Sesshomaru had once told Rin that love was useless, weak and pointless. But here he was: Fighting another man for her, knowing the outcome of this battle would decide her fate. The idea of being defeated didn't worry him, the slight possibility of dying didn't scare him, but the horrifying thought of losing Rin and his child terrified him and shattered him beneath his icy core. He clutched his chest where he could still feel Rin's warm sunlight and charged at Kohaku with all his might.

"Oh I can see the fire in your eyes today." Kohaku sneered as he evaded the attack. "I was afraid killing you would be too easy and unsatisfying."

Kohaku unsheathed his swords and advanced Sesshomaru, nearly landing a jab into his side. "Ah, but the injections did slow your movements. I guess this will be too easy."

"Do not compare me to your last victims." He growled as he picked up a barrel and threw it at Kohaku, sending him flying into the back wall of the garage.

Kohaku chuckled as he pushed the barrel off himself with his swords and stood. "Come now, you and I have the same motives when killing. Destroy the weak, the vile, the ones that" he chuckled "…stand in our way." He used agile speed and ran towards Sesshomaru, swinging his sword at him and grazing his chest as he jumped back a second too late.

Sesshomaru looked down at the slow dripping blood staining his white clothes. He launched his poison claws at Kohaku and managed to slice the side of his neck open.

Kohaku hissed in pain and held his fist to his neck, sword still in hand. Sesshomaru decided to take advantage of his momentary weakness and swiftly advanced him, landing a rough punch to his face.

He could feel Kohaku's cheekbone crack beneath his knuckle and a slight sense of satisfaction inched through him, but it wasn't enough. He needed to end this quickly and find Rin.

Kohaku fell to the ground and his swords slid to the opposite end of the garage. He got up without hesitation and spit blood onto the ground.

"I want to see how you fight unarmed."

Kohaku growled angrily and ran in Sesshomaru's direction. "So it's a test of brute strength is it?" He asked as he came towards him, ready to deliver a kick.

"No." Sesshomaru said simply as he stopped Kohaku's foot with his hand and pushed him onto the ground. "This is not a battle of brute strength. You are still wielding a weapon—that demonic energy you've stolen."

"I suppose it is a weapon. But it is all you demons should be. Mere energy. Humans should rule this earth and you shall only lurk when summoned." Kohaku pulled a bomb out of his pocket and threw it at Sesshomaru. " You should lie in the dirt beneath my feet!" He shouted as he tossed the bomb.

Sesshomaru's calm, yet challenging stare turned to a ferocious, enraged glare. He slashed the bomb in half and dove his hand into Kohaku's throat. "I do not have time for your magic tricks!" He said between his teeth.

"There are...no rules...in a fight to the death." He forced out as he reached his hand into his back pocket and pulled out a knife.

Kohaku used all his strength and stabbed Sesshomaru in his arm, causing him to pull his hand back from his neck.

Kohaku jumped back and began to breathe heavily. While the demonic energy was making his body stronger, he was still human and the poison was beginning to get to him.

He looked up at Sesshomaru, who stood there calmly, holding his bloody arm and clenching his fist. It infuriated Kohaku that the fight wasn't weakening Sesshomaru as quickly. It was time to kick it up a notch. He wanted to see more blood, but he wasn't the only one.

Sesshomaru watched Kohaku's blood stream down his neck and the side of his mouth. He wanted him to bleed, twitch and beg for mercy.

Sesshomaru's eyes turned red as his demonic aura filled the room. He healed his wounds with sheer will and readied his claws to attack again.

Kohaku began to smirk as his eyes darkened to the cruelest shade of black. "You aren't the only one who can use sheer will." He said as he healed his own wounds. "I will erase the will to do anything from your soul!"

"I'm getting tired of the sound of your voice." Sesshomaru spat as he used his speed to appear behind Kohaku and slam his face into the ground.

Kohaku used his inhuman strength to push Sesshomaru off of him, sending his body flying into the ceiling.

Sesshomaru slowly floated down to the ground and let out a growl of seething fury. He couldn't do this for another second. He needed to find Rin. He had no other choice but to transform.

Kohaku began to cackle as Sesshomaru began to transform from his human-like body to his true self. "Do you think this will make things any easier for you?! This is exactly what I wanted to happen! Don't you realize how limited your mobility is in this cramped garage? You stupid animal."

Oh, no. It was not as it had seemed. Just when Kohaku thought he had won, Sesshomaru began to advance him at full speed. Kohaku cockily slid out of the way and Sesshomaru dove through the wall, breaking the entire garage wall off.

Sesshomaru transformed back into his true form and walked out into the parking lot.

"Perhaps you should check again. It is not I who is the stupid animal."

Kohaku was absolutely fuming. "So why did you transform back?!" He questioned as he chased after him. "Aren't you weaker in this form?"

"Yes. But in my true form, I would kill you."

Kohaku was confused. What happened to the intent to kill that was in Sesshomaru's eyes a few moments ago?

"I made a promise to Rin that I would not kill you. I have decided that I would much rather shred your ligaments and watch you crawl in fear."

Kohaku let out an angered scream and rushed into battle without a clear thought. Sesshomaru easily evaded his attack and broke Kohaku's collarbone with the palm of his hand. He threw Kohaku onto the ground and began to tear through him with his claws.

"Where is Rin?" He roared as he shredded Kohaku's limbs and blood splattered onto his face.

Kohaku let out a groan as he tried to heal himself once again, but it wasn't working.

"Why…why can't I heal?"

"Because, you are my prey. Even your demonic energy is too frightened of me. Now answer my question or I will tear off your arms."

"It's too late." Kohaku breathed out. "They probably took the baby out of her already."

Sesshomaru dove his poison claws into Kohaku once more out of frustration, and then flicked his own blood into his hair.

Sesshomaru looked around the parking lot for a stairway, and ended up finding an elevator. Without any sense of direction, he got in.

The warehouse had 5 floors. Sesshomaru decided to stop on each one until he caught Rin's scent.

Ding. Second floor. No scent of Rin, or anyone else for that matter.

Ding. Third floor. There was a woman standing there who screamed in horror when she saw Sesshomaru's pissed off face and body covered in blood.

Ding. Fourth floor. It looked like storage. There were no hallways or other rooms, just one big storage area full of boxes, weapons, explosives and even bodies. The scent of death and gunpowder was strong there.

So it had to be the fifth floor for sure. Without even checking for Rin's scent, he got out. The entire floor was dark, except for the buzzing exit sign at the end of the hall.

He began to venture through the hallway looking for his woman. The scent of fresh human blood was strong on this floor. It masked her scent completely. Someone had killed, and it hadn't been very long ago. What happened? Did one of the Slayers rebel? Did someone beat Sesshomaru to the punch and already rescued Rin?

He was nearing the end of the hall when he could hear faint breathing coming from a room to his left. As he slowly approached, someone came out screaming with a sharp object in hand.


Earlier

The driver had stopped the car and Kohaku gave Rin a kiss on her neck. She shuddered at the feeling of his cold, dry lips against her skin. Everything about him had changed. He had gotten darker and colder—even colder than ice. He was the deadly frost in the Antarctic, the center of an iceberg. He was the most vile and evil man she had ever known, and he had her trapped with no chance of escaping.

"I'm going to take the zip tie off your legs. I don't want you to run away, okay?"

Rin nodded compliantly. Of course she wasn't going to run. She knew Sesshomaru was there and this was her only chance of possibly, maybe seeing him, even just a glance of his face.

Kohaku cut the zip tie and escorted her out of the car. Rin looked around and saw a pier, a few boats, maybe 10 or 12, and a warehouse.

He opened the door to the warehouse and pulled her inside. There was a woman and two men waiting for them inside.

"Rin, that is Dr. Seher. She's an American surgeon and she's going to perform the first stage of your…" he cleared his throat "cleansing."

Dr. Seher nodded. "It will be over in a flash. You won't feel a thing."

Kohaku kissed her cheek and placed her in the arms of the two men standing there.

The men dragged her into the elevator and Dr. Seher stood in front of her. Rin looked at the blonde woman with her transition lenses still shading her eyes.

"P-please" Rin implored, "I want to keep my baby."

"We are on a mission Dr. Asano. To purge the world of demons and half demons."

"But—"

"Rejoice, Rin! You will be making a great sacrifice for an even greater cause! One day you will conform."

The elevator dinged and the men carried Rin out as she fought to no avail.

"I don't want to do this!" She said as she kicked her feet. The men picked her up and her legs swung in the air.

"We don't wanna hurt you." One of the men said. "But you gotta stay still or we might by accident. We got orders, ya know."

The other man nodded. "You're our leader's fiancée, so we don't want anything to happen to you. Once this is over, we won't drag you around like this anymore. I promise." He comforted softly.

Rin looked in each room as they went down the hall and each one was completely empty. She could feel the air getting colder and colder as they approached the end of the hall and the buzzing of the exit sign by a staircase got louder and louder.

She was finally brought into a room full of surgical tools and a hospital bed. She let out a shaken gasp as her body tightened.

It had hit her harder than a head on collision: She was going to have her child pulled right out of her.

"You can't do this! I'm pro life!"

"Pro life does not apply to half demons that do not deserve a chance. What you carry is not human and must be eliminated. Put her on the bed."

"No! No!" She screamed as the men pushed her down onto the bed.

Rin tried to sit up but was forced down once more. "You have to hold still."

"I'm going to give her a small dosage of a sedative. Just to relax her nerves." She flicked the needle. "It's alright." She said as she pushed it through Rin's arm.

Rin whimpered as the needle pinched her skin. It didn't hurt but the thought of what was coming next was unbearable.

Rin's body became weak, but not useless. She needed to figure a way out of that situation.

'Sesshomaru is not going to come.' She concluded as she looked around the room. Rin had been in many bad situations before. She had been beaten to a bloody pulp, ran from bullies and even storeowners when she shoplifted. She had to put those survival skills to use to save her unborn baby.

Rin began to sidle over to the makeshift-operating table as the doctor prepared equipment from her bag.

One man was on her left; another was on her right, so her movements had to be swift and discreet.

She slid over as far as she could and quickly turned over to snatch a scalpel off the table then lied down as if she hadn't moved.

The man took a glance back at her then turned back to the doctor to await instructions.

There was no way in Hell Rin was going to lose her baby. She began cutting the zip tie off and freed her hands as quickly as possible.

"Alright, hold her down."

"Don't you want to give her anesthesia, Doctor?" One of the men asked.

"No, Our young leader said Rin is allergic to anesthetics. Just hold her body still. Her hands are still tied and she's sedated. I'm certain she won't put up much of a fight."

It was now or never. Once the first man got close enough to hold her side down, she used as much force as she could and stabbed him in his kidney, then pulled the scalpel out quickly before rolling off the bed.

"Don't let her escape!" Dr. Seher ordered.

"Okay, babe. You have to do it like this!" A young Kohaku instructed Rin with a blade in hand. "You use all your might to make sure the knife goes through!"

"Like this?" Rin asked uncertainly as she jabbed the air with her blade.

"No, that's not forceful enough. You want to make sure you puncture something! Watch me." He explained as he showed her a demonstration.

Rin began to giggle. "What's the point of this lesson?" She asked as she set the blade down on a table.

"Self defense. What if I'm not there to protect you?"

"But you're always there!"

"What if I get hypnotized and go crazy and you have to defend yourself against me?"

Rin began to laugh loudly. "That would never happen!"

She never would've imagined that she would be using his lessons against him.

Rin had to keep her mind clear and focused. She only had a split second. All of her movements felt slow, like her soul was moving faster than her body. She was so dizzy and her legs felt heavy. But she had to carry on.

She rolled towards the doctor and sliced her ankle until she fell to the ground, then Rin continued to crawl, but Dr. Seher grabbed her leg.

Rin reached back and slit Dr. Seher's wrist then pulled her foot out of her grasp.

She still had to get away from that last man. He picked up Rin and pushed her against the wall.

At this moment, she was scared and everything that had just happened was a blur. She kicked the man between his legs and sliced his stomach open as he collapsed to the ground.

Rin breathed heavily as she trembled in horror, disgust and confusion. She saw Dr. Seher's arm twitch and she knelt down and slit her throat out of fear.

"I'm not letting you take my baby from me!" She shouted as blood spewed out onto her clothes.

Rin crawled into a corner by the door. She was too afraid to leave that room. She planned to take down anyone who came on that floor until she felt it was safe enough to escape.

The entire hall was dark, desolate and silent. Rin could feel her heart beating out of her chest and her stomach turning and flopping wildly like her emotions.

She sat in that corner, rubbing her stomach, trying to catch her breath. She couldn't steady her heartbeat or her breathing knowing this entire day was going to be a fight for her life.

Ding.

Rin gasped when she heard the elevator. Who was coming? Was it Kohaku? Please not him, please anyone but him. Rin prayed.

She could hear slow footsteps approaching. Again, just like before: it was now or never. Rin waited until the footsteps were close enough and she rushed out to attack the unknown person.

The individual pushed the scalpel out of her hand and shoved her against the wall to apprehend her.

Rin squeezed her eyes shut and turned away. She stood there awaiting her fate but…why? Why wasn't the person moving?

Rin slowly opened her eyes and turned towards the person.

It was Sesshomaru. He was staring at her in complete shock.

Rin began bawling in front of Sesshomaru and wrapped her arms around him tightly.

"It's you." She said happily, her voice shaky and weak. "Oh, thank God it's you."

"Are you alright?" He asked in a soft tone.

Rin began to cry even harder. What a relief it was to hear his voice once more.

"Yes. I'm fine." She said calmly, before her tone and body language suddenly became rigid. "But…but I…"

"What happened?" He asked as he pulled away from her to see her face. Sesshomaru noticed the blood on her body, but refused to make any accusations.

"I…let my fear get the best of me and…I…I killed…"

Sesshomaru peered into the room nearby and looked at the lifeless bodies.

"You…did this?"

Rin nodded shamefully "I was just trying to protect our child and—"

Sesshomaru pulled her close to him and rubbed his hand across her stomach. "You cannot blame yourself for what happened. You had to protect yourself and our child. It was simply self defense, not murder."

Rin rested her head on his chest. "Are you sure it's alright?"

"It will be once we get out of here." He said as he turned Rin to face him. He gave her a serious look. "More people may have to be killed in order for us to get out of here safely. Do you understand, Rin? This is a kill or be killed situation and I need you to be brave."

Rin gulped and nodded surely. "I-I can be brave. I can do this."

Sesshomaru picked up the scalpel and handed it back to Rin. He grabbed her free hand and led her into the elevator.

Sesshomaru learned that there was a thin line between being close to the sun, and getting too close.

Those who get close to the sun experience its brightest, hottest rays. Those who get too close?

Well, that's the last time they get to see the sun.

It was the moment the elevator door closed that he realized Rin was the only woman in the world that would be standing there with him.


The last chapter got such fantastic feedback that I got this up 6 days sooner than my intended deadline!

So give me some super reviews this time!

I love hearing from you guys :D

xoxo

-VQ