A/N: Well, thank you for all of your reviews! They have helped me slowly get past writer's block.
Review Replies:
Squishyrabbit: Hey, at first I thought you were a new reviewer, then I was looking over my reviews and... What happened to Sesshomarufan30? Interesting new pen name. Haha. Anyway, for your review. Yes, Sesshomaru knows he did that to her, hope you enjoy this chapter.
Leonhart9: Some of it yes. :). Usually people say he stops losing his character when and if I would start using his POV, but, it's the truth on what's going through his head. And it's needed.
kagomeLove2: Thanks, that was an interesting chapter to write, as will this one.
And yes, InuYasha is kind of a main character for this story, basically because it is following the anime, but as of my current writing spot, I may have it staying on Sesshomaru's side for a few chapters. I will be skipping some time, soon, because I am watching the anime and looking for a specific part.
And yes, I have to have a ruthless Sesshomaru, it's what we love best. I hope you continue to enjoy the chapters.
Lady Shenzuki: Readers, such as myself, do that all the time, but there are better epic stories out there than mine that really have your brain going, and you will never be able to figure it out until the author wants you to. Thanks for your review, it helps me, I try to keep things at a calm pace.
K4terMurr: Hello, I'm glad you're hooked. I try to update as quickly as I can. I learned in my earlier previous stories that the more chapters I write in advance, the more often I will update. So, technically, now, if I get writer's block, I still have 2 chapters that haven't been posted yet ahead of time, and depending on how long it takes me to write again, I will update those chapters very slowly, with a note saying I haven't quit this story, and I don't intend to!
Anywho, I'm glad so many of you are enjoying so far!
Also quick note: This is one of my favorite episodes ;). Of course I may have changed it up a little.
Chapter 8:
A week went by.
Yes. A week.
A week since their last encounter with InuYasha. A week since Sesshomaru...
Rin still couldn't look at him the same way again. If she could even risk looking at him.
Despite him never even saying a word towards her, like those bandits had.
She knew she was revealed nonetheless. Even if the only part of her he was concerned about was her ribs, which had healed fine the last few days.
He hadn't broken anything, just the imprint of his hold on her.
Sesshomaru had been silent ever since. Once she had returned his kimono to him, they continued on like nothing had ever happened.
Of course Jaken was extra suspicious when the two had returned from the river. Both silent and dodgy towards one another.
Although, when he tried to question about it, Sesshomaru just glared at him, warning him not to ask about it, and keep his distance from Rin until he said so.
Now, Sesshomaru had left them once again to be on his own to do something. Only then was Jaken aloud to stay with her only to keep guard.
Rin had still followed after him, nonetheless. Despite everything, she still didn't like him keeping secrets.
"Rin. When Lord Sesshomaru tells us to stay where we are. We don't question him." Jaken complained as they had been walking for the last hour.
'You may not question him, but I do." Rin said roughly, 'Every day.'
It was the truth.
After a while, she had finally found him, but kept her distance, and kept hidden to where she knew he couldn't catch her scent.
He was standing a few feet away from them, his back turned to them, immensely focused on something.
Rin risked a couple moves closer, until she got a better look at what he was facing.
"Hm? Is Sesshomaru talking to a... Tree?" Rin asked quietly in pure confusion.
Jaken perked up beside her, "Oh. That is Bokuseno. A tree demon. I wonder what Sesshomaru wants with him?"
Rin tuned Jaken out after that, focusing back on the other two demons.
After a few minutes, she managed to be able to pick up on what they were saying.
"InuYasha. Your brother, the half-breed, cannot transform as to that of a full-blooded demon. It is not in their nature." The tree said in a testing voice.
"When I saw him, he was no longer a half-demon. He only had demon blood flowing through his body. There was almost no humanity left in him." Sesshomaru explained.
"Hmm. It is as I thought then. He cannot transform, because every time he does, he is losing his most tainted side, that which makes him human. You said the event occurred as an act of self-defense. If he continues to do this, it won't be self-defense anymore. It will be pure blood-lust. He won't even know who he is." The tree demon finished its explanation.
'Kagome...' Rin thought to herself.
As if she had said it aloud, Sesshomaru suddenly turned to her.
Rin didn't even deny that she had been hiding, standing from the bushes.
It stay silent between them again, like it had always been before.
'What had happened to InuYasha while I was away so long? Is this why Sesshomaru was keeping me away? Why though?'
Sesshomaru slowly walked towards her, before walking by her without a word.
Sesshomaru observed Rin that night, when they had stopped for rest.
He was growing tired of this silence between them.
What used to be Rin disagreeing and talking back to just about everything he said, was now silent and desolate.
It occurred ever since he'd saved her from those bandits that had found her in the forest.
An overwhelming new emotion overcame him that day. Of course it has always been there, dormant within him ever since he met her.
He suddenly didn't want any other being in this realm to have any affiliation with her, whatsoever.
The feeling had hit him the same way on the day Rin had stopped him from going after InuYasha.
She was protecting them, and he usually had no problem cutting down those who got in his way.
Rin had affected him somehow.
And when she finally had the opportunity to be free, to actually go back with Kagome waiting for her. He had stopped her.
He wasn't keeping her captive, he simply wanted her for himself.
Ever since that day she was found in his presence.
And many times when he had given her the choice, she had chosen to stay, and it only made him that much more protective.
"Lord Sesshomaru!" Jaken called for the hundredth time, "Where did you go?"
"Jaken. You know he can't fit down there, right?" Rin glanced over at the toad demon, who was looking under a small rock where a small hole was.
"Quiet Rin! Lord Sesshomaru never leaves without taking me with him! But ever since you've arrived, he's left me to babysit." Jaken said.
"You know I'm not stopping you from just going after him, right?" Rin said, almost glaring at the toad demon.
"Wait a minute. Yesterday when Sesshomaru was talking with Bokuseno, they were talking about InuYasha. Has he gone to test the tree's words?" Jaken asked himself, completely ignoring Rin's words.
Rin let out a sigh, "Wow. You finally figured it out."
Jaken stiffened, before turning to her, "You knew?!"
"Uh, yes? You would have too if you had listened to him when he tells us he's leaving." Rin sighed, she wasn't in the mood to put up with this toad's dumbness.
Jaken observed her, obvious unhappy aura, "You knew, and you didn't go after him?"
"Why would I? It's not like I'm supposed to look out for him or anything." Rin suddenly stood, deciding it best to get away from the escalating situation.
"Where are you going now?" Jaken asked.
"To get some food. Where else?" Rin sighed.
Jaken watched after her, 'What's gotten into her? She has been avoiding Lord Sesshomaru ever since he retrieved Tokijin. Did something happen between them when Lord Sesshomaru sent me away that day? Of course not! Why would one even think Lord Sesshomaru had even the slightest possibility of developing feelings for a mere mortal? It... It just couldn't be!'
"InuYasha. Come at me. I wish to test your strength in such form." Sesshomaru spoke.
He could sense his brother's drastic change from miles away, and when he had finally arrived, he was astonished as to what he'd seen.
Before, Sesshomaru could sense he had converted to his demon form to protect. His main targer was that of Goshinki.
The second time, Sesshomaru brought out the inflictions to see what he would be up against.
Now, there was absolutely nothing humane about him. After InuYasha had taken out the demon, he had gone for the bandits from the village next.
Humans.
Not even InuYasha's most loyal ally, Kagome could reach him.
Once again, Sesshomaru used Tokijin as his defense weapon, which always seemed eager to take on InuYasha.
However uncoordinated InuYasha might have appeared, it didn't stop his animosity.
He was miraculously able to deflect the sword, but not before it had already done its damage.
Nothing seemed to faze his newly formed brother, but Sesshomaru still had one last technique to use.
When InuYasha was up and ready for his next attack, he made one final lunge.
'Your blood may change when you're transformed like this, but you're still just a half demon.' Sesshomaru said, even if he wasn't listening, "And a half-breed should act like one. On your knees."
At the nick of time, his now glowing sword met with the oncoming demon, stopping him in place like its own personal barrier.
InuYasha still tried to fight back against the overpowering attack, and even through the glow, Sesshomaru could see his red eyes slowly fading.
This allowed the sword's true power to finally get the best of the demon, finally repelling him, sending him flying back a few feet.
The injured demon didn't get back up, and Sesshomaru could sense his brother's demon blood simmering down.
"InuYasha cannot transform because every time he does, he is losing his most tainted side, that which makes him human. Which is why he was destined for the Tetsaiga. A sword of protection. It doesn't just protect around humans, but InuYasha himself."
"Stop! Please stop!" Kagome finally came forward, dropping next to InuYasha's unconscious form.
She had dreaded something like this would happen before, but Rin had come.
Now she wasn't here, and Sesshomaru was ready to kill, all if he had to?
He slowly continued his approach to them.
"Don't come any closer!" Kagome warned, although she was weapon-less at the moment, but if Sesshomaru wanted to continue, he'd have to take her first!
"If you wish him to stop. Use the Tetsaiga to reverse the transformation." Sesshomaru informed the tear-stained priestess.
"Huh?" Her defensive state suddenly faded into surprise at the words.
Then, Miroku and Sango were also coming to their friends' aid, standing between them and Sesshomaru.
"I have brought him down. I am ure you are capable of doing the rest." Sesshomaru spoke, before turning to leave.
"Wait!" Miroku demanded, "With a sword like yours, you could have easily killed him, yet somehow you minimized its power. Why?"
Sesshomaru turned back to them, "Don't underestimate my intentions. I will kill him eventually. However, I will not do it when he isn't even himself. It would be pointless."
Without explaining further, he turned to leave again.
Rin was sitting at the river, staring at her calm reflection in the water.
However, her gaze hardened when she heard the familiar soft footsteps approaching her from behind.
"I know you did not just stay here all day. Jaken told me where you were." Sesshomaru announced his arrival.
Rin glared into the water, as if it held his reflection, "So, you didn't kill him."
"When will you learn to stay out of things that don't concern you." Sesshomaru questioned.
"Hmm." Was all she managed, refusing to answer.
"You will face me when you speak." Sesshomaru said in his demanding voice.
Rin slowly stood from her spot, before turning to face him.
He was closer than she thought, only a couple inches away.
"When you stop being so secretive, and lying to me. You expect me to sit around while you go and torment my friends?" Rin asked.
"If you haven't noticed, I most likely saved your friends' life." Sesshomaru said, his voice calm but venomous.
"Why though? I'm sure if I weren't here to be whatever I am to you, you'd probably do far worst. Tell me, what am I to you? Don't just tell me that I'm not nothing, that's not good enough. I was fine with InuYasha's group before, and I'd still be okay with the now. They only want to protect me, so why are you... hm-!"
She was cut off from her rant when he suddenly took one step forward, his hand digging into her hair, and crushed his lips to hers.
