*I'm sorry that this isn't a very long update. I promise that some much longer ones are coming soon. I hope you enjoy it, and please let me know what you think. Thanks very much!*

On high alert, Sesshomaru rushed quickly to the place where this youkai dared to intrude. Inuyasha's presence was enough to keep the majority away; some wishing to prove some sort of bravery, or to take away his sword, inevitably came to challenge him. They never lasted long.

The sheer size of this aura was massive - it had been a long time indeed since Sesshomaru had encountered such a large amount of power from a single demon. In a way, it felt familiar to him - as had the small creature Rin was keeping as a pet.

The dog.

When he first saw its face, he recognized it immediately. A creature that was neither youkai nor truly dog, but somewhere in between. Their sole existence was to protect their human master from harm, sensing youkai auras and even being somewhat efficient at fighting them. Once again, he was becoming lost in thoughts of their creator.

Inuyuki... the irony that she was the one to create something that would protect Rin from harm. It was almost enough to make him smile.

Noticing a shift in the aura gave him a quick jolt back to reality. He was able to catch a scent, and it was another of his own kind - dog youkai. It was coming closer. Sesshomaru alighted unto the ground, waiting for his enemy's approach. He was trying to supress his aura, though he knew that a youkai with this level of power would have no difficulty detecting him. He couldn't care less - defending Rin was the only thing on his mind.

At that moment, a large, fully transformed inuyoukai walked into the clearing where Sesshomaru stood. He was white, like most of the dog-youkai clan, with a large black mark in the shape of a figure-eight on his forehead. He was nearly as large as the meadow - a respectable size for a dog-youkai, though certainly not as large as Sesshomaru, or anywhere near as large as the late InuTaisho. He glared at Sesshomaru and roared his displeasure.

I have smelled his scent before, Sesshomaru thought to himself. He was trying to place it, but couldn't. It was unusual for his memory to fail him, though the heat of impending battle was pushing other thoughts from his mind. The somewhat irrational possessiveness that had just overtaken him was nearly impossible to control - Rin was his, and no one else's.

"I shall warn you this once. Leave, or die." Sesshomaru stood tensely still, staring down his enemy, with an veiled threat hanging in the air. The other dog-youkai simply snarled. Sesshomaru sharpened his claws, ready for attack. Then, a deep, feminine voice spoke.

"Desist, my brother."

The speaker appeared, walking slowly between them with uneven steps.

Impossible.

For the first time in many, many years, Sesshomaru's face was unable to hide his intense shock. His eyes gaped as they took in her long, lithe, scarred form. Scars he himself had given her, more than two hundred fifty years ago. She was supposed to be dead.

He forced himself to recover quickly, but the damage was done - she had seen his sudden weakness. She smiled mockingly, and looked at Sesshomaru piercingly with her one good eye. "Why, look, brother! We happened to run into the great Sesshomaru. We've even managed to surprise him."

"I see you fared better than I had expected," Sesshomaru said icily, regaining his normal demeanor.

At this, her smile disappeared, and her demeanor darkened. "It would take far more than your half-hearted attacks to kill me." Obviously restraining herself from violence, she tensed all over, and then relaxed, as though she were remembering something. "Well, I hope you aren't still so violent and given to anger. I hear you're keeping much more delicate company these days."

Sesshomaru's normal, haughty countenance had returned, but when she said this, she felt his veiled anger as he said, "I know nothing of what you speak." Inwardly, it was all he could do to keep from running up to this ill-bred creature and opening her throat, as he should have long ago.

"Really?" Her nose tipped upward, and she sniffed the air. "I can smell a human girl all over you. You mated with her, that much is obvious." She looked at him quizzically. "I cannot even begin to imagine what could cause the perfect Sesshomaru to begin doing something so low as bedding humans. Then again, you always kept strange company."

Sesshomaru tensed. "Silence." Sharpening his claws, he dove in to finally kill this creature. However, the menacing form of the white dog-youkai got in his way, growling. He was surprised by its speed - far greater than he had expected. The she-youkai smiled, and sailed upon dog's back with unexpected speed.

"Of course, Sesshomaru, you remember my beloved brother. I'm afraid he won't allow you to kill me - at least, not today. I know for a fact, however, that we shall meet again. And when we do, you shall have suffered far more than I."

With that, the two of them sailed off into the sky. He began to follow them, easily catching up, before he remembered Rin. Of course, he had to get back right away. The whole situation felt somehow like a trap. A trap he had foolishly fallen into.

After all, it wasn't the first time that this wicked creature had tried to destroy his life.

...

Rin slowly came to, groaning loudly. Her head felt as though it were filled with thousands of writhing snakes, eating it from within. She put her hand over her eyes, wishing she could go back to sleep. At the moment, however, what she needed the most was water. Seeing no other way to get it, she slowly got up. Putting her hand down, she felt something soft.

Strange, she thought, trying to remember the events leading up to her headache. Suddenly, it hit her. That youkai-woman! She hit me and knocked me out cold! Snapping her eyes open, she began to get up in earnest, hoping to meet her lord as he returned and tell him the awful events. She was certain that the creature would be dead in a matter of hours.

It was then that she noticed that she was not alone in the room.

Across the room, lying on the floor, was a young woman. She had long, black hair, long legs, decidedly fair skin, and honey colored eyes. She looked so familiar...

Slowly, Rin moved closer, as not to startle whomever it was. But she noticed very quickly that the body was still. Too still. Her legs were splayed sideways and there was blood coming out from a small opening under her chest. Her eyes seemed lifeless - she was certainly dead. She was grasping a large bone knife.

Terrified, Rin jumped up, and started to scream. She suddenly recognized the body.

It was hers.

And Sesshomaru-Sama was standing in the doorway, looking like death warmed over.

...

Sesshomaru stood quietly at the door for a moment, disbelieving everything his nose told him.

No. NO! I cannot lose you again!

The words sounded throughout his head, but the only thing that came out was a howl of anguish. Once again, Rin had died. Once again, someone he loved had slipped through his grasp, and it was his fault. And he knew, beyond the shadow of a doubt, that there would be no bringing her back this time.

Falling to his knees, he grabbed Rin's beautiful, elegant, cold fingers. He stroked her cheek, and looked into her lifeless eyes. And then he noticed it. A long, thin knife made of bone. The claw of a dog-youkai, to be exact. It had a large, serrated edge, and had two characters carved into the hilt.

She had done it. Again.

Looking at the doorway, he realized the dog was there. The small brown creature took no notice of him, but immediately ran to the far corner of the hut, barking fiercely into the corner at nothing. It turned to face him, looking meaningfully into his eyes. It was trying to tell him something. And he knew exactly what it was.

Rin's spirit was still here.

That told him all he needed to know. Rushing to the threshold, he looked back one last time. Then, he turned, rage filling his spirit. His eyes glowed fiercely red, his countenance swiftly changed. His limbs grew, his claws curved, his fangs elongated. He became the essence of the terrifying beast that he was.

He had neglected to finish her last time. There was no way that he would make that mistake again. This time, she would die.

Painfully.