"How could you? I trusted you, and you bring him here?"

"Rin, calm down; he can help."

"That's just it! He can't help. Don't you get it?" Rin was so worried about Sesshomaru bringing his father, she forgot about her wounds, and began arguing with him.

"Rin, just stop it," he growled.

"And what should I do instead? Dance? Clap? Cheer?" she groaned as her pain caught up with her.

"You should calm down so we can save you from here," he repeated for what seemed to be the hundredth time.

They fight like they're married, Inu no Taisho mused silently as he watched them argue.

"Father, what do you have in mind for this?" Sesshomaru asked, turning away from Rin.

"Well, first, let her drink this," he said handing Rin a bottle containing what looked like water. "I can try to buy you like I bought Inuyasha's friend."

Rin swallowed some of the water before shooting down his idea. "I'm no servant. He won't sell me, not to you anyways," she added the last part as an afterthought.

"Then we'll just have to sneak you away. You said Naraku won't be up here for days, correct?"

"Yes, but-" Sesshomaru held up his hand to stop here from protesting, and his father continued.

"Sesshomaru, you, Rin, Inuyasha, Kagome, and Jaken will leave in the middle of the night and return home. If it is overrun, you will grab what is needed, and stay in the woods. Izayoi and myself will remain to keep up appearances, and shall leave three days from now."

"I can't travel the way I am, you guys go ahead and save yourselves," Rin argued.

"You. Are. Coming. With. Me. Am. I. Clear?" Sesshomaru said slowly, losing his patience.

"No. You're. Not. Clear." Rin said mocking his tone. "How. Am. I. Supposed. To. Travel?"

Inu no Taisho laughed to himself at the scene. She's as stubborn as he is.

"You're leaving with me and that's final," he said staring her straight in the eyes.

"I can't. I won't."

"I'm not giving you a choice."

"I'll just trouble you."

"The only way you're troubling me is by trying to argue about it." Rin sighed, knowing she was defeated.

"Then it's settled. You will have to leave late tomorrow night, so I will allow the children to sleep as long as they can, that way you won't have to camp out too early. I will have the bags prepared before your takeoff. Does that sound alright?"

It was the only plan available, so it had to be alright, but he was actually attempting to break the staring contest that had formed between his son and the hidden princess. Though both had listened to him, they refused to look away from each other. "Sesshomaru, perhaps it is time for us to leave. We need to prepare. Rin, Izayoi and I will also prepare your bag so there is nothing for you to worry about."

Rin shook her head in confusion. "Wait, I understand that she's your wife," she began, ignoring Sesshomaru's snort of annoyance, "but how do I know I can trust her?"

"I assure you, Rin, she can be trusted. Inuyasha will be with you, and she would never do anything that could potentially harm him. Besides, she is also a human woman," Inu no Taisho explained, also ignoring his son's snort, "so she could be a bigger help than I could with both yours and Kagome's bag."

"What do we have to lose, right?" she sighed.

"Our lives?" Sesshomaru offered.

"Come, Sesshomaru, the sun will be rising soon, and we need to act like everything is normal." They began to exit when Inu no Taisho stopped. "Oh, and Rin, finish up that water I gave you earlier, it'll help you feel better." Sesshomaru side glanced at his father as he pointed at the forgotten bottle beside Rin, but said nothing, and the two left.

"Sesshomaru," Inu no Taisho called softly.

"Yes, Father?"

He looked as if he was about to say something, but lost his nerve. "Are you almost ready to leave?"

"Yes," Sesshomaru answered, not addressing his father's behavior, but instead asking a question of his own. "Are Inuyasha and that servant child aware of the plan?"

"No," he said shaking his head, "And, at the moment, I prefer it that way. I told them that something came up, and they were headed back to the castle without Izayoi and me." Inu no Taisho paused and looked at his oldest son with sadness in his eyes. "Son, when me and Izayoi die, I need you to protect Inuyasha and Kagome."

"Father, you intend to fight?"

"Yes," he answered without the slightest hesitation. Sesshomaru's eyes widened a fraction. "Are you truly that surprised, Sesshomaru?"

"I suppose not. I will protect them," he vowed. "Why isn't your woman leaving?" he asked, believing it was the human way to run in the face of danger.

"Couldn't you call her Izayoi just once?" he requested with the sadness still in his eyes. "Just to me?"

Sesshomaru frowned, not use to seeing that emotion in his father's eyes. For years he had hated that woman, and even considered her very name a curse. However with one look in the golden eyes of his father, he swallowed his pride. "Why isn't Izayoi leaving?"

His father smiled, but it was still a sad smile. "Thank you, son." Sesshomaru didn't verbally respond, but nodded his head. "Izayoi will not leave my side. She knows that she will probably die, but she still won't leave," he frowned. "I asked her to think of Inuyasha, but she said that he will be safer with you than her, and she won't leave me here alone. One of my greatest hopes is that you will find a woman like that when you marry."

Inu no Taisho held out his hand to his son, and Sesshomaru quickly clasped hands with his father, and shook. Removing his hand first, Inu no Taisho wrapped his arms around him in a hug, and gave him a small kiss on the forehead. "Thank you so much, Sesshomaru."

Uncomfortable in the melancholic atmosphere, Sesshomaru nodded. "It's almost time to leave. Should I go get Rin?" Inu no Taisho looked sadder than Sesshomaru could ever remember when he merely nodded his head.

"It's time to leave." Rin stated more than asked.

"Yes."

"Are you sure this is such a good idea? Maybe you all should leave without me so-"

"Stop it. We have already had this discussion," he glared as he grabbed her, and led her silently out of the tower, and to where his family stood.

"Goodbye, my dear," Izayoi said hugging Inuyasha as tears streamed down her face.

"Don't cry, mother," he said struggling to get out of her grasp. Finally escaping, he wiped away her tears. "We'll all be together again soon."

"Is everything ready?" Sesshomaru asked before Izayoi break down.

"Oh, yes," she said standing and dabbing her eyes. "You must be Rin," she smiled as she pulled Rin into a hug. "Thank you," she whispered lightly in her ear.

"Thank you, I mean, for risking everything-"

Releasing her, Izayoi cupped her face. "You have helped us more than you could ever know."

"Lord Sesshomaru, are we seriously going to travel with two humans and a half-breed?" Jaken asked lowly so only his master could hear him.

"You will hold your tongue, Jaken," Sesshomaru said giving him a cold glare.

"Ah, yes, milord. So sorry, please forgive me." Sesshomaru didn't answer him, but watched as Izayoi told Rin what all she had packed, and thanking her over and over again.

"Sesshomaru, Rin, it's almost time for you to leave. Could I speak to you for a moment?" Rin shared a troubled look with Sesshomaru, who had kept his face blank, before they walked over to meet him.

Once they were distanced far enough from the others, Inu no Taisho spoke. "I just wanted to go over the plan once more," he quietly.

"We are to sneak over to the castle, grab what we require, and if it is occupied with Naraku or Koga's men, hide in the forest until it is safe," Sesshomaru frowned, not liking the cowardice of the plan, but he made a vow to his father, and he intended to keep it.

"That is correct, and take care of Inuyasha and Kagome," he added.

"Oh, don't worry, sir. They will be well taken care of," she smiled.

"I don't doubt it," he said returning her smile, but like his earlier smiles, it, too, was sad.

"When will we be meeting up?" she asked, oblivious to the end of their plan.

"We, probably, will not," Inu no Taisho frowned. Sesshomaru watched as her smile began to fade.

"I'm confused, I thought you and Lady Izayoi are planning to leave in three days, shouldn't we have a rendezvous point?"

"My dear, Izayoi and myself do not believe we will make it to three days," he said keeping his voice level.

"Sesshomaru?" she said turning to the demon next to her. "What's going on?" He looked down at her and frowned.

"My father and Izayoi plan to distract Naraku, as we leave."

Rin's eyes began to bulge with tears as she turned back to Inu no Taisho. "You're going to die?" she asked, hoping she was mistaken.

"It seems that way," he answered softly.

"But why? You don't have to! Please, leave, forget any of you ever met me, please, save yourselves," she said as more and more tears escaped her eyes. "I'm not afraid of Naraku, I can handle him while you go."

"It's not that simple, my dear. I am ready to meet my fate, as is Izayoi."

"But it's not necessary, I'm not worth all this trouble. Really, I promise, I'm not. Please reconsider, I-"

"Rin," Sesshomaru said stopping her. "You cannot change his mind anymore than you can change the weather."

"But, if you won't leave me behind, then come with us. You can-"

"Rin, if I left, I wouldn't be a very good distraction," Inu no Taisho tried reasoning.

"But, it's just not necessary. You have Inuyasha and Sesshomaru and now Kagome, they need you. No one needs me. Nobody will even notice when I'm gone. You and Izayoi have a family, and, and, and-" Rin began to cry harder.

Sesshomaru glanced at the guilt-stricken woman beside him, and then to his father, who eyes held a look of anguish. In an attempt to rationalize with Rin, Sesshomaru began to speak.

"Rin."

She didn't respond.

"Rin."

Again, she stayed still.

"Rin, look at me," he ordered lightly, but with enough force that she obeyed. "You are asking my Father to do something would shame him." She didn't speak, but cocked her head to the side in confusion. "Asking him to let a human replace him in death; it would disgrace his name."

"Why?" she muttered, her tears slowing. "Why can't it be honorable to want to live rather than die?"

"It is our way," he replied calmly.

"You, you cannot be okay with this, this madness," she said looking at him with disbelieving eyes.

"I am. It is my Father's choice, and I will not fight him on it."

"Do not worry, my dear," Inu no Taisho said trying to calm her.

"I don't want anymore blood on my hands," she sniffled. Sesshomaru wasn't sure what she was referring to, but decided it would be best not to question her on it.

"There won't be; it will be on Naraku's," he said clearly.

"But, if hadn't been so stupid, and watched your carriage that day, you would be fine," she cried.

"Naraku doesn't know anyone has seen you. I'm certain he was planning on killing us the moment he invited us here. So do not worry, all will be well," he said placing a hand on her shoulder. "Now you must be on your way."

As Kagome and Inuyasha gave their last goodbyes to Inu no Taisho and Izayoi, Sesshomaru hung behind with Rin, who was still sniffling. Izayoi gave a small wave in their direction, and Rin forced a minor smile, and even Sesshomaru gave a short nod to his Father's woman.

Once the goodbyes were over, the odd party of demon, humans, and one in between, started down the path toward the Western lands. Sesshomaru glanced down to Rin, who was looking over her shoulder. Nonchalantly, he too, looked behind him, and frowned.

Inu no Taisho had Izayoi in a gentle embrace, and had let a single tear slip down his fallen face.


Let's be honest, I attempted to make it sad, but I'm not so sure I pulled it off. I actually wrote this a month ago, while I was feeling down, but waited until I finished my other chapter in another story, but I still haven't finished it, so I figured "What the Hell" and posted this anyways.

I could totally see Sesshomaru calling Izayoi by her name, even if only in his Father's presence, especially knowing he was going to die, and was saving someone Sesshomaru was forming a connection with. I don't know. I think it's kind of a 50 50 shot. I could also see Rin begging for Inu no Taisho and Izayoi to save themselves rather than her. But then again maybe you can't. It's a 50 50 shot.

I would enjoy a review, even if it is telling me that I should never attempt sadness again, though I'm not quite so sure it was that bad.