Author's Notes: 40 reviews?! RECORD BROKEN!
Curiosity- Or n0t – Renshi is quite determined… (Shrugs) And a little too protective if you ask me.
MonNos – Why did I have to stop there? BECAUSE I'M EVIL!
Icegirljenni – (sly smile) And it would be such a surprise for Sessh if Renshi turned into his true form since they would be quite alike. :D
SerenePanic – Too true! I try not to write a lot of dialogue for Sesshomaru as I usually seem to either say too much or too little. I think for the last chap I said just 'bout the right amount…
Taraah36 – (grin) Sessh is like twice as powerful as Renshi but even so I have a feeling that this will be an interesting battle. J
The she-dragon growled low within her throat at his disobedience and made to chase after Renshi before she was unexpectedly pinned to the ground gently my her mate.
'Why did you stop me Yūkan?! That foolish pup is going to get himself killed!' she hissed and her mate chuckled.
'Renshi needs to learn that he shall not always have Rin's attention now that the demon lord she has been pining for so many years has come. Bear him no ill will Amai. His heart is true but his mind is clouded with jealousy and what he is doing is a natural reaction from an inoyoukai when they wish to protect something that they believe is theirs.
Amai frowned at his words and stared at the retreating figure of Renshi.
'Rin is not a possession to be handed from demon to demon.' She snapped. 'I do not see why she holds such fascination for either of them!'
The calm ruby gaze of Yūkan sharpened and Amai flinched. She knew that her mate thought of the Guardian as his own daughter and she felt the same.
'Renshi is her own pup, Amai! How could she not feel anything less than motherly love towards him?' Yūkan growled and without warning his eyes softened suddenly as his mate tilted her head, curious at his sudden change in mood.
'You worry about Sesshomaru's influence on Rin don't you, mate? I sense and understand your worry my love but I feel that this inuyoukai would not harm nor betray Rin. Even though the bond between them was strong enough to create Renshi's soul, I feel there is something more. Do you not see how she gazes at him as though he has hung the moon and stars? Can you not sense the tender emotions emitting from her that are directed towards him?
The she-dragon sighed heavily, knowing the answer.
'Rin has fallen in love with Sesshomaru. But it seems she is doing everything in her power to prevent him from seeing it.'
Renshi attacked first. He snarled viciously as he lunged gracefully towards the older inuyoukai, deadly claws ready to reduce Sesshomaru to ribbons. Much to the pup's surprise he saw Sesshomaru avoid him easily as he leapt into the air with ease.
He brought his poison whip down on the demon child with the intent to give him a mild injury as a warning but his eyes widened slightly in shock as his attack was counterattacked by the young inuyoukai's own poison whip. Both refused to back down and eventually the whips broke apart before lashing once more at their respective targets.
'How can this be?' Sesshomaru snarled within his mind. None other than his true kin should have been able to create a poison whip or wield it so skilfully. How was it that this child, who looked so like himself, was able to do this? To his shock Sesshomaru felt his temper along with the urge to transform into his true form rise. He struggled against it for a few minutes but he was soon overwhelmed. Never had he felt the urge to change so strong. It was almost as if his inner demon wanted to prove something. To the pup or Rin he did not know.
As the cloud of red smoke which had engulfed Sesshomaru during the transformation vanished, Rin stared in shock at the magnificent dog demon who uttered a deep growl as he stared down Renshi whose eyes flashed briefly in grudging respect before he propelled himself towards the demon lord. She had wanted to stop them before Renshi was injured but she had heard Yūkan's voice urging her not to and that this was sure to happen sooner or later. And though her heart ached at seeing the demons she loved most fight one another, Rin sensed that there was almost a hidden meaning to their battle. Jaken was beside her and she could see that the imp was positive that this would be an easy win for his master.
"Such a brazen and irrational child." The small demon snorted. "I'll be surprised if he's still alive after this."
Rin's almond eyes softened as she gazed at her son. He was an outstanding warrior.
'Just like his Fathe-'
Rin uttered a small gasp at her treasonous thoughts. How could she think of such impossibilities?! She shouldn't even be accepting the idea of secretly loving Lord Sesshomaru!
'Part of his soul was used to create Renshi's soul. And I'm sure he feels something for me.' Her heart argued.
'Only because he had no say in the matter! You are a wicked girl for even considering that Sesshomaru could come to love you just because you hold these feelings and are the Soul Mother of Renshi! 'The rational part of her sneered. Rin sighed. No matter what her heart told her she had to keep these feelings hidden. She would never disgrace her Lord's name.
Renshi panted heavily. Had had sensed that this inoyoukai was powerful but never had he seen such power as Sesshomaru held. The true form of the demon Lord gazed at him, daring the inuyoukai pup to attack him again. A protectiveness rose within Renshi's chest as he saw his Mother who was watching him and the Demon Lord. He suspected that she didn't know that their whole reason for the battle had changed as soon as Sesshomaru assumed his true form. He too felt his inner demon rise within him until it surfaced. A cloud of dark ruby smoke surrounded Renshi as he felt his body change into that of the true form dog demon. He was far smaller than Sesshomaru but was almost identical in every way. The same crescent moon still was sported proudly on his brow and his eyes had gained a deeper and more savage demonic red, his pupils becoming slits of deepest midnight.
Something froze within Sesshomaru as he stared at the young demon. It was like seeing a younger form of him. The same appearance, stance and eyes. The only difference he could see was the light gold colour than tinged Renshi's fur and that he was smaller than himself. The battle began once again but something had changed. A determination had settled within Sesshomaru's chest. A determination to win this combat and show the demon who was the dominant male of them both. He launched himself at the smaller demon who tried to snap at his throat but was pushed to the ground. Sesshomaru placed a paw on Renshi's throat and the pup squirmed as he tried to free himself. Renshi sensed defeat and turned away from Sesshomaru, a sign that he would not challenge him. For Rin or otherwise. Well…Maybe for his Mother.
The smoke surrounded the two inuyoukai and when it cleared Sesshomaru had removed his hand from Renshi but the pup was still on the ground. The older inuyoukai turned away from the pup. Renshi bent his head as Rin rushed towards him, examining him for injury. He had surprisingly sustained only a few gashes. Rin called for Amai who rushed to her side. She told the she-dragon to take Renshi back to the tree. The tree would heal his wounds for Renshi, having half the soul of a human was not affected by the pure energy emitting from the tree. The dragon nodded and left but before that Sesshomaru had turned to Renshi and said that he fought surprisingly well for one so young. A glow of pride sparked in Renshi's eyes at the Demon Lord's words although he didn't say anything as he left with Amai.
"Leave us Jaken." Sesshomaru commanded and the imp left though Rin swore she could hear him muttering under his breath about strange children and their bizarre ways. When the imp was out of sight, Sesshomaru turned to Rin, a strange coldness in his eyes that she had only seen when he was fighting an enemy. Was she the adversary?
"What demon stole your innocence and gave you that child?" It was not a question but more of a command that she tell. Rin inwardly winced at both his tone and the fact that he believed that she had laid with another. When Sakura had said she was to be brought to the tree, pure, she had meant every aspect of pure.
"My Lord… I am as uncontaminated as the day you met me. Renshi is…a soul child. His soul was created from a part of two different souls. Sakura created his body using her own power."
Sesshomaru's golden eyes narrowed and he ignored the waves of relief that crashed through him at the fact that she was still pure.
"From what demon did you steal a fraction of their soul? A demon does not give away a part of his soul."
The woman resisted the powerful urge to either lie or run. But she knew neither would work on Lord Sesshomaru. Swallowing hard, Rin heard a hoarse whisper escape her dry throat.
"Yours. The other half of Renshi's soul is your own, Lord Sesshomaru."
A snake demon in his humanoid form gazed with interest into one of the orbs of silver mist that hung suspended in his bedchambers. Two dog demons were fighting one another inside it and the snake demon recognised only one of them. The Lord of the West, his hated adversary and the only thing that stood in his path to rule the Western Lands as well as his own which were the Eastern Lands. He was Yokubō. The demon Lord of the East. The second dog demon was what Yokubō could only assume was Sesshomaru's son.
'Strange…I am certain that dog had no mate and he certainly wouldn't settle for a bastard child.' The snake demon thought.
He then noticed the beautiful maiden in the corner of the scene and felt his mouth water. There she was… The stunning woman known as the Guardian. Knowing that she was pure would only make her more resistant and that would cause her more suffering. Maybe he would keep her when he had slain Sesshomaru and that demon which he supposed to be his son. She was human and therefore could bear him many heirs.
"Yes. That idea has its wonderful possibilities." Yokubō hissed. He was blissfully unaware that he was falling into The Jewel of Four Sins carefully planned trap.
Author's Notes: Another chapter done! Probably the largest thing I've written so far!
