Disclaimer: All Characters belong to their rightful owners!

((A/N:  Dear lord… another long one…   Way too much free time…Also I'd like to announce that I'm soon opening my website!  I'll post most of my fanfics there along with some fanart! ;)  Done by me of course!  I'd have to get permission from a few others in order to post their work…. But you get the idea!  To those who read my fics, thank you!  And to those who actually comment…thank you even more! ^^))

"Hold on Jaken-sama…don't die." Rin said quietly behind Rae.

            Rae glanced back at the girl with a confident grin, "Don't worry, Jaken will be fine.  Epona will keep him company." 

            "Though I know she'd rather not…" she also added, to herself.

            Rae and her young companion were now flying over a rocky field of boulders and jagged faces.  With the help of Aun, it would be easy to get to where they needed.  Rae gripped the reins tight in her fists,  "Stupid imp, he's putting me on a guilt trip.  I should've done something to help him.  Damnit….I feel like a coward."

            Rin noticed Rae's hands shaking with the demon's reins; she looked up to the back of her head. 

            "Eh?" Rae could feel Rin's grip tighten around her waist, Rin was hugging her for support.  She knew about Rae's fury.

            "I sort of feel…. Like a family with them.  This is really strange." She shook her head, and slapped the reins against Aun's neck, "Come on guys a little faster!"

            The reptile let out a loud roar and sped across the gravel leaving a trail of dust.

            Jaken had given them instructions to get the remedy for the deadly poison.  He requested for Rin and Rae to travel east of where they were.  There he indicated there would be a field of medical herbs.  From there, they were to find a poison medicine maker named Jinenji.

            "Jinenji?  He is a hanyou, right?" Rae remembers asking as Jaken leaned against a tree next to Epona.

             "Yes, go to him and ask for a plant called Sennensou no mi." Jaken replied.

            "Sennensou no mi?" Rin cocked.

            "Yes, then if you two really intend to save me, please hurry.  The medicine has to be in my body before the sun sets…or else the Saimyoushou poison will spread throughout my poison and my life will…"

            "Jaken-sama…" Rin said quietly again.

            "She must be thinking about what he said…" Rae said to herself, "Don't worry Rin-chan, you won't lose him.  I'm only doing this for you…" she quickly looked into the sky, judging by the position of the sun it was about 2 o'clock, so they at least had until 6, right?

            "Better not take any chances…hold on Rin-chan." Rae nudged the demon to fly faster; its blue flames on its legs grew brighter.  

            They seemed to have flown forever.  Rae felt really stupid sniffing the air every five seconds like a dog, but it was the only way to locate the field of herbs.

            She then felt Rin tug on her back, "Rae-Rae!  Look down there!  Rin sees large field!" she pointed to their right.  Sure enough below Aun was a small village, off from the village was a small cottage with an exceptionally large field.  Rae sniffed the air, the sweet scent of herbs and spices filled her nose.  She could even smell something that smelt like cough syrup.

            "Way to go Rin-chan!" Rae yanked on Aun's reins to make a sharp turn downwards.

            "We will be able to save Jaken-sama in very quick time!" Rin smiled as they walked up the steep hillside to meet the medicine maker.

            "Yep, in no time at all!" Rae grinned.

            Rin looked back down the hill at Aun, who was hidden behind some high bushes and trees.  She called down to them, "Aun wait there!"

            "He'll be okay…" said Rae as they finally reached the top.

            The field they spotted was in the months of just emerging from the ground.  Small green stalks indicated new life in the bare ground.

            Rin clasped her hand together jumping up and down, "The field of herbs, this has to be it!"

            "It's very pretty, for a bunch of green stubs.  Look there's the house; Jinenji-san must be in there!  Ready Rin-chan?" she put her hands on her hips and looked down at her companion.

            Rin nodded happily, "Yeah lets go save Jaken-sama!"

            Rae sighed but smiled, "Yeah let's save the imp…"

            Approaching the doorway, Rae pulled back the thin sheet of cloth that made-up the door for Rin.  Feeling a little rude for just barging in, Rae pushed that aside and followed inside.

            The first thing she noted was that it was very dark.

            "Well this is ancient Japan.  I'll have to remind myself not to ask stupid questions…"

            The first person both girls saw was an old woman crouched down near some crushed herbs near the side of the wall.  Near her was a very big blue futon mattress with a very large bump under it, something big was defiantly under there.

            Rin was the first to speak, "Uuummmm…"

            The old woman turned to them with an agitated face, "Who is it?"

            "Umm, we wish to see Jinenji-san…" Rin replied.

            "Jinenji is not seeing anyone today." The old woman turned back to her work, "Go away…."

            Rae tried to hold back a growl; she didn't have to be SO rude.  Walking further into the house with Rin beside her she glared at the woman, "Why can't we see him?"

            "I said go away…" she only replied.

            Rin looked at the huge mattress in front of them, "Jinenji-san, you are here aren't you?  Please, listen to me…I want the Sennensou no Mi."

            The mattress moved slightly then stopped, he didn't respond.

            "There is a person who will die of poison if we don't get it!" Rin added.

            A deep but nervous voice came at last, "That is very touching, but the Sennensou no Mi is not here…now go away."

            "Gah!  People are so rude!  Were manners EVER invented!?" Rae could feel her nails digging into her palm.

            "What's wrong?" Rin cocked her head, "Why are you hiding under there?" her curiosity was getting the better of herself.

            "You're too young to understand little girl." The old woman replied as she began to separate the ground herbs.  She paused and glanced up to Rae, "You may be as well…."

            Rae crossed her arms acting like she was insulted, but deep down she wondered what the old woman meant just as much as Rin did.

            "Jinenji is a hanyou." She continued facing Rin.

            "Hanyou?" Rin blinked curiously.

            The old woman glanced at her son, "There are times when his appearance changes back to the form of a human" turning back to them she added, "He is incredibly shy as a human.  He doesn't want anyone to see his human form."

            Rae nodded, she didn't understand WHY Jinenji didn't want to show his human form.  "Then tell us where the Sennensou no Mi is so we can get it.  Time is running short!" Rae uncrossed her arms as she glanced out the window.

            The old woman looked from Rae back to Rin, "The Sennensou no Mi works on demons.  Are…are you trying to save a youkai?" she looked at Rin in amazement.

            "Y-yes…" Rin nodded.

            The old mother leaned in closer, "Did you fall in love with that youkai?"

            Rae could feel her whole body stiffen at such a thought, her head arched as she looked at them.  What kind of a question was that to ask the poor girl?

            "Fall… in love?" Rin asked, "What is "fall in love"?"

            Rae thought she would fall over.  Rin was way too innocent.

            The woman began blushing as she held the side of her face, "That's right… your still too young." Hearing Rae's snickering she looked over to the older girl, "What about you?  Do you love the youkai you want to save?"

            Boy, did that ever catch Rae's attention.

            "WHAAAAAAAAT!?  I would never do su…such a thing!" Rae blushed.  Whenever the love topic was brought up, she couldn't help herself, especially since they were on the topic of 'youkai love'.

            "Your face says it all girl…" the old woman chuckled.

            Rin then interrupted, Rae would have to thank her later.

            "It's nothing like that!"

            "Eh?" the old woman looked down at her.

            "We want to save Jaken-sama!" Rin stated clearly.

            Then, Jinenji's voice sounded out from under the futon, "Mother…"

            Rae and Rin glanced down at the covers, a little peek hole was found.  Jinenji's eyes glowed bright blue from the darkness.  Rae could feel shivers rising up her spine.

            "That girl looks like Kagome…" he pointed out.

            "Kagome?" the mother pondered to herself, "Ah, that girl…" she looked at Rin, "You may be right."

            "The Sennensou no Mi is at the top of a mountain at the entrance of a chasm.  But many evil spirits live there, they think of humans as food."

            Rin gulped nervously.

            "When the sun sets, I will return to normal." Said Jinenji, "Why don't we wait until then?"

            "Sorry sir, but we can't wait that long." Said Rae sitting next to Rin.

            "Yes!  This evening is too late!" said Rin as she crawled up to Jinenji's glowing eyes, attempting to peek under the covers, "Please tell us, we can get it!"

            "Please….sir…" Rae said quietly.

            "You really are like Kagome…" said Jinenji.

            Jaken pulled his upper body onto the fallen trunks of the tree that Sesshoumaru had earlier knocked down; his body had grown incredibly weaker as the poison spread, "Rin…. Sesshoumaru-sama…..I don't want to be left alone!" he cried.

            "Hey stupid…what do you think I am?" Epona snorted, she had been standing with the whining youkai for over an hour now.  Her patience was wearing out.