Chapter 24

Rin sighed as she headed back to Cinderhallow. Grandma had inspected Midoriko's sword for a whole day but only been able to decode one of the symbols on the blade.

War.

It was not the answer Rin had hoped for but it was a start. Now all that was on her mind was a hot bath, a warm bed and to see Sess again. Three days away from him had left her longing for his touch, his lips and his…. Just thinking about him made her speed up a little more.

She parked behind the house and collected the blade, heading inside. "Sess! Sesshomaru I'm back! Wasted trip but I'm back!"

There wasn't a reply and Rin soon spotted a broken plate on the floor and it hadn't been dropped. This had been violently thrown against the wall in a fit of rage. There was more signs of destruction further in.

Holding the sword tight, she walked in. "Sesshomaru?" She called, checking around for him. "Sesshomaru, where are you?"

"O…over here Rin."

She let out a sigh as she hurried to his voice, finding him as he stood against the wall in the living room. "Sess! Sess, you scared me there." She sighed. "What happened? Were you attacked?"

"No… I… I did it myself." He mumbled, head turned away from her. "I was so angry… I'm sorry."

"Well as long as you aren't hurt. But why would you do this? Why would you… destroy all these things?"

He didn't reply, and didn't look at her, his eyes closed as he reached out for her, finding and pulling her in. "Rin… I'm so sorry."

"Sesshomaru… you're scaring me again." She confessed, hugging him tight. "What's going on?" He was trembling, out of anger… or fear? There was no way to know. But the comfort she normally got from him wasn't there this time. Instead there was a deep dread.

"Rin… I'm sorry. I'm sorry for everything. I never meant for this, I want nothing more than for you to remain oblivious to me. But… I can't now."

"Sess, you're scaring me. You're not making any sense. What happened?"

He sighed, still holding her tight. "Rin, I told you I left my family, my home… everything. But I didn't tell you why." He let out a deep breath. "When… when my father overlooked me for my brother, I was so angry that I ran away. That was when I was approached by this man… who… who offered me everything I wanted… power… the ability to have everything I wanted… to make my father pay for what he had done. And I was so blinded by anger that… I agreed. I accepted without thinking." He squeezed her tighter. "I didn't know. I didn't know what would happen."

"Sess."

"I'm the Wolf, Rin!" He shouted suddenly. "That… that thing I met… it was Naraku. He cursed me… gave me the power I wanted but… he had control over it. He told me what to do and beast obeyed. I was powerless to stop him. I'm sorry."

"W-why are you telling me this?"

"Naraku ordered me to kill you. I've managed to delay him for weeks now, saying I was trying to find your weakness but he's run out of patience. He… he came here while you were away and… and said that as soon as I look at you… I will turn and won't change back until I've killed you." As if to make sure, he squeezed his eyes tighter. "I won't do that Rin, I won't let him win. Which… which is why you have to kill me."

"What! No!"

"You have to. Not just for your own good but for everyone's. I'm a monster, a killer Rin."

"The Wolf is the killer. Not you. You protect people. You help save them."

"It doesn't change who I am." He whispered. "You are the only one that can do it."

"I won't kill you!"

His grip tightened on her before he let go and turned away. "I know you won't. So I'll find a way myself… because I would do anything to protect you. I love you too much to hurt you, Rin."

Tears in her eyes, Rin tried to speak but it wasn't until he walked out of the room that she was able to move at all, running after him. "No! Wait!"

She grabbed his arm, turning him around.

Their eyes met.

Sesshomaru frowned and staggered back, hand over his face but he knew it was too late. His heart beat quickened and a chill ran down his spine. He glanced at Rin as she stood horrified, backed up against the wall, watching as his golden eyes bled into pure black, his silver hair whipped up in an invisible wind, growing longer and filling in with the black night colour. His skin turned darker and his clothes burned away as the flames of hell ripped them away before binding him in iron chains, the tattoos of the prince twisting becoming the single wolf's head.

He screamed, falling to his knees as the transformation happened, unable to get the horrified look of the woman he loved as his mind was torn away.

And the Wolf took control.

He smirked, standing up from where the pain had sent him, the cold metal axe appearing in a ball of flames from his hand. "So…" He said calmly. "Red Hood finally learns the truth." He gave her a mocking bow. "Your prince, at your service."

"You bastard." She whispered, unable to take her eyes off him.

"Is that anyway to speak to the man you love?"

"You're not him! How could anyone ever love a monster like you!"

He staggered dramatically away and gripped his heart. "Oh Rin, you wound me so. Did you not just watch as I devoured your prince?" He stepped over to her, leaning close. "You gave your heart… your body and soul… to the creature that took the life of your family. You fell in love… with me, the beast you hate most of all." His fowl breath chuckled over her ear. "The poetic irony is more than even I could plan."

Somehow, Rin managed to drag herself out of the self-pity and pushed him away from her. "Don't come near me!" She snapped, pulling a small gun from her side. "And don't talk like you know him! You're not him!"

Arms spread wide, he grinned triumphantly. "Then shoot me. Go ahead. Kill me… here and now. I won't fight. Go on, pull the trigger Rin." He leant forward a little. "Go on!"

Her hand held steady for a bit but then began to shake, tears filling her eyes as she took aim. "I'll do it." She said to the Wolf.

"Go on then."

She pulled the safety down. "I will."

The Wolf smirked as he leant forward. "Go on then." He paused before frowning. "Get on with it!"

Rin jumped slightly as he shouted at her, finger on the trigger, pulling against it. Her eyes closed and dropped the weapon to the ground. "I… I can't. I just… can't." She broke, falling to her knees. "I can't."

Laughing in his victory, the Wolf went over and grabbed her hair, using it to make her look at him. "I knew you couldn't. You're too weak. Too sentimental." He smiled then punched her hard in the face with the end of his axe, sending her skidding across the floor and the debris of Sesshomaru's earlier rage. She started to push herself up but she was soon knocked down again, the Wolf's foot on her back. "You see Rin, you might not be able to hurt me… but I can certainly hurt you." He pressed her down onto the floor with his foot and lifted the axe above her head, planning to embed it into her back.

Rin didn't even try and move, her spirit to fight gone. She just waited for the final blow.

The axe came down.

And embedded itself in the wooded floor just above her shoulder.

Quickly, she looked back to see what had happened but the Wolf was retreating, holding his own arm with a look of pain on his face. His eyes went to hers. Gold looked back.

"Rin…" Sesshomaru's voice begged. "Rin… I… I don't know how long I can hold him." He doubled over suddenly. "You… you have to do it! You have to kill me now!"

She stared at him for a bit, pushing herself up and grabbed Midoriko's sword from where it had fallen. "Sesshomaru."

"Rin… please! I'm begging you!" He gasped, holding his chest. "Please!"

He's still in there…

Rin watched him fight off his demons for a moment longer but then turned and ran as fast as she could, getting into her car just as Sesshomaru lost his fight and the Wolf ran after her. She was already moving away by then, narrowly avoiding running him over as he raced to stop her.

"You can't escape Rin!" He shouted as the car reared on the pavement. "I will find you and I will kill you! You can't hide from me!"

In her car, Rin just glanced back as the tears finally fell.