Sesshoumaru has never found the time to love in his life. But when young Rin's mother mysteriously reappears, all that changes. Will Sesshoumaru test his limits to save a mortal?
Sesshoumaru stroked his glossy tail and looked up at the sky. For once he was all alone, Jaken haven gone to spy on Inuyasha. iInuyasha!/i He thought in disgust. iHow I hate him! Again and again I've tried to destroy him, but his fate always eludes me! Darn him! How could father have been so careless? To have a brat like him! And to think he's part mortal. Father even entrusted the little brat with his own tomb! What about me? I'm the pureblood!/i He studied himself in the pond before him. His long moonlight colored locks dangled their ends in the brook and swirled out behind him. His soft tail was curled around his shoulders for warmth on the cold winter night.br
Sesshoumaru irritably flicked a piece of dirt off his handsome face. He sighed and leaned back. Footsteps sounded in the woods nearby. Unworried, he lay perfectly still to see the owner of the unusually loud feet. Rin came out of the forest.br
"Hello Rin," he greeted her. "What did you bring for us to eat?"br
"All I could find was a small storage closet of meat," she said. "I found some bread for myself, so you can have all that was fit to eat." The small girl shivered in the cold. A snowflake drifted out of the sky and landed on her nose.br
"Thank you, Rin." Sesshoumaru took the bundle of meat and tore into it, Rin watching a few feet away. He watched as she took out a piece of crusy bread and nibble at the end. He finished his meal and said, "Come here Rin. We'll rest for tomorrow," and pulled her into his arms to keep the poor girl warm. She was asleep within moments. Sesshoumaru laid listening for danger for a while, then fell into a fitfull sleep of vicious nightmares and little rest.br
The next morning he and Rin woke up to the sound of Jaken's voice. "Lord Sesshoumaru! Lord Sesshoumaru! Sir, wake up! Lord Inuyasha and his companions are on the move again. If we're to follow and obtain the Tetsusaiga, we have to get moving!"br
"Need you yell so much? You've upset the girl," Sesshoumaru consoled the crying child. She was just about the only thing he actually cared about. Rin had seemed to be just an annoying obstacle at first, but after you took care of her for a while..."OK, we'll go." He took Rin by the hand and started off.br
"AH! No wait for me Lord Sesshoumaru!" Jaken hurried to catch up. When he finally came up to Sesshoumaru, the claws were dug into his neck before he could utter a syllable.br
"I don't see Inuyasha here. Are you completely sure he came this way? If not you will die."br
"ACK...Y-Y-Yes! I'm sure!" Sesshoumaru dropped him.br
"I'm just going to make sure," he said. He dropped down on the ground and sniffed for Inuyasha's inmistakable scent. Yes, he had been this way. Then he heard voices coming up behind him. Sesshoumaru grabbed Rin and jumped into the highest tree.br
"...and that's when I pulled the Tetsusaiga out of the rock." Kagome was explaining what had happened during their last encounter with Sesshoumaru. Sesshoumaru dropped down to a lower branch in hopes of catching some unknown tidbit about the Tetsusaiga.br
"I could have pulled it out," Inuyasha sniffed. "I just didn't feel like it."br
"Sometimes I don't know which is bigger. Inuyasha's biceps, or his ego," Miroku muttered.br
"Definitly his ego," said Shippou.br
Sesshoumaru leaned closer to the action, with Rin under one arm. He didn't even notice she was slipping until she fell from his grasp to the ground.br
"RIN?!" Yelped Inuyasha in surprise. Then a look of anxiety crossed his face. "If SHE'S here, that must mean..."br
Sesshoumaru dropped from the tree and ran toward Rin. But Inuyasha had already scooped up the small screaming girl and put his hand over her mouth. "Give her back, Inuyasha!" Sesshoumaru held out his hands. "I'm her fath...I mean..." He faltered as he saw Rin reach out for him too. He felt protective of the child, as if she was his own.br
"Inuyasha! Don't hurt her!" Kagome screamed. "She's just a little--"br
"SHUT UP KAGOME!" He screamed back. "I can finally get rid of my older brother using this stupid girl as a bargaining chip!" He smirked evilly at Sesshoumaru. "I'll exchange her life...for yours."br
Sesshoumaru stood looking unfazed. But in his mind all he could do was wonder what would happen to him. iHave I grown so soft? Why do I care so much about a human child? I owe her nothing. Let Inuyasha kill her if he wants to...no I can't./i "Put her down, Inuyasha, and I shall relinquish my life for hers. Kill me at your leisure, but leave the girl out of it."br
A broad grin crossed Inuyasha's face. He had known all along that he wouldn't have to lay a claw on the girl, because she was the only thing his older brother cared about. Reason being, she was the only one to ever crack that hard outer shell.br
But, unfortunately for him, Kagome hadn't known that.br
"You stupid dog! SIIIIIIIITTTTTT!"br
BAMF! And there was a 3 foot hole in the ground, Inuyasha at the bottom. Kagome walked up to a terrified Rin and scooped her up. She sat the girl on her knee and asked, "So what's your name?"br
When the girl didn't answer, Kagome looked at Sesshoumaru. For once he didn't jump to taking the Tetsusaiga. iI am majorly confused,/i she thought. iOne minute Sesshoumaru's chasing us around riding a giant demon, and the next he's sitting here quietly. I wonder what caused this big change in him? Was it just.../i She looked down at Rin. i...this girl?/ibr
Miroku had put Sesshoumaru into an armlock to ensure his capture. Shippou was gagging the poor demon. Yet never once did Sesshoumaru struggle against them. But his eyes were on Rin the entire time, making sure they didn't hurt her.br
Kagome looked at Rin again. iCould she be.../i she ventured, iNo! Of course not! She's a full blood human! Sesshoumaru can't be her father. But then WHY does he worry so much about her?! Oh this is so confusing! I wish I knew what to do.../ibr
"Done," Miroku called. Sesshoumaru was gagged and bound with rope. "We should set up camp," he continued. "I don't think we'll be going much further today, dragging that along." He guestured to his captive.br
Kagome let Rin go. The girl ran over to Sesshoumaru and buried her face in his side. "Aren't you worried he'll break the ropes? After all he IS a demon." Kagome asked.br
"No not at all. They're made of something from the shrine back home. Nothing can break through them," Miroku said proudly.br
Later that night they were all gathered around the campfire. Kagome leaned close to Inuyasha, holding his hand. She thought no one could see, but she had forgotten about the captive back in the makeshift shelter.br
iThey sure have come a long way since I last saw them, /ithought Sesshoumaru. iThey were at each other's throats then. Now just look at them. The happy couple, /ihe thought with a sneer. His eyes travelled to Rin, the cause of all this. Usually, if someone (such as Jaken) caused him this much delay in his plans, he would eliminate them immediately. But this girl...she was different.br
Kagome murmered an excuse to go into the shelter and stood up. Once inside, she pulled the door closed, checking quickly to see if someone had noticed. No one had. She sat down on the floor. "Are those too tight?" She pointed to the ropes. After a few moments' silence, she said, "Aren't you going to answer me???"br
Rin tentatively tugged on Kagome's sleeve. "Huh?" Kagome looked at the girl. She pointed shyly to the gag. "Oh." Kagome untied it and threw it aside. "I'm sorry if I disturbed you," she said. "I just felt bad about you having to be in here lying on the floor like this. Are you uncomfortable?"br
"Just a little," he said calmly. "I've been sprawled here since early morning. I am so tired of this! Inuyasha always wins, though this time he really stooped low! I am so ashamed of my weakness. Not of the girl herself, but of my affection toward her."br
Kagome looked helplessly at him. Then she remembered what she had heard in the last village they had stopped through. She had overheard a villager say that there was a woman who had survived a fire looking for her little girl. She had been assumed dead for a long time because she had been lost in the forest for weeks. Now that she was back, the whole village was looking for her lost child. He had mentioned her name, but oh what was it?br
"What's her name?" When Sesshoumaru didn't answer, Kagome sighed and said, "I think I know where her real parents are. Or at least her mother. I just need to know her name!"br
Sesshoumaru looked up at her. "Is this true?"br
"Certainly. I just need to know if she's the right girl."br
"Her name is--"br
"Rin! My name is Rin!" The girl shouted. There was new hope shining in her eyes.br
"Yes! That was it!" Kagome said happily. She looked outside to see what the others were doing. Miroku was telling a story and the others were laughing. Her gaze lingered on Inuyasha for a short moment, then she returned to the task at hand.br
"I'm going to untie you now. Can you get out without being noticed?"br
"Of course."br
"Then here we go." She knelt by Sesshoumaru. Rin tried to help, but she only got in the way, so Kagome had her watch to see if anyone was coming. Knot by knot Kagome pulled the ropes loose. By the time the last knot was undone, Sesshoumaru had picked up Rin and disappeared into the night. "Good luck," Kagome whispered.p
center***/centerp
Sesshoumaru stopped after the 50th mile and set Rin down. They were on the outskirts of the town Kagome had described. But since it was night, he decided to start his search in the morning. iAt least I lost Jaken,/i he thought. Rin took his wrist and examined where the ropes had left deep gashes in it. "You're hurt," she said. She looked at the places where the ropes had cut his ankles too. "Those uncaring people! How could they do such a thing?"br
Sesshoumaru laughed softly. "Don't worry about it Rin. It doesn't even sting. Now go to sleep. We're going to have a heck of a time finding your mother."br
After a few minutes of silence, Rin whispered, "Sesshoumaru? Since my father's dead...could you maybe be my father? My mother would really like you. You're handsome and everything. And I don't want to leave you!"br
That threw Sesshoumaru for a loop. "Rin...I cannot. I am a demon, and your mother is a mortal. It would not..." He was trying to come up with an excuse that would satisfy the young girl. The world didn't need another power hungry half-demon to torture it. He had Inuyasha on his mind.br
"But I'm sure she'd like you!"br
Sesshoumaru didn't answer, just turned over and faked sleep.br
"What is it?"br
"It's got a girl!"br
"It looks like a human. But look at that tail!"br
Sesshoumaru opened his eyes. "AH! IT'S WAKING UP!" The villagers grabbed Rin and ran. "Sesshoumaru!!!!" Rin screamed. "Rin!" He got up and ran after her. When he got to the village, he saw a beautiful woman being brought from one of the houses. He sat down on the ledge to stare. Then he heard Rin's familiar voice say, "Mother!" He looked and saw her leap into the woman's arms.br
i Well, my work here is done. /i But he couldn't bring himself to leave the happy scene. Then, to his surprise, Rin took her mother's arm and pointed to the ledge where he sat. Then she dragged her mother to him.br
"Sesshoumaru! This is my mother!" Her face streamed with tears of joy, as did her mother's.br
"Thank you for protecting my little girl's life, sir." She said in a soft musical voice. She sat down next to him and hugged him tight. Rin smiled and wriggled in between them.br
"You're...not scared?" He asked.br
"Of course not! Even though you're a demon, you still saved my little girl. You're welcome to stay in the village with us. And...I think you'd get to like it...and me," she added shyly.br
iAlright, I am extremely confused. I really have to get going...but I guess a few days here wouldn't hurt./i "Fine, I'll stay. But only for a few days."br
"Great! Come with me. By the way, you can call me Raene." She took him by the hand and led him to the village. Rin took the other hand.br
Once at the village, everyone stared and asked why there was a demon holding hands with the town beauty. The young girls ran up to Rin, and they all ran away laughing together. Sesshoumaru watched them go with a happy smile on his face. Raene sat down on the stoop to her house and beckoned for Sesshoumaru to do the same. When he sat down, she looked at his long moonlight hair. She laughed. "You have tangles all through that beautiful hair of yours! Let me comb it out for you."br
Sesshoumaru turned and let her soft hands coax out all the knots. Then he jumped a little bit when she leaned against him. His heart started to pound and he got up abruptly. She looked at him curiously. "I'm--sorry," he stammered. "I don't know what happened." He sat back down and let her lean on him again. Then, the ineveitable happened.br
"Lord Sesshoumaru! I've been looking everywhere for you! Lord Inuyasha is--" Jaken caught sight of Raene leaning lovingly on Sesshoumaru, her arm snaking around his shoulders. "LORD SESSHOUMARU! WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING? LORD INUYASHA AND HIS FRIENDS ARE AT THE VILLAGE ENTRANCE AS WE SPEAK!"br
Sesshoumaru's head snapped up. "JAKEN!" He shouted. "What are you doing here? I thought I had gotten rid of you." Then he heard another familiar but not so inviting voice-Inuyasha.br
"SESSHOUMARU!" Inuyasha exclaimed.br
"Inuyasha," Sesshoumaru muttered.br
Inuyasha looked at Raene and started laughing. "Awwww, does wittle Sesshoumawu have a girwfweend? How sweeeeeeet."br
"SIT BOY!" Kagome screamed. BAMF! And down he went.br
Raene looked confused. "I've never seen so many demons. That one it the red looks a lot like you, Sesshoumaru."br
"HUH?! ACK!" Sesshoumaru toppled over sideways, causing Raene to fall over backwards. Inuyasha, who was still laying on the ground, laughed his stupid head off. The villagers looked on in confusion. Shippou and Miroku pretended they didn't notice a thing.br
"Sesshoumaru?" Rin walked up. He was laying on his back staring irritably up at the sky. "What on this stupid earth was father thinking? I could have had a normal, pure-blooded brother. But nooooooo of course not! He had to go off and have Inuyasha!"br
Raene sat up and stared at Inuyasha. "You mean he's not full blood? You could've fooled me. Whoa!" She exclaimed as Sesshoumaru picked her and Rin up around the waist and slung them over his shoulders. "I'm not wasting another minute of my time with these losers," he muttered, then ran as fast as he could away from the village.br
A couple miles out of town he stopped and put the two girls down. There was a brook running through the area, so he sat down for a drink. Raene put a hand on his shoulder. "Where are we? I don't think I've ever seen this place before." She sat down next to him to have a drink for herself. Sesshoumaru watched the beautiful form put her slender fingers under the surface of the sparkling blue water. He sat in awe while she drank.br
"I told you you would like her," Rin said. Sesshoumaru sat back indignantly. "I was...checking to see if there was a demon behind that tree. Nothing more." Rin smiled. "Yeah, right."br
Suddenly there was a roar overhead. A crow-demon swooped low. But before Sesshoumaru could even get to his feet, the crow-demon had swooped up Raene in its giant beak. "MOTHER!" Screamed Rin. "Oh, Sesshoumaru, please save her!"br
iThat's no ordinary crow-demon,/i thought Sesshoumaru. iThat's the result of a Shikon Jewel shard!/i "AHH!" Rin screamed as another crow-demon set its sights upon her. It was a whole flock! And all embedded with a jewel shard! "Rin look out!" Sesshoumaru threw himself on top of the small girl, and in turn got slashed by one of the crows' claws. When he looked up, Raene was being carried away.br
"Sesshoumaru!" She cried, her hand stretched out to him.br
"Raene!" He jumped into the air and slashed at the bird with his poison claws, only to barely graze a wing. His speed was greatly altered by the giant cut on his back. He fell back to the earth unconscious.br
"Sesshoumaru!" Rin sprinted as fast as she could toward the fallen demon. She looked up at the crow demons. With Sesshoumaru out of commission, there was only one person she could turn to.pcenter***/centerp
"Inuyasha!" Rin shouted. She struggled under Sesshoumaru's enormous weight. She panted slowly. "Please...help us..."br
Inuyasha snorted. "Why should I help you? Considering who you're carrying, I should just kill you now and get it over with."br
"He doesn't mean it," said Kagome kindly. "He's just a spoiled sport." He stuck his tongue out at her. "Oh my gosh! What happened to Sesshoumaru?"br
"He was trying to save...my mother," answered Rin. She set Sesshoumaru down and buried her head in his hair.br
Miroku stepped over to Sesshoumaru. "Take off his shirt," he said. Inuyasha grudgingly undid the top of the kimono. "Ooh," whispered Kagome. "Oh shut up," muttered Inuyasha. "My chest's better any day."br
The blood poured forth from the giant wound. Inuyasha quickly bound the kimono top tight around Sesshoumaru's chest.br
"Mmm..." Sesshoumaru opened his eyes. "Inu...yasha...Thank you..."br
"Uh, don't mention it," said a surprised Inuyasha. Kagome smiled. The brothers seemed to be getting along at last!br
Miroku saw her grin. "Don't think it will last for long. My guess is as soon as Sesshoumaru heals, he'll be up to his old tricks again. We should keep our guard up."br
"Whatever you say." iI'm still not so sure this won't work out after all,/i she thought happily. Inuyasha was sitting next to his half-brother, and they were talking quietly.br
"Inuyasha..." Said Sesshoumaru. "I'm not saying that I'm giving up my chase of your sword, the Tetsusaiga. But I think we should join forces, or at least for a while. Until my strength returns." He smiled at his half brother.br
Inuyasha stared for a little while, then a grin danced across his face. "You still couldn't take the Tetsusaiga even if you iwere/i well." They both started laughing. Sesshoumaru tried to sit up, but his wounded back kept him on the ground. Inuyasha carefully propped him up against his own shoulder. "Now tell me," Inuyasha said. "What was this woman like? If we're to find her, we must know what to look for." Kagome nodded in agreement.br
"Oh, she is the most intricate woman I've ever met. Her name is Raene. She has splendid thick brown hair, and the deepest blue eyes I've ever seen. In fact, the ionly/i blue eyes I've seen. In the short time I've known her, I have grown attached to her, as I have to Rin. I know it's weakness, but I just don't care anymore!"br
iPoor Sesshoumaru,/i thought Inuyasha. iHe's delirious. Ranting about random things...I'd better shut him up before he blabs something I REALLY don't want to hear./i "So, uh, should we start looking?"br
"Of course. Right away." Sesshoumaru rolled to his feet, staggered, and fell again. Inuyasha caught him under the arms.br
"Careful," he said with a worried look. "Don't hurt yourself any more than you already are."br
Kagome smiled. Though Inuyasha would NEVER admit it, he was already growing attached to his older brother, as were the rest of them. Even Sesshoumaru himself seemed happier. Rin was dancing around their legs happily, ecstatic about Sesshoumaru's recovery. Inuyasha looked down at the girl and couldn't supress a smile of his own. Kagome sighed dreamily. Inuyasha was so handsome...iOh no!/i She thought. iI'm doing it again! But...can I help myself? No matter what I do I can't stop looking at him! I'm not in LOVE with him am I? NO OF COURSE NOT!/i She burst out laughing at herself.br
Everybody stared. "HAHAHAHA...ha...heh...ahem..." Kagome laughed sheepishly.br
"Kagome, you, uh, feeling all right?" Inuyasha asked.br
"Yeah! Just fine!" iNever better,/i she thought to herself.br
"Can we get back to the task at hand?" Sesshoumaru demanded. "Raene might not last much longer. Those were no ordinary crow demons. They were being powered by shards of the Shikon No Tama! But someone was controlling them. But who? And what do they want with Raene????"br
Everyone was silent. "I think," Miroku ventured, "that Naraku was behind this. Does he have anything against you, Sesshoumaru? Have you done anything to make this tyrant turn against you?"br
"Yes," Sesshoumaru said slowly. "I refused to help him obtain Inuyasha's jewel shards. He tried to force me to comply, but I refused. So in order to get back at him, I stole several of the shards from various places. I also figured that I could hold them against you in return for the Tetsusaiga. But now I have no interest in you or your sword, except to do whatever I need to do to help you on your quest. So here," he held out his hand, filled with sparkling shards of the Shikon no Tama.br
Inuyasha and Kagome started. "Thank you," Inuyasha said incredilously. He took them from his brother's open palm. Then a look of determination crossed his face, a look Sesshoumaru knew only too well. "Let's find Raene."centerp***p/center