Author's Note: I do not own Inuyasha or anything affiliated with it. The rights to it belong solely to their respective owners.

Notice: Man, you all liked that last cliffhanger, huh? Glad to see you my writing was able to generate such positive reviews, and I hope you guys like this chapter as well. So without further ado, let me introduce it along with the latest replies.

Greymon Leader batx Flashpoint: Well, Yume's certainly not dead. (Doubt I'd kill my own main OC). But rest assured, she's feeling that Wind Scar.

PrincessAnime08: Yes, she did. And this is part of the fallout.

Gry18: Thanks, it was meant to be surprising. And relax, if Yume uses Dragon's Roar it'll be a simple exhale of fire.

Elfen Children: No, Yume will not be an addition to Sesshomaru's group. Instead, she'll be staying with Inuyasha and the others. Although the fact that Wolf Demons attack Rin will have an impact on her.

Carlisle Fan 22: Thank you for the kind words. And rest assured, Yume will be fine.

Burbur: I'm glad as well.

Cutepuppy01: The answers to your questions will be shown in this chapter, and I'm glad you liked the intensity.

And Mickol93: Well, the next part of SotCM would be the events of Kasasagi Town. However for that to occur Kagura will have had to make her debut. So to answer your question, the next part related to the game will come after the trio of episodes that introduce her and Kanna.

And now, let it begin!

Ch.14 Rin

I don't know how long I was unconscious. All I could feel around me was pure and utter darkness, not even able to see my nose, much less past it. And there was no sound either- such an endless orchestra of maddening silence. I tried to move but found that I was unable. I tried harder, wanting to escape this cold darkness that surrounded me. But it was only when I successfully moved that it felt something else: pain. Innumerable lashes of pain covered my entire body, feeling like it had been crushed, sliced apart and burnt to ash all at once- despite my immunity to fire. It could have been hours or days until I finally awoke. Either way, when I did it was to someone shaking my shoulder. "Yume," he voice said. I grunted. I knew that voice…

Slowly I cracked open my eyes to see Sesshomaru kneeling front of me. He was looking worse for wear as well. Half of his armor was completely gone, his hair was tangled and the normally immaculate clothing was covered with tears and spots of dirt. I opened my mouth to speak, but stopped when even my face muscles began screaming in protest. So I settled for a simple groan and slumped back against… a tree? Yeah, a tree. Now that I looked, we were in some forest I failed to recognize, and it looked to be about morning. Then I blinked, and saw that Sesshomaru was still looking at me. "Are you able to understand me? Nod if you can," he said.

I did, hearing several vertebrae pop as I did. God, how long was it out? Sesshomaru let out a small sigh of relief. "That is good," he said, but then his expression turned serious. "That was an incredibly foolish thing that you did, putting yourself in front of the Wind Scar. What were you thinking?" he asked, his expression showing extreme irritation. However, his eyes also had a small amount of… was that worry? I was silent, trying to think of something to say. I really hadn't been thinking when I took the hit for him. Well, I had been thinking, but not coherently. All I could see in my mind was Sesshomaru being torn apart, and how much I did not want that to happen.

While I struggled to put these thoughts into words, Sesshomaru sighed and stood straight. "Well, I suppose an interrogation would be useless until you've managed to regain the ability to speak," he theorized. Then I realized that he was right and looked away, embarrassed. He looked around; looking at the various plants in the area and trying to remember which ones were meant for healing. His specialty lied in combat, politics and the tasks of being a lord. However, his mother had been adamant about him learning something else- if for no other reason than to balance his skills out. So he had tried to learn basic herbalism, and had a degree of success. Now though, it was a struggle to remember what each herb looked like and what they did. 'Especially since most of those remedies were meant for Dog Demons, not Phoenixes,' he added mentally.

With another sigh he looked back at me and pulled Tenseiga from his waist, placing it next to me. My face must have shown my confusion, as he said "If the Tenseiga protected you before, it will be able to do so again, I believe. In the meantime, I will go and look for anything to hasten our recovery." I nodded and he inclined his head before leaving. Once Sesshomaru was gone I looked down at myself, trying to take stock of my injuries. Since I had only a half-demon's endurance and I had taken the brunt of the Wind Scar, it stood to reason that my injuries were greater.

All of the ribs on my right side were broken, they thankfully the breaks had been clean and nothing was pierced. My left leg was also broken in two places, and when I tried to move my wings I could feel that the bones in my left one had been fractured. My right arm was also dislocated. My back felt like someone had a little too much fun with a whip against it. To top it off, my clothing was ripped up and showed numerous cuts and varying depths all along my entire body. I groaned. Damn, I should have expected something like this. Hell, the Wind Scar was supposed to kill a hundred in one swing. It was a miracle that I was even alive.

So wrapped up in my thoughts was I that didn't even hear the rustling of grass and bushes. It was only when I saw a flash of brown that I whipped my head to the side, channeling some of my power so that my eyes glowed orange. I heard a gasp and looked, seeing a little girl hiding behind a tree. From what I could see that brown was her eyes, which went with black hair and fair skin. The hair was unkempt and reached her waist. She had bangs, but the right side was put up in a small ponytail jutting out in the front. She was wearing a tattered red kosode and she was also covered in dirt and scratches. I sniffed the air and could tell that she was human, not a demon in disguise. With that I release my power and my eyes returned to normal. It was still a struggle to speak, but I managed to say "Who are you?"

The girl came out from behind the tree at that, but didn't respond. Slowly she walked closer. Though her gaze was unusually cautious for a child, I could see still that she was fascinated by my red hair and wings. I managed to chuckle, asking "What, never seen red hair before?" She shook her head at that, not responding verbally again. I raised an eyebrow. "What's your name?" I questioned. In reply she grabbed a stick that was on the ground and wrote a pair of kanji in the dirt. Reading it, I said "Rin? Is that your name?" She nodded and smiled. The smile was of such warmth that I couldn't help but smile back. I opened my mouth to ask her another question- where she lived, when suddenly I heard another rustling in the bushes. Rin went stiff as a board as her expression became one of fear.

She shot to her feet and scampered off faster than I could call out to her. I tried to raise my arm after her, but then I remembered that I was dislocated. Turning to glare at whoever interrupted us, that glare faded when I saw that it was Sesshomaru. Said demon lord raised an eyebrow at the glare, and sniffed. "Yume, why do I smell the scent of a human in this area now?" he asked. My cheeks colored in embarrassment and looked away. Discreetly taking a glance back at him, I saw that he had a set of plants in one hand. At that I blushed; so he had actually gone out and gathered herbs so I could get better. Knowing that I felt like it was only fair that I be honest, so I said "Just a regular girl. She said her name was 'Rin'," I told him. Sesshomaru nodded at my response and walked closer, kneeling down.

"Now, do not move and I will be able to apply these herb quickly. A word of warning: they will sting," he said, channeling a quick burst of demonic energy and dissolving the herbs into paste. I nodded and held still while he treated my wounds.

Later that night I was resting against the tree with Sesshomaru copying me, only against the tree opposite of me. A small part of me was mildly disappointed that he hadn't chosen to sleep next to me, but then rest of was focused and getting better and resting. We were both interrupted by the arrival of Rin, who I had sensed was hiding. She moved just a timidly as before, despite m attempts to break the ice. Then again, this was the first time she had seen Sesshomaru. He regarded her impassively, asking "What is it that you want?" I sent him a small glare and smiled at the girl. "Hello, Rin. Are you doing well?" I asked. Rin smiled slightly and nodded. It was then that I noticed a bundle of food in her hands. There was a bamboo container for water, along with a leaf that had a small collection of mushrooms and fish on it.

My eyes widened and I looked up at her face. "Did you gather that food… for me?" I asked. When she nodded I smiled hugely and, had I not been unable to stand, I would have hugged her. "Thank you, Rin. That's very kind of you," said. Rin smiled and place the bundle on the ground where I could reach. Picking up a mushroom, I hesitated only for a moment to examine the fact that it surprisingly well-cooked before popping it in. The moment I did I held back a moan of satisfaction; normally I wasn't the person for mushrooms, but these were good. I looked over at Rin and noticed that she was wringing her hands and looking at the ground, darting up to look at me. Guessing what she wanted, I truthfully said "It takes wonderful, Rin."

Rin gasped slightly at the before smiling that same infectious grin. Then she turned to Sesshomaru, who she had also set out some food for. Only to find that he hadn't even touched it. He simply gaze ahead. "Don't bother; it's useless. I don't eat human food," he told her. Rin blinked at that, before looking at me and then the food. Sesshomaru saw it and closed his eyes. "Go head," he told her. She nodded and picked up his bundle of food, placing it next to mine. Now I was just too grateful to simply say it, and I raised my good arm to pat her head. She tensed reflexively, but relaxed when I simply patted her. "Thank you for the food and water, Rin. You didn't have to do that and yet you did. I'm very grateful," I said. Rin's smile grew even wider, and she bowed before running off.

Once she was gone Sesshomaru grunted. "For some reason, I never imagined you as skilled with children," he stated, not trying to sound insulting. He was merely making an observation. I smiled. "You've never seen me and Shippo interact, then," I replied. Sesshomaru blinked in confusion until the clicked. "The young fox demon?" he asked, and I nodded. "Yes. Ever since shortly after we met him, he'd begun calling me 'Mom'. And I, in turn, have considered Shippo a son," I revealed. Sesshomaru's expression showed visible surprise at that, not having expected something such as that. Then he quickly schooled himself, and said "I… see." I giggled at that. No matter how much of a formal person Sesshomaru may have been, he could still be surprised by things.

While we were talking, Rin was standing in a pond in a nearby village, trying to catch a fish with her hands. Suddenly she heard shouting behind her and turned to see several villagers there, all of them carrying torches and angered expressions. "So you're the one stealing from the preserve, Rin!" one of them yelled. She didn't speak and they surrounded her, kicking and punching. Luckily they went no further, but Rin didn't make a single sound as they beat. She merely lied there, silent and submissive. Once they were through with her, her kosode was even more dirty and tattered than before, with bruises adorning her body and one eye shout, already blackening. Finally, the one who had shouted before picked her up by the collar. "If you try stealing from the preserve again, this'll get even worse!" he warned.

But Rin was yet still silent, to their fury. They released her and she dropped to the ground, but instead picked herself back up and began limping away. The villagers let her go, and one of them muttered "She's a strange one. Teaching her a lesson, and she won't even make a sound." Another sighed. "Can't be helped. Her parents and brothers were all murdered by bandits before her eyes. The experience left her traumatized, and rendered her mute," he explained. Several eyes widened at that, and they looked to see the injured form of Rin hobble away.

She wasn't seen again until the next morning, when she had stolen a set of vegetables and were bringing them to us. When she did Sesshomaru looked away, muttering "No thanks." I glared at him for being rude, but eventually ignored it in favor of smiling at Rin. "Thank you again, Rin. They look deli-" I started, but then I froze. Quickly I took in her even further dirtied appearance, her bruises and other injuries- especially the black eye. My mouth moved before my brain could stop it, and I blurted out "What the hell happened?!" Rin winced at that, bringing her hand up to her eye. After two days of recovery I had gathered enough strength to use my healing abilities, and brought Rin close to me with my now-healed arm. "Come here. I can take care of that," I said gently.

Rin looked at me, confused. I smiled down at her, saying "Just trust me." Rin stared at me, and I could see the indecision in her large brown. But I continued to smile softly, and eventually she nodded. I nodded back and placed my hand over her eye. I concentrated and my hand began glowing a milky white light. That light passed from my hand to Rin's face, and I could feel my energy begin to drain as the injuries were taken care of. I focused harden and the light began to spread, enveloping Rin's head, then her torso, arms and legs. I began breathing heavily from the effort. Despite having made use of my healing abilities before, this was the first time I had ever used it to heal every injury on someone's entire body.

When I was finally done I pulled back, and let Rin open both of her eyes. She looked down at herself and gasped, every cut or bruise completely gone, as if they had never existed. She looked up at me to see that I was still smiling. "There- all better now," I said. Rin stared at me and her lower lip began trembling. In fact, her whole body started to shake. My smile faded as I thought she was about to cry, but then Rin shot forward and wrapped her short arms around me. She didn't cry or even say anything, but I could feel it in how tightly she held on. I was initially surprised by the gesture, but then I regained my smile and hugged her back. For some reason, I just felt like this girl was someone I was supposed to care for.

And it was only fair. This girl could have gone and had somebody come and kill us, a pair of demons healing from injuries. But not only had she kept our existence a secret, but she had even tried to help. That level of kindness deserved to be reciprocated. I could feel Sesshomaru watching me with interest, my words about Shippo still fresh in his mind. But I let him and focused on Rin, who had yet to let go. Sesshomaru's mind was in a rather odd place, all of his thoughts revolved around me. Though rather than coherent thoughts, they were all half-formed or simply images. He remembered his anger when he had heard that Tenbatsu had tried to enslave me, his strange feelings whenever we separated. He also had an image of me holding and comforting Shippo, compared to the physical image of me and Rin. Then finally they was one more, one of me doing the same to a red haired infant with golden eyes… Wait. What?

Sesshomaru blinked and tried to clear his head. Where in heaven above had that come from? While he was trying to figure that out, Rin slowly let go of me and turned to leave. She waved back to me and Sesshomaru and I returned the gesture, while Sesshomaru merely nodded. Then she left and I turned to Sesshomaru. "Well, let's see if can stand now," I said. Sesshomaru nodded and stood, holing out his hand. I grasped- inwardly noting of the smoothness of his skin despite being a swordsman- and tried to stand. After two solid days of rest and recovery I stumbled, phantom pain shooting through my left leg. But Sesshomaru kept me from falling, and I managed to stay on my feet. Then I spread my wings, flapping them experimentally. To my joy there was no longer any pain, and I was about to fly away when I thought of something.

Now that we were healed it was time for us to leave. What the hell was I going to say about all this to Inuyasha and the others?

Rin was free of my sudden dilemma and in a rather good mood. Good enough, in fact, that she was literally skipping through the village on her way to her hut. The act got her some rather strange looks from the villagers, but she ignored them. She was used to such looks anyway. Though once she arrived at the ramshackle hut that was her home, she stopped when she heard noise inside. Notices that sounded like an adult male eating, and rather sloppily too. Rin poked her head through and saw that it indeed was an adult male, one clad in furs and armor with a scar over one closed eye. But he also had fangs rather than normal teeth and pointed ears. The stranger stopped once he heard her gasp, and turned around.

"Huh? This your hut, little girl?" he asked gruffly. Rin nodded fearfully, but then she heard several people screaming behind her. "WOLVES!" she heard shouted, over and over. The stranger suddenly snarled. "They caught up to me already?!" he yelled, shooting out of the hut and shoving Rin to the side. She fell over and saw that a quartet of larger than average wolves with brown fur raced past her at blurring speeds, chasing after the stranger. Rin ran the opposite direction but saw villagers being mauled by wolves. Blood spurted into the air as arties were torn part, limbs were pulled off, and teeth sank into flesh. Rin turned towards the woods and ran, while the rest of the wolves went after the stranger.

The man jumped into a river and tried to swim away, but then the wolves jumped in after him. They clamped their mouths onto him, and began dragging him back to the shore. Once they were on land a miniature tornado appeared in front of him. It dispersed into another man wearing fur and armor, but this one was significantly younger. "I finally found you, you thief," he said. Then he lunged forward and grabbed the older man by the head. "Now, you ready to give back that Sacred Jewel Shard you stole?" he asked. The stranger was literally shaking, and reached into his clothes. "A-All right. I won't run. Just please let me live," he begged. He pulled out a jewel Shard and placed it on the ground. The younger man picked it up and walked off, chuckling.

The older one gaped. "W-Wait? Does this mean you won't kill me?" he asked. The younger man stopped at that. In one swift motion he spun around, clawed nails glinting, and tore the man's throat open. The older man gasped and dropped to the ground. "That's right. I almost forgot about you," he said in way of reply. Then he flicked the blood off of his hands and turned the pack of wolves. "Alright, everything's done here. I'm going on ahead. You can stay in the village and eat as you like," he declared. The wolves looked at one another before scattering, most of them heading for the village.

Two of them caught a scent, however, and ran towards the woods.

Rin has been officially introduced, and now we also see the beginning of the events concerning the Wolf Demons. Hope you all liked the interaction between Rin and Yume, and know that there will be more action to come!

Please review! If you flame me Bruce Lee will smash you with his nunchaku. (I'm just kidding… or am I?)