among the dog demons in the mountains.
The woman shook her head slowly and closed her eyes. "No," she quietly said.
The man was obviously angry. "I apologize for the redecorating in here. If you hadn't killed my priestess, she would have simply purified the bodies. I have no choice but to burn them now." He turned to the group of men standing in the hallway holding torches. "Light the corpses and burn the castle down." He turned back to Rin and tossed a stuffed animal at her. "Good day Lady Rin." The men with the torches began to light the dog demons' bodies on fire. The leader walked out of the room and motioned for one of the other soldiers to come to him. "Where are the swords?"
"I've tied Sesshomaru's and Rin's swords to your horse. There were four total."
"Good," the man nodded. "Lord Nobunaga will be pleased. Gather your men. We're leaving."
Myoga watched as they left, and the other humans begin to follow them out including the pair with the torches. The flea demon watched for another moment as Lady Rin called out from the flames. I'm sorry My Lady. He felt guilty for abandoning her, but he knew he would never get through the flames to free her. Reluctantly, he made his way to the entrance of the castle. Once he was a good distance away, he stood and watched as the Western Castle burned. What do we do now? How did this happen? The memory of the leader with Lord Sesshomaru's swords came back to him. I must tell the dog demons! If Raisaiga falls into the wrong hands, it could be very bad for the demons. He went to look for bird to carry him to the mountains. I'll find Mistress Ryomi. She'll know what to do.
-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-
Again, sorry for the long update. It took me a long time to get this chapter the way I wanted it.
Those who are about to kill me for killing Sesshomaru and Rin – be patient! I've already changed the time line once...who says I won't do it again?
Thanks for all of your input! It might be a wait for the next chapter too. Sorry...life is crazy!
-Rachel