It's been way too long, but here's another one, in case any are interested.

Rin was alone.

Her skin now ashen, with eyes wide like the moon, she looked as though she would fall into a fit of hysteria at any moment. Riu and Yuki were still asleep, having heard nothing, so Ken rushed over to the woman. She sat at the tree, her gaze toward the twinkling heavens where Sesshomaru had flown.

Ken could hardly believe that such a thing occurred, because he thought the two were a couple. Obviously, they were not, since he would never think to abandon a woman he claimed was his. Which meant he now had the opportunity to woo her. But not now. Now was the time to offer comfort through this tragedy, if she allowed it.

The toad demon had chased after Sesshomaru when he left, so Ken was given the opportunity to visit her, undisturbed. When he approached, a twig snapped from beneath, and Rin's gaze snapped at him. Tears were streaming down her cheeks, but at the sight of him, she wiped them clean. She sniffed and was about to clean the leakage from her face entirely, when Ken knelt before her and pulled out a cloth he ripped surreptitiously from the seams of his inner pocket.

Rin hesitated before she took it, then muttered, "Thank you."

Ken smiled, releasing every ounce of charm into it. "No need to thank me. I hope to always be prepared for others in distress."

Rin sniffed again. "I must look horrible."

"I would have to respectfully disagree." In truth, Rin was a soul-rending crier, whose tears tug at the heart strings of even the most vile of devils. Ken found himself feeling rather cross with Sesshomaru, since he obviously was the cause of her misery. Could he bring her out of it? A demon could only hope.

Rin did not react to his comment, and instead looked back at where the demon left.

"Is he coming back?" Ken asked, following her gaze.

A shiver passed through Rin before she whispered, "No."

He nearly whooped.

Still, he could see that she did not wish to speak of whatever occurred, so he let it go, wanting nothing more than to provide a sense of solace for the woman. He crossed his legs together and sat close, whilst providing a reasonable amount of space, so as not to intimidate her. He wanted to talk to Rin, but it was apparent that now was not the time to do so. He could wait.

He decided then to just sit with her. In the morning, he would fetch the group some much needed food, and fill up a few bags with water. For now, he remained, sheltered by the moonlight, hoping that Rin would realize that this stranger would not leave her. No, not this time.

Riu lifted his head from the ground and looked at the sleeping figure which lay before him. Yuki may as well have been a fairy, she was so small and fragile; he thought he could break her with the smallest touch. Her breath came softly, expelling the barest hint of a sound.

He looked around his surrounding view, and found Rin resting against a tree. Her eyes were shadowed, but seemed at peace while she slept.

He wondered what the women dreamt about. The two had gone through some fairly traumatic experiences within the past few days. Actually, he didn't even know how long Yuki's hardship lasted. It could easily have been months, or years for the girl. Just the thought made him sit up with a curse.

Yuki stirred in her sleep, and her lashes fluttered.

Last night, he called her beautiful. He remembered how she bit back her lip to hide that soft, coy smile. Instead, she blushed and thanked him for the kind words. Rin and Ken had walked away from them, and they were able to talk for a while, though it came out somewhat awkward, as he hadn't any idea what to say. Yuki was the brave one who thought to ask him questions about himself. He answered them with some ease, since it wasn't hard to talk about oneself. When he asked her about her story, she told him who she was, and how she managed to survive with the bandits without ever once getting wounded. He was shocked to hear this news, but was mostly pleased, as her marble flesh should never be marred, perfect as it was.

Suddenly, Ken, that strange demon, approached from deep within the foliage, holding a deer carcass on hand. He held it with ease, showcasing his strength as if to gloat. Riu smirked as not a soul was awake to witness his vigor.

The demon noticed Riu's gaze, and nodded toward him. He lay the animal by the side of the fire pit, and began to slice at its carcass, ridding the creature of its skin. Riu sat up, quietly so as not to wake the angel, and made a move to stand. He approached the demon and took out a dagger from his thigh. Ken smiled and mouthed, "Thanks."

The two cut away at the animal, then took the parts which were edible. A moment later, Ken flicked a finger and a fire was ignited at the center of the pit, roaring with a cackle. Riu heard Rin take a sharp intake of breath, and he whirled around. She seemed confused about her surroundings for a moment, while she looked left and right. He meant to approach her, but Jaken stepped in instead. The toad must've noticed how pale she was because he walked toward her rather cautiously, as if waiting for her to burst.

Instead, she smiled softly and it nearly broke Riu's heart. The woman did not deserve the morsel that life gave her, and he found that he wanted to try and make things better for her. It seemed that Ken felt the same way, because he cleared his throat and moved quickly with the food, setting it to sticks and cooking all he could.

Riu heard Jaken speak and his voice, which was once grating, now was no more than a whisper.

"Rin?"

She moved her hair behind an ear, appearing coy. "Good morning, Master Jaken."

"Is it?" he replied.

Rin frowned.

"A good morning," he finished. "Lord Sesshomaru has left us."

Rin swallowed thickly, saying nothing.

Jaken narrowed his eyes to tiny slits. "What happened between the two of you?"

"Nothing."

Jaken's poster was rigid, but he managed to maintain his composure and continue to mutter softly to her. "Of course something happened. Milord has never left in such a rush before, nor has he threatened to kill me with such intent should any wrongdoing occur. Why did he leave?"

Rin shrugged. "Perhaps he wanted to."

Jaken scoffed. "Of course he wanted to leave, but my question to you is why?"

Rin turned her gaze away from him and chose not to speak further. Jaken no longer had any desire to remain calm and simply erupted with a screech. "Young lady, you will speak to me right this second or so help me!"

His threat went with the wind, reaching no one.

Riu could take this no more, as they had awoken Yuki, and approached the two. With a scowl, he looked down at Jaken and snapped, "The woman does not wish to speak. Can you not read her face?"

"I don't care, human," Jaken sneered. "Milord has abandoned us and I know it is because of her."

"How can you know that?"

"Because Rin has not been acting the same since-" he stopped, cutting himself altogether. Good. Riu nearly punched him with a swiftness. The toad corrected himself and said, "I believe the demon has grown rather frustrated with Rin, as she has not been acting normal. I think he left because he lost patience with her, as I am nearing this very second."

"Then leave," Rin whispered.

The green demon somehow turned red, and began to sputter uncontrollably. Then his eyes watered, and a river fell from their edges. "B-b-b-but what do you mean, Rin?"

Silence.

Jaken sniffed. "I will forgive you for saying such a thing, as I know you are not yet well. But be mindful of your words, young lady, for they can be just as sharp as any sword."

Rin finally spoke with a broken whisper. "I'm sorry, Master Jaken."

He knelt before the woman, and touched her hand with his leathery claws. "No worries. I'm only concerned for milord. He has left us with these mortals and I am insulted, if you must know."

With that, a small grin actually escaped her lips and she snorted. Jaken must have felt pride for this because he puffed up his chest and continued. He leaned in, conspiratorially, "Now we shall smell like them."

He gagged.

Riu rolled his eyes, assured that the two would be fine. He began to turn and make his way toward Yuki, but Rin suddenly called out to him.

"Riu."

He sent her a side glance. "Yeah?"

She gave him a clear, sharp look which caused the hairs on his neck to stand. "We need to talk."

"About?"

"Would it be possible for me to stay with you for a while?"

Riu nodded, even while Jaken choked. "Excuse me?" he barked. "I will not remain with these creatures a second longer-"

"Jaken," she said, looking straight into Riu's gaze. "He is my brother."

At first, Riu thought he heard wrongly, and assumed that the woman was talking to someone else, because surely she did not say what he thought he heard. She was not... Surely, she wasn't...

Look at her, his mind whispered. She looked so much like a past long gone, he knew it the second he saw her, but nearly cursed himself now for not putting the pieces together sooner. Suddenly, it clicked, as he gazed into her dark brown eyes which so closely resembled his mothers'.

It's your baby sister.

Despite knowing this with every fiber of his soul, he didn't know how to respond to such a thing, for he had spent years upon years searching for a even a whisper of his family's history. And now a page within that story stood before him, and he could do nothing but stare at her, pale faced and frozen, wondering what the hell he was supposed to do.

Rin smiled lopsidedly, aware that she had shocked the man. He looked as though he was about to puke, since his skin had turn an unseemly shade of yellow, and his eyes remained bulged and unblinking. She made a move to stand, to explain everything, but as she stood she realized that he knew what she was saying was true when his eyes suddenly filled with tears. Whether they were from joy or shock, she was not sure. Still, she took a step forward, ignorant of the fact that all were looking at the siblings in a state of quiet awe.

"I know it may seem unlikely, but what I say is true."

"I-" He paused to swallow. "I believe you."

She stool still, waiting for his next response. Finally, he came forward, with arms outstretched.

Rin let him hug her, though she didn't feel much within his embrace. It was warm and should have been sweet, but all that she had gone through made her feel rather numb. It was a damned shame that she was feeling this way considering the fact that she had family to run to. She would never be alone again. She should never feel alone again.

But no matter how happy this reunion should have been, nothing could ever bring her joy again.

Her focus remained on one thing throughout this encounter though, and it was this: here now was a path to take, far and away from the life she once lived.

She could start anew. She could be anyone she wanted to be. Never mind that all she wanted in life was to be Sesshomaru's wife. Now, she needed to take her life into her own hands, and make something of herself. Even now, she began to ruminate upon the different career paths she could take. Kaede taught her many healing techniques. Perhaps, she could be a healer. She also knew how to read, so she could try her hand at teaching. Kagome did it in her village; why couldn't Rin do the same elsewhere? Which reminded her; now that Riu no longer needed to visit Inuyasha to find her, perhaps they could go elsewhere, and start anew.

Finally, Rin felt something surge within her and it motivated her to hold Riu in return. Yes, this could work. With Riu, and even Yuki by her side, they could travel elsewhere, anywhere, and find a place- no, a home with no memory of her past tainting the walls of her sanity. She could do it. She could definitely do this.

She had to do this.

The wound was getting worst, and Sesshomaru could feel his temperature soar to new heights. Still, he remained high above the clouds, focused on getting as far away from anything and everything that reminded him of Rin.

A futile effort, as not even space was far enough.

Curse her. She rejected him. He of all beings. Her smiles and affection were now spent on those she knew not. Her heart was no longer his. Nor her body.

It never was.

Damned humans and their fickle nature. How foolish they acted while taking part in this game called life. Instead of working toward becoming better, they allowed themselves to dwell in the shadows of misery. Morons, the lot of them.

He would not do the same. Sure, his chest was in pain, with a heart torn to shreds, but he would not let this trial get the best of him, since he never let such a thing happen before.

He should have known not to mingle with humans though. Regret filled him, mixed with the agony of his wound. If he never met the woman, he would never have found himself in this inane predicament, with him running from the wind just to find a place without a trace of her scent.

He was pathetic. Just like Inuyasha. Just like his father. How could he have let himself get to this point? How dare he!

He ground his teeth. Sharp points punctured his lips, causing him to bleed. He saw red. Literally, since his eyes had yet to revert back to their golden hue. Instead, crimson filled his gaze, as well as his lips.

Perhaps he should rest.

This fever was threatening to engulf him, and he had to be careful lest he fall to the earth with a bone shattering crash.

Yes. He needed to go down. Immediately.

But no. He could still smell Rin. Her scent remained on his clothing, and for one moment he thought to discard of the attire and be rid of her. He could not do it though, because he adored her every scent and kept it close no matter where he went. Though she wanted nothing to do with him, she was a part of him, written into the very definition of his name.

How he yearned for her even while feeling spurned. Damn, but he truly was pathetic.

He recalled when Inuyasha had lost Kagome all those years ago. After defeating Naraku, the priestess disappeared. Not a trace of her could be found. The half demon walked around the village zombie-like, a cloud of misery following the creature wherever he roamed. Nothing could phase the man because he had lost everything.

When Sesshomaru used to visit Rin, he would catch Inuyasha heading toward the Bone Eaters Well with the hope of seeing her climb out of it one day. At least, that's what Rin divulged.

She explained all those years ago that Inuyasha was in love with the human girl. Sesshomaru joked, at the time, that the half breed seemed to have a fetish for doomed women. But Rin looked at him, with eyes far too wise for a mere child of her age, and said, "We cannot choose whom we love."

Sesshomaru thought such a thing was preposterous, as no one could coarse him into feeling any kind of way for another. Yet he realized now, while not even feeling the ridiculous emotion for Rin, that he had no part in caring for the girl. It had come rather swiftly, with no recollection from his past, as to when it actually began. He could remember not caring for her when he first set eyes on the girl, but after that, he knew not when his affection for her blossomed into something more.

Into something that made him realize she was not simply a ward to him, but a partner to spend his life with.

And she was ruining it. The damned fickle human was wasting precious minutes which could be spent in each-other's arms because of some idiotic reason he could not yet decipher.

Moments such as these caused a longing to erupt in his chest. Not for Rin, as he was too angry at her suddenly to even house any grain of affection. No, he longed for the wisdom of his father, as he knew how to deal with humans. Better yet, he knew how to deal with women, and Sesshomaru simply did not.

Curse that demon for allowing himself to fall under the shackles of death. He could easily have returned from the under world, instead of leaving Sesshomaru on his own. He was a young demon, as opposed to his father. The youkai-Lord should have been home, with mother, awaiting news of his son's exploits.

Instead, he let himself die for a woman who would not even last a century. And for what? What purpose was there in letting himself act in such a way? He left his children by themselves, with no guidance nor aide.

Alone. They were alone. Or at least, Sesshomaru now was. Bitter and damned alone.

When had this ever become a problem? When did it irk him so much, he wanted to turn around and return to a woman who didn't even want him?

Sesshomaru scowled. This damned wound was making him feel muddled and moronic. In fact, within seconds, the world was now beginning to spin around him. Before he could process what was occurring, he found himself spiraling, down, down, down, toward the surface of the earth, until all he could see was darkness...

When next he woke, he found himself hunched and breathless against the wooden shards of a broken well.