I have some very exciting news for you guys!
I'm done with my job for the summer and have another month before school starts, so that means I get all the time in the world I want to write! YAY!
This doesn't mean multiple chapters per week though, sorry TT-TT It just means that without a doubt for the next month, every Saturday will have an update =) I may start experimenting with Friday releases again, but it may mess up my writing timeline. Not sure! I have each day of the week scheduled to develop some part of the story, though don't always stick to it, hahaha.
*happy dance*
Vocab lesson for this chapter (not much this time!):
yukata – light cotton robe that is similar to kimono but is worn in summer (silk would be so hot after a while!)
zori – cheaper, lighter, thin sandals that are made in part out of wood or straw
inuyoukai – dog demon
As always, I do not own these characters! They are the great invention of Rumiko Takahashi. (Well I guess I own Daitokage and Takahiro and whoever else I decide to create, but whatever.)
I hope you enjoy the chapter!
"Oh, do forgive me Rin-chan! Was I interrupting something?"
"What are you doing here?" Rin said sharply, her stance widening as she adjusted the knife in her hand.
"I came for you, milady."
Rin cringed at the sound of the word which slid from his mouth like a snake. Takahiro grinned broadly at her reaction, his canines shining brightly in the reflected moonlight.
"Who is that?" Yuushin whispered from her side.
"Nobody."
"Nobody? I'm insulted! We do have a past, you know," he said with a sly grin. Rin flexed her fingers once more around the silver handle of the blade.
"What are you doing with that dagger of yours? Do you really think a toy like that could hurt me? It is not at all polite of you to use weapons against Sesshomaru's guests. Besides," Takahiro said, tilting his head to one side, "do you really want to take the chance of hurting your little friend there?"
Rin looked puzzled, her eyebrows crossed in confusion. Turning to look at Yuushin, however, she saw what Takahiro had meant. Electric yellow and acid green eyes stared at them from every direction. Rin saw the hunger in every look. Her hands began to shake and feral growls began to rumble, low and menacing. Quiet as death, a pack of at least ten wolves had surrounded them, each licking their muzzles as they stared at the two humans before them.
"Now, hand that to me."
Trembling at the sight of so many wolves, Rin tossed the blade to him, not caring if he cut himself catching it.
"There's a good girl," Takahiro said with a snicker as he tucked it into his belt.
Rin glared furiously at the dog demon before her, willing herself to be stronger than she felt. "What do you want with me, Takahiro?"
Takahiro ignored her question. "You have been here for such a brief stay, yet already you are speaking like a commoner. How insubordinate, not even using a honorific," he drawled lazily. "You really must be more polite. Now, come here, Lady Rin, and we shall begin our journey."
"Journey? To where?"
"That is for you to find out, dear Rin. With the slightest word, I could have his throat torn to shreds in seconds," he said, gesturing to Yuushin. "If you want to him live, be obedient and come with me." As confirmation of this statement, the wolves around Yuushin began snapping their jaws in playful malice at his ankles.
Looking to Yuushin, Rin saw the shadow of terror in his eyes. She was surprised but proud though to see that he had set his face in steadfast resolution, apparently trying his best not to let the fear seep into his actions.
"She's not going anywhere with you," Yuushin said stiffly, now stepping in front of Rin, his arms spread wide like a shield.
At this, Takahiro let out a barking laugh. "Do you really think that you're a match for my wolves, much less me? Do you even know what I am, you insolent little whelp? I am an inuyoukai with power you could never even begin to dream of." Takahiro flexed his deadly claws, his eyes turning a molten red.
"I don't care who or what you are. If you lay a single hand on Rin–"
"You'll what? Kill me, you pathetic human?" Takahiro snickered.
It was at this moment that one of the wolves, apparently far too tempted by the prey in front of his snout, lost control and bit deep into Yuushin's exposed leg. Yuushin collapsed to the ground with a gasp of pain, clutching his leg from which blood now oozed from teeth marks.
"Stop!" Rin cried, seeing Yuushin writhing on the ground in agony. "I… I will come with you… as long as you promise Yuushin will be safe."
"No, Rin." Yuushin grimaced as he tried to staunch the bleeding. "There's no need."
"Trust me," Rin said with a weak smile. "I'll be fine."
"Very well," Takahiro said. "That's a good girl, come with me."
Rin walked slowly to Takahiro's side, looking to Yuushin as she approached the red-eyed dog demon. Takahiro grabbed her wrist and twisted as he pulled her back into the depths of the forest. The wolves began whimpering and howling, seemingly calling to Takahiro.
"Fine, fine," Takahiro said with a sigh. "He's all yours. You can do what you like with him."
Rin's eyes widened in terror. Suddenly, the air was filled with Yuushin's screams and the growling rage of the wolves. Rin screamed, clawing at Takahiro's wrist to let her free.
"Yuushin!" she screamed over and over again. "Yuushin!"
Rin felt two fingers on her neck before everything went black.
(¯`*•.¸,¤°´-`°¤,¸.•*´¯)
Sesshomaru dashed above mountains and forests, Jaken clinging for his life to his lord's white fur pelt which spread out behind him like a cloud. He could hear the imp's cries from behind him, terrified of the altitude, but paid him no attention.
Ever since the night of the dream, Sesshomaru had poured relentlessly over his father's old journals and reports, searching for an answer to the wolves' silence. They were not known for their placability or acquiescence to others' rules, and yet he had heard nothing of them since their last meeting. The absolute silence disturbed Sesshomaru. However, the old scrolls proved to be of no avail. Grudgingly, Sesshomaru had resolved to go to one of the few people still alive on this earth who would know the true details of such matters.
Sesshomaru landed on the stone steps with a gentle thud and Jaken immediately fell from Sesshomaru's pelt, collapsing gratefully to the ground.
"Ah, Sesshomaru-san," his mother cooed upon sight of her son. "How nice it is for you to take time to visit me. Quiet out of character, though." She smiled and laid her head to rest upon her hand. "And the little youkai has accompanied you," she said as she looked at the kappa demon who was now scrambling to right himself on solid ground
"I have come out of business," Sesshomaru said as he bowed to his mother who remained in her throne.
"Ah, I should have known," his mother sighed in apparent dejection. "You never come to check on your poor mother. You completely lack your father's charm… Well, what is it that you need? Has little human Rin run off with another human or something? I warned you that you couldn't keep her around forever without reason."
Sesshomaru's eyes flashed before he could control the reaction and he knew his mother must have seen it. "Ah, I've hit the bulls eye, haven't I!" she said gleefully. "Now this should be of some interest!" She sat up in her throne, her curiosity apparently piqued.
"I have come to you about matters concerning the wolves," Sesshomaru replied composedly.
Sesshomaru's mother made a small noise of disappointment as she rose from her chair. "What could you possibly want with those dreadful creatures? You know I have such a distaste for them…"
"As do I. What did father say of his treaty with their leader?"
"Nothing of interest. Just typical business after conquering such mongrels," Sesshomaru's mother replied lazily as she walked slowly towards her son. "What, have your negotiations with them been going poorly?"
The smallest look of surprise must have crossed Sesshomaru's face at these words for his mother said, "Do not look so shocked that I know of your business. You are not the only source of information I have to the outside world."
"For several months now they have been in compliance with my orders to respect father's boundaries without a treaty."
"Strange enough," his mother said thoughtfully. "And you have done nothing to quell their appetite?"
Sesshomaru remained silent.
"There is no other way to keep them so quiet unless they are biding their time for something much, much larger."
Sesshomaru bowed as he turned to leave, Jaken like a magnet at his side repeating his thanks to "Sesshomaru-sama's most honorable mother."
Sesshomaru did not give any word of farewell as he took to the air, Jaken clutching the pelt in desperation as they once more soared through the skies.
(¯`*•.¸,¤°´-`°¤,¸.•*´¯)
Blood.
Blood everywhere.
Rin spun about, frantically searching for something that wasn't drenched in the revolting substance. The trees soaked it in, growing taller from their new source of food as they towered over her. Her family stood before her, slowly being devoured by the darkness of the long shadows which the trees cast. They smiled at her, beckoning to come forth. The moment Rin took one step towards them, though, they began to collapse. One by one, she saw her mother slaughtered, her father, her two elder brothers fall to the ground, lifeless as blood poured from the knife wounds made by unseen thieves.
Rin opened her mouth wide, so terribly vast to scream, but no sound came from her lips. Tears poured down her cheeks as she scrambled through the darkness, gasping for air. Again and again she forced the air from her lungs, but still no sound escaped. As she ran, the people of her village turned their backs to her. She tugged on their robes, begging for help. Finally, a woman turned towards Rin. The girl dropped to the ground in abject horror when she saw that she had no face. Rin turned back to the crowds of people who now stared directly at her with faces as pale and empty as untouched canvas.
Then, one by one, they too fell as the wolves of fire moved in. The trees of blood were now alight with the hungry blaze, smoke spreading like a plague above the horizon. Rin was dashing towards the small forest which had been left untouched by the chaos when huge, heavy paws knocked her to the ground. This wolf was not of fire but brown with bright red eyes. She cried Sesshomaru's name in her head, but no one came. The teeth were upon her neck, and then everything was black once more.
Yet, light began to seep into her vision. Opening her eyes from the terrible nightmare, Rin saw that there was a dim glow on the rocky walls surrounding her. The ground was cold, damp stone. The chill pervaded Rin, seeping through her skin and freezing her muscles. She shivered and pulled her cotton yukata closer around her.
The room she was in was made completely of rock and only about ten feet at its widest. It was completely barren except for a fur pelt which she quickly pulled around herself as she huddled, still shaking from the cold. She knew she must be in the wolves' caves.
Taking the torch in hand, Rin thoroughly searched the room, looking for any means of escape. She saw the iron socket installed for the torch and immediately tugged at it, but it wouldn't come loose. There was a doorway, but it was completely blocked by a boulder through which no light escaped.
"Sealed shut…" she murmured to herself. Touching the rock, she pushed at every point to see if the only opening to her cell might budge at all. Nothing.
Becoming desperate, Rin called for help at the top of her lungs, banging on the boulder which kept her from the outside world. Within moments she stopped. She knew it was all futile. No sound seemed to escape her new chamber, for everything was as silent as it had been before. She could hear no stirring of life whatsoever, not even the soft buzzing of a solitary fly.
Rin walked to the back corner of her room now desolate. Everything was yet too fresh to cry, so she simply sat and let her mind go blank.
Rin didn't know how much time passed before a harsh scraping sound was heard and the boulder was rolled away from the entrance. She jumped to her feet, preparing to make a mad dash for the door when Takahiro entered, an amused smile contorting his lips.
"Going to try to run, I see? I wouldn't try it. Though you might not know it, it's well into the afternoon and these caves are teeming with hungry wolves. Although I understand your importance, they might not grasp that before they've devoured several of your limbs."
Rin gritted her teeth as best as she could and put on a fierce glare, though her teeth ruined the effect from their chattering. "Why am I h-here? What have y-you done to Y-Yuushin?!" She channeled all the ice she could muster into these words.
"Your friend? Oh, I don't know," Takahiro replied with a careless wave of his hand. "He may be finished by now. I let the wolves have him."
Suddenly the dreams came back to her and the terrible sounds of Yuushin's screams filled her ears. Rin sank to the ground in shock.
"Speaking of which, I really did not think it in your personality to abandon your love for Sesshomaru so quickly, especially for a human as pathetic as that," Takahiro continued. "Then again, perhaps his love for you was greater than your love for him." Takahiro smirked when he saw Rin's eyes widen in surprise. "What, did you doubt his feelings for his dear human ward? No, in fact that was why I was at the castle in the first place. To watch, to observe."
Rin was taken aback. "You've been in league with the wolves all this time… haven't you?"
"Why yes, dear Rin-chan. Well, not all this time. There was once a time when I dedicated every ounce of loyalty to the inuyoukai like my father did, but that was when I was much more naïve. I know now that I can gain no power from them. Only my father was foolish enough to believe in such nonsense, and in the end it did no good for him. So instead, I decided to fight for my own power. The only question was how to go about it. There are only two clans who were willing to challenge Sesshomaru. The wolves hold a grudge and the bears only want power, so it was easy enough to negotiate between them.
(A/N: In case anyone here didn't know, if a paragraph ends and there's no closing quote, but there's an opening quote in the next paragraph, that means it's the same person talking. Breaking it up like this just keeps it from being a huge block of text.)
"From there, however, I had to make myself known to Sesshomaru, to become his ally. Gaining his trust was no small task, let me assure you. However, my father's position as general of one of the old armies simplified such a task immeasurably. Having to trail along, simpering and acquiescing to his every wish. It was sickening. Ah, but I need not tell you such details; you've done it for so many years."
Rin balled her hands into fists, trying herself to keep calm. She needed to listen, to think, to find a way out of this. Above all else, she needed a clear, focused mind. "W-why me, though?" Rin asked, her teeth still chattering.
Takahiro began to pace, fingering her dagger which was still attached to his belt. "It did not begin with you. However, after watching Sesshomaru around you, the opportunity simply presented itself. The very first night I met you at dinner, I wish you could have seen how hard he was trying to restrain himself, though I know your senses are far too dull to discern that. He hardly breathed once! How amusing it was to see him so agitated, Sesshomaru the man of stone and reason, so entranced by a human. A human! To hear him speak of your kind then see him around you is quite amusing."
"So… you weren't a-after me?"
Takahiro stared at her for a moment then barked with laughter. "You? Really, Sesshomaru has made you think you are of much more worth than you actually are, hasn't he? No, while you may be considered fair by your race, I myself have much higher standards. Nevertheless, it was obvious that Sesshomaru cared for you more than I believe he will admit even to himself… You did throw a considerable twist in my plans when you decided to take off. When I caught word that you had escaped to only God knows where, I thought all might be lost. There was no way to draw Sesshomaru out if we didn't have you. But, you did leave us a clue."
From inside his robes, Takahiro drew a small, wooden object.
"My comb…" Rin whispered, amazed.
"You so carelessly left it here after Sesshomaru's 'political' visit. Did you know that the wolf lord proposed that you mate with his son? Ha! What I would have given to see the look on his face after that! It was then that we knew you were the key to everything, that if we had you, we had Sesshomaru under our control. The way he's so protective of you, it's quite fascinating. We had heard tales of attachment to you, but to see it with one's own eyes is something else in itself."
Takahiro twirled the comb in his hand, passing it from finger to finger. "Now, while you may hold this comb and smell lavender, any half decent youkai holds this comb and smells you. It was simple enough after that, finding you."
Rin's eyes went blank, her head drooping to her knees. "What are you going to do to me now?"
"Oh, he will come. And after we kill him, we'll take what territory we want and let the rest fight it out."
"You can't defeat Sesshomaru. He won't come after me. He wouldn't after I left, and he won't now."
"Rin-chan, haven't you been listening? I think you underestimate him. Do not be so simple minded about such matters. All we need is a simple message sent to him, and he'll come. But, that will all come in good time. You look stunned," he said, walking to Rin's side. "A woman of such reputed beauty needs her rest, doesn't she?" He dragged a claw against Rin's cheek which she quickly pushed away. "My, my, still a little sensitive, are we? Well, I'll let you be for now," Takahiro said with a wink as he exited the room.
The instant Takahiro left her cell, Rin reexamined her surroundings, still disheartened to find there was nothing of use. Looking at herself, Rin felt to see if there was anything she could possibly use. She was wearing only her thin yukata and under-robe and wasn't carrying a single tool on her. Rin rubbed her hair in frustration, a habit she had picked up from Yuushin, searching desperately for an answer. She went through each lesson with Daitokage to see if there was some glimmer of hope in this forlorn prison.
Rin was about to sacrifice herself to the darkness or despair when she felt the edge of a small piece of metal tangled in her hair. Tugging at it, Rin saw that it was Keiko's pin. Her eyes widened in surprise. She turned the pin over in her hand, feeling its smooth, rounded surface. As it was, the pin was useless. Still…
Spurred by the hope of an idea, Rin dashed about the room once more, feeling the surrounding rock. Rin was overjoyed to find that most of it was rough, full of jagged edges and sharp points.
Taking the beautiful pin in her hands, she scraped one end along the rock repeatedly and felt it with her thumb. She nearly cried tears of joy to find the edge of the pin no longer perfectly round, rough with scratches. Rin repeated this task over and over again until she had one side of the pin no longer smooth but jagged.
Rin wouldn't die here. She would escape.
(¯`*•.¸,¤°´-`°¤,¸.•*´¯)
The cell was excruciating for Rin had no clue how much time passed or what time it was on the outside. The torch went out after the first evening, leaving everything in darkness and even colder than before. Rin woke each time from dreamless dozing coughing and her chest now felt full.
Two times, what seemed like a day, the boulder was rolled aside and several pieces of rotting meat with a stone bowl of water were cast into her new prison. The first time she heard food hit the floor she rushed to it, immediately cramming a piece into her mouth. She spat it out the instant it hit her tongue. Looking at it, Rin saw that the meat was raw and stank of decay. She tossed the small portion to a corner of the room where the nauseating scent hung in the air for days. After meat had been tossed into her cell four times and nothing else was offered, Rin could hardly make herself toss it aside. Yet, she had to remind herself of the lessons Kagome had taught her about the dangers of eating raw or rotten meat and how violent sick it could make humans.
In her waking hours, Rin worked with the pin against the rock frantically but quietly, fearing that the scraping noise might catch the wolves' attention. Though her voice had not seemed to pass through the rock walls, it was strange what demons did hear. By now, the once round and smooth beautiful hair ornament had been worked into a mildly sharp point. She dragged the end along her finger and could feel no blood being drawn. She sighed. What she wished for more than anything now was her beautiful dagger, so pristine in its refined deadliness.
The work calmed her and kept her from thoughts of Yuushin and the remembrance of his terrible screams. Each time the memory of the blood spilling from his wounds came forth she pushed it farther and farther back until her mind was completely empty. If she ever wanted to see him again if he was alive, she had to escape first.
On what Rin could only estimate to be the third or fourth day, her boulder slid open once more. Expecting it to be her food, she tucked the pin back into her hair and crawled into the corner, hoping the meat would land directly in the pile with the other rotting pieces so she wouldn't have to touch it. Rin was surprised, however, to see that it was Takahiro who stepped through, glowing brilliantly with a new torch in hand. Entering her cell, he set it in the iron socket of the wall, extending his other hand at the same time. Rin's mouth watered at the sight of the small bowl of white rice from which swirls of steam still spiraled. She rose from the corner, stumbling as she did so. She hadn't stood upright in days and now she felt faint from the exertion.
"It reeks in here." Looking to the corner, he saw the source of the stench and snapped his fingers. Immediately, a scrawny omega wolf dashed into the room and gathered the meat in his hands, taking it from the room. Rin noticed that he was small and even meager looking. Not once did he cast his eyes towards her as he snatched the meat and left the room. She supposed that this must be the guard to her room.
"You'll have to forgive them, Rin-chan. They have no taste for good food, and I know that must be hard on you having grown up with Sesshomaru's lovely chefs. This is the only edible thing I could procure for you, so forgive me."
He leaned close to her and extended his hand with the rice bowl. It took all Rin's will power to restrain herself from snatching the bowl from his hands and shoving the rice into her face at once.
"No?" Takahiro said. When Rin didn't respond, he simply put it at her feet.
"You really have to eat, you know. I can't have you die on me. You're of no use if you're a corpse."
Rin gritted her teeth. "When are you going to use me for your plan?"
"All in good time, little Rin-chan," Takahiro said as he left her alone once again and the boulder closed her inside once more.
As she ate the rice as slowly as she could make herself, savoring each grain, Rin resolved that the next time the boulder was slid aside, she would make her escape. With the energy from the pittance of a meal, she would be free, Sesshomaru or not.
(¯`*•.¸,¤°´-`°¤,¸.•*´¯)
Rin noticed in previous days that the boulder which closed was always slid open to the right, so Rin accordingly waited in the farthest right corner she could squeeze herself into by the entrance. As she dozed, she held her fashioned shiv tightly, awaiting the moment of her next "meal." Time seemed to move at a crawl and Rin questioned if there would ever be more rotting meat for her.
Then, just as she was about to tuck the pin back in her hair, there were the familiar sounds of the scraping which always accompanied the rolling of the rock. A clawed hand reached inside, holding meat about to toss it when Rin slid from the shadows and plunged the weapon through his hand as she pounced on the wolf, covering his mouth with her sleeve. The feral scream was muffled in the cotton fabric and Rin wasted no time in slamming his head hard against the rocky ground beneath his head. Rin winced at the sickening crack.
"I'm sorry," she whispered to the unconscious ear of the wolf as she rose to her feet and dashed down the dimly lit maze of corridors, working her way up the stony passages. Stray rocks along the paths bit into her feet like thick knives. Rin wished she had her zori and torch, but she knew they would attract far too much attention with the clacking and the bright light in the dark caves.
Rin stumbled and tripped through the narrow passageways, but still there seemed to be no end in sight. Not an inkling of daylight signaled the entrance of the cave. Rin began to panic. There was no way that they wouldn't have noticed the unconscious guard by now, much less her complete absence.
Suddenly, Rin heard a mixture of voices and growls from farther up her passageway. She flattened herself against the wall before filling her lungs with as much air as she could hold.
"What a fantastic dinner!"
"It's not often we get such large stags."
"What are you guys talkin' 'bout? By the time I got there, you guys had finished off the lot!"
Rin willed herself not to breathe, but she could feel her face purpling from the lack of oxygen. Slowly, she let the air whoosh from her mouth and sucked in a small breath, just enough to keep her going.
Suddenly, the three voices stopped.
"Did you hear that?"
"Hear what, mate?"
"Never mind the sound, do you smell it? Smells amazing…"
"Is that… human?"
Rin knew they were coming to get her. Carefully, she began moving back down the passageway, hoping to find a branching corridor when her left foot brushed a pebble as she was moving down causing it to clatter across the rocky ground. Rin's eyes widened in terror.
"A human! It's in the caves!"
A mad chorus of barking followed this exclamation and Rin could hear the glee in their growls as they changed into wolves. Rin dashed down the steps, praying that at least Takahiro would come to her rescue. As she made a sharp turn, Rin missed a step and tumbled down a flight of stone stairs, stopping with a crash at the bottom of a fork between two passageways. Before she could get up, her pursuers were on her.
Two heavy paws landed hard on her chest, punching all the wind from her lungs in a sudden gush of air. She winced from their weight. Large yellow eyes stared down into hers.
"Gotcha," the wolf growled in pleasure.
Teeth bared deep into her shoulder and Rin cried out in pain. It was as if she could feel each fiber of her muscles snapping loose as the wolves began ripping at her piece by piece. Rin shook and screamed, fighting with all her might to push the demons from her. This was her nightmare, yet she couldn't make herself wake up. She tried to think comfortingly that if she did indeed die from this, at least they would lose their chance to destroy Sesshomaru.
Slowly, the weight seemed to lift from her body. Rin supposed this was how this death felt. In her experience, each one death felt different. When the wolves killed her before, death had been reluctant, a desperate clinging to life. On the other hand, when the demons from the underworld had taken her a second time, death was a sudden release out of surprise. But this time, death was a gentle lifting of pain. Rin waited for the impending darkness to come, but it never did.
Suddenly, the whimpers of wolves filled the air. Rin opened her eyes to find Takahiro towering over her, anger etched on every line of his face as he tossed the wolves one by one against the stone walls.
"You fools," he growled. "This is not your human to have!"
He picked what had seemed to be the leader of the group by the scruff of his neck. Pulling Rin's dagger from his belt, he slit the wolf's throat and cast the now lifeless body aside.
"Come," Takahiro commanded tersely. Rin tried to raise herself but found her legs wouldn't support her weight. Takahiro grabbed Rin's hair impatiently his blood-soaked hand. "You are nearly more trouble than you're worth."
Takahiro pulled her comb from the folds of his robe once more. Rin looked down at her wounds in the dim light. She nearly passed out from the sight of so much blood pouring from her skin. Every inch of her arms had turned a sickly dark red.
Takahiro grasped her wrist firmly and turned it over, letting the blood drip to the floor. Rin winced as he did so, trying futilely to free her arm. Takahiro seemed indifferent to her attempts. Rin watched in disgust as he held the comb underneath the trickle of blood until the wood was a swollen dark red.
"I think it's time we sent a message to dear Sesshomaru-sama."
Please review if you have the time and/or chance! I love to hear what you guys think.
I'm so sorry that there was so little Sesshomaru again, but for sure next chapter will contain a lot more! I thought that there would be more of his perspective when I was planning this chapter out, but once I got writing, I found that the planned version didn't move at quite the right speed… so yeah .
This is really turning into more of an "Action/Romance" story than a "Drama/Romance" one. Should I change the category?
Nearly 150 reviews?! Oh my gosh… I am so stunned! I never in my wildest dreams expected such a positive response to this story! I'm so happy I could burst… Thank you so much to all of you who have taken the time to review or at least add it to stories that you're following! I really can't thank the readers enough. Like my friend and I were discussing, it is the readers who give the writers on FanFiction the encouragement they need to carry on with their stories! Again, thank you guys so very much! You can never know how much this all means to me TT-TT
To the reviewers of the previous chapter:
jellyfish'confetti – Of course I read your review! I always do ;D haha. His name is Takahiro, and perhaps he didn't try to rape her, from the looks of this chapter =P I'm so glad that you think the characters fit! I definitely wanted to introduce some new voices, but I really didn't want to go over the top and have just my own characters in addition to Rin and Sesshomaru. Awww, thank you so much for reading my story! And thank you even more for reviewing! I love hearing what you have to say =)
LEGNA – I love banana bread! Do you have a special recipe for it? Hahaha yeah… I definitely never want to go too "lemon-y" with this story. . I mean, sure, maybe Sesshomaru's dreams are more intense, but I'm not sure I could ever write the details, haha. Besides, I think the cleaner scenes can be far more intense than explicit ones, and I'm really glad you liked that part. I want Yuushin to be some serious competition for Sesshomaru, not just some random guy I get to throw away when the chapter is done, or even worse, a guy who turns out to be bad. I feel as if he deserves to be a true character rather than just some "la-de-da" guy, you know? Haha I'm glad you didn't forget about Takahiro! I don't think he would like it much if you would have =P There was no way he could be absent from the story much longer, is there? I'm so so happy that you're enjoying the story! I hope you're doing wonderfully as well =) Thank you so much for your review!
Taria Robotnik – I think you'll be saying that even more so now after this chapter! Thank you very much for taking the time to review!
irise15 – Aww I'm so glad you think so! I am terribly slow at writing chapters such as the previous one in which there's lots of character development. Thank you so much for reviewing!
chrysanthemum-nhu – You'll just have to wait and see! I'm glad that you think it's a legitimate choice between Yuushin and Sesshomaru, though. He deserves a fighting chance too! =) Thank you very much for your review!
kataang1996 – Thank you for thinking that it was an awesome chapter! You know what? I actually like him too, in an odd way. Even though he's pretty cruel and manipulative, he's a lot of fun to write. He's one of those villains with personality. Yuushin is very cute! He's also enjoyable to write, though in a different sense. Thank you so much for taking the time to review! I know your schedule is really jam packed lately .
SapphireEyesInTheSky – Thank you so much for telling me so! I'm always terribly worried about pacing, and it's very hard for me to be able to look at the story from a distance and feel if it's going smoothly or not. Haha sorry that I can't get it out faster! I may be updating on Fridays sometimes, but I'm not sure yet =) I hope this chapter was satisfying then! Thank you very much for your review!
littlemomo-chan – Haha sorry! I don't usually do heavy cliffhangers like that, but I really couldn't resist on this chapter! Don't eat my soul! Haha thank you for reviewing! It made me laugh a lot =)
SoraLover987142 – I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Thank you so much for your review =) Have a good weekend!
Zaphi Nashii – That makes me so happy to hear that you're loving the story! Haha I feel that's how Sesshomaru would react to having to deal with such feelings: more like obsession as he's trying to repress it all. Haha thank you! In a way, I don't like how Yuushin is so classic, but I really think that's the kind of person Rin would deserve. Is Yuushin too stereotypical in your opinion? Thank you so much for taking the time to review!
Shaira – Hahaha I'm sorry that it was a cliffhanger! I promise not to do that too much =) I'm also sorry that you had to wait until Saturday for the update! Don't worry about the caps lock! It doesn't bother me at all =) Haha I hope you enjoyed this chapter as much (even if it is rather sad)! Thank you very very much for reviewing!
icegirljenni – You got to cheat a little bit as you knew what was going to happen! ;P Was it still surprising anyway? I'm glad that you like the description! I was hoping it wasn't too convoluted or hard to understand… Have pity on Sesshomaru! I understand if you don't want to yet though ;D We'll make sure by the end, you'll want him and Rin to be together! There's no way it's not going to happen! =P I think with Rin it is more like she's trying so hard to move on, she has to force herself to not miss her old life, otherwise she'll never be able to move on. You'll see more in later chapters :D Indeed the romance has to be put aside right now, for it's going to be high action! (And about time… the action is so much fun to write!) We'll have to find out! Thank you so much for your review as always Jenni =)
Ari – Haha I hoped that most people had forgotten about Takahiro after getting caught up in the Yuushin/Sesshomaru/Rin action! Thank you so much for reviewing!
S plus R lols – Don't you wish you could take back your words about Yuushin and Rin now? Hahaha Don't destroy Yuushin! He's sweet =) I think I'll have to back you up on the Takahiro part, though, haha. LOL! Your reviews always make me laugh so much =) Go as crazy as you want! It makes me so happy to see that you enjoy the story this much! Haha sorry that I haven't been able to check out your story yet! I have it open in the next tab in my web browser and will be reading it as soon as I submit this chapter! I'm sure I'll love it =) I hope the update was to your satisfaction! Thank you so much for reviewing like always =)
silentcanary – I feel the exact same way! As much as I like Yuushin… there's no real way I could ever give up Sesshomaru. Aw… thank you so much for the compliments! Well, now it's kind of hard as she's no longer able to relax in the village… I totally agree with you about dreams reflecting our true desires, especially in Sesshomaru's case. I think he's starting to realize though… eventually as you said hahaha. Thank you so much for your review!
Hossyboy – I'm sorry for the cliffhanger! I promise it's not typical of me =) I know! Sesshomaru really needs to go after her! Thank you so much for your compliments and review!
Kaya147 – I'm glad you think so! I hope you enjoyed this chapter as well =) Thank you very much for your review!
BellaKouno – How ironic is this! I've been reading your story, "A Thousand Summers," and have absolutely loved it! I'll make sure to leave a review and let you know. It's great to see that an author whose story I'm enjoying is reading mine! Sesshomaru is rather attractive when he's angry, isn't he! Thank you so much for reviewing!
Superblueowl – Rin and Sesshomaru will have a very interesting story in the end, especially when Yuushin is factored into the equation =) I guess you'll have to keep reading and find out! Haha =) Thank you so much for your review!
Medelie - Thank you so much! I'm flattered anyway, haha. Compliments such as yours always make me blush… It's great to hear what you think of my style as well as the story! Thank you very much for reviewing!
TheAnimeGirl – I hope I didn't trouble you too much! I'm very glad to hear that you like the chapter though =) Thank you for so much for your review!