***Author's Note***
Good Afternoon, dear readers! I know, it's been a while. I'm sorry. I've been suffering from writer's block! Thanks to my dear Rin Taiso, that is no longer the case! The credit for this chapter is hers entirely, as it was her idea. Thanks, Rin! Enjoy, my friends.
***End Note***
As Rin and Ayame's feet touched the ground, Ayame did not hesitate. She lurched to the right, sprinting straight for her beloved Kouga. The wolf saw her coming and rushed to meet her, striking out at the demons that closed on them from all sides. Sesshomaru nodded to Rin and began to move towards her, but found his path blocked by a madly grinning Noru, "Where do you think you're going, my Lord," the smaller youkai sneered, "We're not done here." Sesshomaru paused, watching Noru with extreme distaste in his eyes.
Sesshomaru's lip curled in disgust, "Is that so, mutt?" Lifting his hand, Sesshomaru studied the nails of his right hand as though they were the most interesting thing he had ever seen, "Well, I suppose if you insist...You area disgrace to your race, so...I suppose I can be the one who puts you down." As he spoke, an evil grimace spread across Sesshomaru's face as his voice lowered to a growl and his face slowly elongated and his skin slowly turned to fur. Noru laughed and began to transform as well.
Rin set her jaw and made to dash around Moshiro, towards her beloved mate, but Moshiro was faster. Faster than the beat of a hummingbird's wings, he brought his hands up and pointed them at Rin, the knife that was still embedded in his shoulder shifting and sending new streams of blood down Moshiro's back. Shadows from all over the room converged and flung themselves at her. Rin's eyes went wide as she saw the wall of darkness hurtling at her; she would have screamed, but the moment the shadows struck her, the breath was sucked from her lungs. It was as though she had landed chest-first in the water after plunging from a high cliff. Rin's eyes watered as she gasped desperately for air, even as she began to crawl away from the now-advancing Moshiro.
The shadow-demon's eyes were far beyond madness as an insane cackle burst from his lips, "Did you think you could defeat me so easily, Rin!? Clever trick, that...Pretending that Ayame was your lover. Very clever. I would have figured it out eventually, though; you're not exactly a good actor. I knew you hated me from the very beginning. I figured you'd try to kill me eventually – I should have known you had forsaken your mate too easily. I will never believe a word you say again. However...You did swear an oath to me." Moshiro smiled nastily, "And I fully plan to make you uphold that oath. You belong to me now. All other bets are off. You are mine, to do with as I please." Rin felt a thrill of fear at the gleeful look in the shadow-demon's eyes. Moshiro giggled, "Oh, we are going to have so much fun! I gave you the chance to stand by my side and rule over everything! And how do you repay me? You spit in my eye and betray me! This calls for a most special kind of punishment."
From across the room, Sesshomaru roared with rage and fear as a great shadowy dome raised itself around Moshiro and Rin, cutting them off from the others even as Sesshomaru knocked Noru to the side and lunged at the semi-translucent barrier. He made contact, and for a second it seemed that he might break through, but suddenly – like an accordion – he crumpled against the barrier as it flickered and ultimately held. Moshiro laughed madly, keeping eye contact with the furious youkai as he wound shadowy chains round Rin, lifting her in the air and keeping her still. Sesshomaru growled deep in his throat as Moshiro slowly advanced on the captive Rin
"You see? No one escapes me, if I do not desire them to. Now, you will watch and see what becomes of those who cross me. You are going to watch, Sesshomaru, and know that there is nothing you can do to help her." Moshiro smiled, "Oh, the sweet scent of fear. Who knew that the fear of a pure demon would be even more wonderful than that of your half-breed brother? I'll be sure to savor this, then." Moshiro reached with one hand and grasped the dagger that was still lodged in his shoulder, yanking it free with a sharp tug, smiling with ecstasy as the knife tore free of his flesh and muscle. All at once, his expression softened into one of breathless expectation, as though it were his wedding night, and he were finally alone with his bride. Holding the now-dislodged and dripping knife carefully by the handle, Moshiro watched as beads of black blood dripped off of the blade and splattered on the floor. He glanced back at Rin with a lover-like expression for a moment before flicking his hand forward, the blade still in his hand.
Rin flinched, expecting the sharp bite of the dagger, but it never came. Opening her eyes, she saw that the blade had never left Moshiro's hand. Glancing down, she saw that a long line of blood-droplets had landed on her skin and what there was of her kimono. For a moment, she began to smile and taunt the shadow-demon, but as she opened her mouth to insult him, an odd stench caught her nostrils: t was the smell of burning clothing. Glancing down again, she saw that where Moshiro's blood had touched her clothes, the clothing was being slowly eaten away, leaving behind smoking gaps, exposing more of her skin. Rin paled and shook her head desperately, "No. No, didn't...Didn't I serve you well? Didn't I do all that you asked?"
Moshiro giggled his high-pitched, mad giggle, "Yes, yes. All but one. You never did let me see...more of you, did you?"
Rin struggled feebly against the shadow-chains, "But..But we had a deal."
Moshiro grinned hugely, "Did we? No, I don't think we did. I saw something I could use for my advantage, entertainment, and...pleasure. That is all." Rin cringed and began to struggle again as Moshiro drew his hand back again, sending more blood droplets at Rin. Again and again he repeated the movement; each time leaving more and more skin exposed until at last, his blood landed on bare skin. Rin bucked as soon as she felt the liquid on her skin. The scent of burning flesh soon wafted throughout the hall. As the acidic fluid began to eat away at the first layer of her skin, Rin thrashed madly, refusing to allow a single sound to escape her lips. Moshiro narrowed her eyes at her stubbornness and repeated the movement three more times; still, she made no sound. "So. We have a difficult one, do we," came Moshiro's voice in a soft, cheerful whisper. "No matter." Moshiro plunged the knife back into the wound it had made in his shoulder only to draw it out again, fresh blood staining the blade. "Let us see if you remain silent after this," sneered the demon. Moshiro sauntered close to Rin, drawing a finger across her bare belly and up towards her breasts, eliciting a furious snarl from Sesshoamru. Smiling, Moshiro addressed the youkai, "Oh, if you think you want me dead now, just wait until the next act." With that comment, Moshiro took the freshly-stained blade and smeared the blood across Rin's bare stomach, laughing as she bucked madly, writhing with terrible pain. At last, a terrible, rending scream was torn from Rin's lips, reverberating through the hall and drawing many conflicts to a halt. Rin's friends and mate stared in horror as the acid ate through her skin and began to sink into her muscle. The deeper the poison went, the louder Rin screamed and the wilder Sesshomaru's eyes became.
At last, it seemed that the youkai could no longer contain his emotions in the body of the wolf and reverted to his human form, beating his body against the shadow barrier again and again until Inuysaha hurried to his side and grasped him firmly, "You'll do her no good if you kill yourself on that thing," Inuyasha whispered in his brother's ear, "We've got to be smarter than he is. We'll get her out, okay?" Sesshomaru slowly calmed before finally he nodded and began to pace the circumference of the dome.
At last, inside the dome, Moshiro's poison was beginning to fade away. "Ah," sighed the demon, "That was a lovely appetizer. Now, I think we'll move on to the main course, don't you, Rin?" Rin's eyes went wide with fear and pain as the shadow-demon drove his fist into the wound caused by the acid, drawing another cry of pain from her. Smiling nastily, Moshiro whispered sensuously to her, "Now...I think I will treat you to something that I save for those who have either failed me utterly or betrayed me in an unforgivable way..." Raising his right hand, Moshiro drew the shadows around the hand until they formed a sharp, angular blade, "Believe me, my dearest Rin. The previous demonstration of my power is nothing compared to what you are about to experience."
Slowly, Moshrio drew the shadow-blade across Rin's chest, leaving a long, shallow cut where it passed. As Rin's skin parted before the blade, the shadows began to slowly sink into the wound as tiny veins of black began to spread from the wound throughout her body. Her body bowed suddenly back so sharply that Inuyasha feared she may snap her spine, a look of blind, horrified pain on her face. As the veins reached Rin's eyes, it seemed like black ink began to seep into her eyes, slowly dying them black. The moment that all color had vanished from Rin's eyes, she sagged suddenly for a moment before another scream, more terrible than any sound that had come from her before, burst from her, tearing her throat and bursting blood vessels in her eyes. It felt like her blood was boiling. Just when Rin felt she could take no more, the small amount of light she could see through the shadows faded and she knew no more, though it seemed to her that there was a voice calling to her. She wished she could answer, but she had not the strength.
***Author's Note***
No worries, no worries. Rin's White Knight (as it were) will be coming very, very soon. I almost feel sorry for Moshiro once it does...Almost. Hope you all liked the chapter! There will be another soon! Thanks for reading; lots of love!
- Lady Darkwind