The tree limb swayed slightly in the wind, waking a drowsy Inuyasha. He opened one eye to peer at the sky and saw that there was now more blue than black. It was nearly morning. He shifted his position to dislodge a broken limb from his back. Damn. Even the trees in this place were inhospitable. He was counting the minutes until he could escape this mausoleum his brother called home.

He supposed he could go up to the house, since Sesshoumaru was gone again, hopefully for the entire day this time. Inuyasha wondered if he should be doing more in locating this Ashrem guy, but he'd be damned before he'd offer his help to Sesshoumaru. That old dog was going to have to come to him.

Inuyasha wasn't entirely certain that his brother's claim about this enemy of his was even valid. Kagome had not been acting strangely, no more so than usual, at least. Trying the same plan this time around would be stupid for Ashrem to do, but Sesshoumaru, paranoid idiot that he was, seemed so sure that that was exactly what was going to happen. Sesshoumaru's problem (well, one of many) was that he was always so certain of how completely stupid everyone else was.

He wanted to leave, but there was one mistake Ashrem had made that Inuyasha was going to ensure he paid for; he had made a bad decision when he had chosen to involve Kagome. So far the guy hadn't done anything to hurt her, but even Inuyasha believed in the rumors of his connection with the Shikon no Tama. He didn't appreciate the near heart attack he got every time that wretched necklace started going off like an alarm.

Slight movements near the house prompted him to turn his head slightly, watching as Rin wandered outside. Now there was a girl with some developing issues. She was a good kid, but something was eating at her and Inuyasha couldn't blame her. How she had developed such a weird romantic idea about his brother, he didn't have a clue. Frankly, it was revolting; not because it was a demon and a human, but because it was Sesshoumaru and a human. Or, for that matter, Sesshoumaru and anyone else. There was something inherently wrong with that jerk having any sort of relationship with anybody. He was incapable. Inuyasha got the idea he was watching the verification of that right under his nose.

He had been shocked when he had overheard Rin's conversation with her old guardian through the walls of the house. Inuyasha had always figured that Sesshoumaru had let Rin trail after him all the time just because she was a convenient extra slave. Now, though, it looked like Sesshoumaru had actually developed some sort of bizarre soft spot for the girl. It was creepy beyond words, and it clearly wasn't leading to good things for her. She'd been moping around the house for days, though Inuyasha could appreciate some of the things she had been saying to Sesshoumaru lately. It was pleasant to have those statements come from someone else's mouth, someone who wouldn't be decked for letting him hear about what a jackass he's always been.

The poor girl was in for a rough time if she thought that crush of hers was going to go anywhere. Inuyasha was as sure of that as he was that Sesshoumaru's evil side had gone into hibernation for her benefit. Man, was she going to be in for a surprise when it reared its ugly head again.

*******************************************************************************************************************

Feeling exhausted and heavy, as though someone had just stacked a pile of rocks between her shoulder blades, Rin knelt next to the pond, staring into the water. That persistent whispery, almost ringing sound was back, circling between her ear drums like the endless beating of a gong.

She had been woken from sleep again by a dream she could not remember. Only the lingering feeling of horror had remained, which had forced her from bed very early, an attempt to escape something that seemed to follow her even outside. I'm losing my mind, she thought without much feeling as she gazed blankly into the watery depths in front of her.

She had gone from being thrilled and content at the simple prospect of remaining with Sesshoumaru, to nervous and anxious whenever he came near her. Every time she looked at him now, some horrible thought or image crossed her mind. Things had changed rapidly over the past few days, almost as though her head and heart were at war, each one trying to yell over the other in order to get her attention. It crushed her to know that he was very aware of how much status he had lost with her. She'd made that vocally evident, having spent the last few days snipping at him with sharp words before she even realized she was saying them. He had yet to lose his temper with her, but even the unflappable Sesshoumaru had been shocked on several occasions by her bitter outbursts.

To make her even more certain that her grasp on sanity was lessening, she knew without doubt that, even with all this circling in her mind, she still adored him more than anything.

You are not losing your mind, Rin, you are regaining it. His powers of persuasion are very strong, it is those that you are responding to, not any sort of true love for him, came the feathery, disembodied voice

That's not so ….

He shields his true nature from you. Hasn't Inuyasha tried to tell you before? Do you not think his own brother would know him better than you?

He doesn't know him … not really ….

Doesn't he? Have you not noticed that you appear to be his only ally? It seems more accurate to say that you have been fooled, Rin. Even his own father recognized him for what he was. Why do you think Inutaisho went to the trouble of putting that barrier around Tetsusaiga? It was to prevent Sesshoumaru from taking it from Inuyasha. That sword was meant as protection for Inuyasha against the brother who has tried to kill him on numerous occasions, who still wants him dead.

Rin sighed. She was weary of these tales. They constantly hovered around her, ate at her. She would do anything for one peaceful night of sleep …

The sword, Rin. Go get it.

Sword?

Midoriko's sword. Go on.

No, I promised that I would leave it alone.

He wants to keep you helpless, defenseless. You remember the power that sword granted you, don't you? If you take it, you can be free of him, of his influence; you can return to your dear Kameko and Kisho and protect your village for the rest of your life. Don't you owe it to them after all they have done for you?

This made perfect sense. Of course that was what she should do. Seven years of care from Kameko had to mean more than a pointless, unreciprocated devotion to a demon whose life would go on as it was whether she was there or not. A momentary distraction. That was what Kameko had called her. She did not want to be that.

With the feeling that she was moving slowly, languidly, as though underwater, Rin got back to her feet and returned to the house, not toward the entrance but in the direction of his room.

When she came to the screen, she shoved it lightly aside, slipping off her sandals before stepping in out of the cool morning. He was not there, as she had known he would not be. She moved without thought to the wall that held Midoriko's sword; the worn leather on the hilt speaking silently of the vast amount of use it had been to the long-dead exterminator.

That same desire to hold it came back to her full force, an intangible yet unavoidable need to grasp it again. But even as she watched it with a feeling akin to desperation, something inside of her held her back, kept her from reaching her hand out to take it. It was then that the whisper returned…

You are tired, Rin.

Yes, she thought, feeling even more of her energy melt away.

I will take care of this …

***********************************************************************************************************************

For a human, Ashrem's ability to pull a disappearing act was unparalleled. He knew how to evade the tracking senses of a youkai, and this was something Sesshoumaru was furious at himself for being unable to overcome. To have that scrap piece of refuse still wandering around despite his efforts was an insult. He had spent the night pacing the outskirts of Kameko's village, his eyes and nose alert for any sight or scent that could have anything to do with the man. There was nothing, yet Sesshoumaru would not believe that Ashrem had staged such an event without a distinct purpose. He was certain that Ashrem had been behind the attempted massacre of that village. What unnerved him most of all, was that Sesshoumaru could not see what had been gained from it.

He had been watching Kagome intently ever since she had arrived, looking for signs of anything like what Midoriko had exhibited in the days before her death. There was nothing. Beyond her already well-established annoying traits and habits (including an exasperating penchant for speaking too often), Kagome was not displaying any extraordinary behavior, though she had registered a very loud complaint the day before, accusing him of "putting her under a microscope." Sesshoumaru had no idea what that statement was supposed to mean, but did take it that she was not pleased with his scrutiny. He had been quick to remind her that it would have simplified things very much if he had killed her and thwarted Ashrem's entire plan from the very beginning. That had shut the girl up, but, of course, it had set off her dim-witted guard dog. The hanyou had immediately risen to a conflict, one that was ended before it began by her strange command and the assistance of that beaded necklace. Inuyasha was nothing short of an embarrassment.

As he dropped down toward the house, he noticed out of the corner of his eye that the door to his room had been pushed aside. This diverted his course and he moved to investigate, leaping soundlessly through the opening.

Rin was standing in the center of the room, hands slack at her sides, staring ahead of her, as though waiting for something. His arrival sparked movement from her; she turned her head slowly, looking at him as though she had never seen him before.

"Rin?" he questioned. There was something about that odd expression … something he did not like…

"I'm returning to Kameko tomorrow," she stated without preamble, her voice coming out slow and stilted.

He was not surprised to hear this, had been expecting it. She had become very unhappy over the last several days. Sesshoumaru attributed this to the fact that she had come to a conclusion about what she thought of him, one she had reached with no small amount of assistance from the hanyou Kameko, and, likely, Inuyasha. He was obviously not what she had believed him to be. He could not deny that, either. The child Rin had rarely witnessed anything more than his mild, calm demeanor, as he had often sent her away from the conflicts that had come about during the years he had spent hunting for Naraku. She had been too young to see him for what he was, so enamored had she been with what she had so childishly concluded about the values and characteristics of "Sesshoumaru-sama". The adult Rin was witnessing all the variations of his personality, many of which directly contradicted what she had known of him before, and there was much she did not like, something she had been excessively vocal about as of late. 

"I will take you back whenever you wish," he agreed. It bothered him to see this separation come about on these terms, but he would not attempt to sway her from her decision.

"Inuyasha was correct. There was so much I didn't know." Her blank expression became accusing then. "I feel like such a fool now, defending you as I've done. You frighten me, Sesshoumaru. Only a callous heart would abandon a baby brother to an orphaned existence, to live as a despised outcast, not human, not demon. You have no right to hate him."

Sesshoumaru's eyes narrowed as he watched her face, listened to her speech. He supposed she was speaking from the heart of one who knew something of what such a life entailed. "You seem to know a lot about a past that I've never discussed with you."

"Purposefully, I would imagine," she said, sounding contemptuous as she turned a glare on him. "The great Lord Sesshoumaru would not want to label himself a hypocrite, now would he? And what were the other things you told me you hated most about humans? The violence they incite? The misery they bring? From what I have heard, you have inflicted more than your share of all of those things."

His head came up at the accusation of hypocrisy. "You've been speaking to Inuyasha," Sesshoumaru assumed. He had no idea of what bitterness Inuyasha held over Sesshoumaru's decision to leave him with the humans, but could say that he was surprised that the hanyou would discuss such a subject with Rin.

"I've spoken to many people, or, rather, many people have gone out of their way to warn me of you." She shook her head slowly, as though barely believing how stupid she had been. "Is that why you let me follow you all those years ago? Did you feel guilt over another orphaned child, one that you shunned completely? Or are you capable of such a human emotion?"

What was this? Sesshoumaru wondered, frowning. This was not at all like Rin. At this thought he took a step closer to her, staring intently into the dark, empty, soulless eyes that glared back at him, looking as close to hateful as he had ever seen them. This is not Rin, he repeated silently, the muscles in his neck clenching angrily as he kept his mouth shut, wanting nothing more than to unleash a stream of foul obscenities at the creature that was staring back at him.

I know you, you bastard. I know who you are, he thought viciously. You've finally shown yourself. 

"You've had your say," Sesshoumaru finally said, keeping his voice cool and composed as he took a step away from her. "I will return you in the morning."

He followed her out of the room, watching her retreating form for a moment before he moved back inside and grasped Midoriko's sword, pulling it quickly off of its bracket. Mind seething with thoughts of the death he would deal to that disgusting human filth, Sesshoumaru went back outside. It took him scant seconds to locate his brother. Inuyasha was lounging lazily in a tree, bare feet dangling toward the ground.

"Get down," Sesshoumaru barked at him.

Inuyasha opened his eyes slightly, turned his head to find Sesshoumaru standing at the base of the tree. "Shut up. I'm sleeping."

Not bothering to waste any more words on the hanyou, Sesshoumaru leapt easily and grasped onto one of Inuyasha's ankles, hauling him bodily out of the tree. Inuyasha crashed to the ground with a loud thud and no shortage of cursing.

"Does that bad mood of yours ever improve?" Inuyasha raged as he spat out a mouthful of dirt.

"I don't have time to waste on you. Take this sword and keep it with you," Sesshoumaru said tersely, thrusting the hilt-end toward Inuyasha.

"When am I gonna get it through that thick skull of yours that you're not my master? If you're looking to give orders to someone, I think Jaken is in the house licking your floors clean."

"Jaken is an imbecile. I will not trust him with this."

"Eh? And I'm suddenly competent?"

"You are all that is available," Sesshoumaru said angrily. "Take it, damn you."

"You're really riled up about something, aren't you?" Inuyasha said, folding his arms over his chest. "Feeling nervous about that Ashrem guy? Tell me he's coming, because I'm about to die from the boredom of this place."

"Boredom will not have a chance to claim your life if you don't take this sword, Inuyasha. I will slay you myself if you let it out of your sight," Sesshoumaru snarled at him.

Inuyasha frowned. Something was definitely going on here. Sesshoumaru had never exactly been a laid-back kind of guy, but he was radiating a fury that caught even Inuyasha's attention. "Yeah," Inuyasha finally said, reaching out to take the sword. "I've got it. It's not going anywhere."

"No one is to touch it."

"No one will touch it, I swear …. Hey---" he called suddenly, halting Sesshoumaru in his attempt to return to the house. "Does this have something to do with Kagome?" Inuyasha asked seriously.

"No," Sesshoumaru replied, looking very much to Inuyasha like he was timed to explode. "I was wrong about the level of her involvement."

Inuyasha blinked as his brother walked away. Did he just say that he was wrong? Tightening his hand around Midoriko's sword, Inuyasha's gut instincts told him that something very bad was about to happen.

***************************************************************************************************************

Jaken looked up as his master entered the room, appearing vengeful. For a moment, the retainer wondered in panic if he had done something to instigate this obvious, unexpressed malice, which was why he winced and went into a huddle, fully anticipating a blow for some yet unknown grievance.

Instead, Sesshoumaru swept past him with barely a glance, only opening his mouth to ask, "Where is she?"

"She? The miko?"

"No, fool. Rin."

"Ah," Jaken said, rising out of his hesitant crouch. "She went to practice. She left not long ago with the bow you granted her. That pathetic child; as though she has any hope of ever becoming useful with tha---" He stopped as Sesshoumaru went out the back of the house, heading in the direction of the forest. Whatever Rin had done, Jaken was glad he was not in her place. He recognized this mood of Sesshoumaru's and it was not one that was conducive to long life or good health.

******************************************************************************************************************

Pull.

Aim.

Twang.

Thump.

Rin looked on as her arrow embedded itself securely into the center of the tree trunk, not even pausing to admire her work before reaching back and pulling another. Skillfully and with barely a pause, she pulled the arrow back and let it go, sending it whizzing through the still, early-morning air to split her previous arrow right down the middle, creating a small shower of shaved wood and splinters.

She felt completely incapable of thought. A steady emptiness was in her head, her heart, manifesting itself in her slack expression and dark, blank eyes. Something in the back of her mind was vaguely surprised. Normally she enjoyed this, the quiet solitude of practicing this new skill, ensconced by natural surroundings, just the accomplishment of improving something.

Now, though, there was nothing.

Thump.

No, that was not exactly so. There was something. It was steadily gaining strength, building from a subtle tug to an insistent pull. It became more and more difficult to ignore, began intruding on this comfortable void of thoughtless action.

His suspicion grows. Now will be our best available chance, before his assumption becomes certainty.

She ignored the whisper. Pulled back an arrow. Released.

Thump.

Another arrow split down the middle. The gnarled tree trunk looked as though it had sprouted some strange wooden flower, the shaft of each arrow halved open by the one that followed it to create a bizarre petal effect

You are poisonous, she thought with a sudden, startling moment of clarity, but that freedom was quickly shut down by a heavy pressure in her skull.

Ah, do not fight me, Rin. We were doing so well…

Rin was distracted from her internal conversation when she felt the weight of a malicious gaze settle on her. She turned her head to the side and watched as a familiar, unwelcome form approached from the overgrowth of the woods, a violet glare fixated on her with the menace of a beast stalking its dinner.

Elif, Rin thought the name, a surge of hatred flowing through her veins as the female dog demon sauntered lazily toward her, looking carelessly gorgeous, as always. Rin's hand tightened on her bow as she turned.

You hate this one, do you? We can make her the first, Rin…

"Trying to make yourself useful, human girl?" Elif asked, one perfect eyebrow arched as she studied Rin with the interest of the eternally bored.

"Leave," Rin warned, not entirely certain that she wanted to silence the deadly whisper that circled within her ears.

"You say that almost as though you have the authority to issue such an order," Elif said with a short, amused laugh. "It seems Sesshoumaru has allowed you to overvalue your worth."

"I will not tell you again," Rin said stiffly, her face so cold and hard it was an effort to make her lips move. Oh, how she wanted to kill that bitch…

You have the means. I have provided you the power. Fulfill your desire, Rin, it is within your abilities now.

"It also appears," Elif said softly, dangerously, as she stalked closer to Rin, "that you place much faith in his protection. Too much, I would warrant, as he is nowhere nearby and it would be but a simple action for me to reach out and snap your neck."

"He despises you," Rin found herself saying coldly, but just the act of saying the words brought a great feeling of satisfaction to her heart. "You have no chance of becoming anything to him. Ask him, he will tell you."

Drawing herself up to her full height, Elif fixed Rin with a look of loathing. "Ah, I see. You had hoped to attain the position yourself. How embarrassing for you. Is that why you are so angry today? Did he knock you back down to your level?" She gave another pleased laugh. "Oh, that would have been quite the entertaining conversation to witness. I've arrived too late."

Elif's smug smile faded when Rin's hands pulled her bow up to aim an arrow at her face. The demon's eyes scrutinized the bone-crafted weapon for a moment before she said, "I recognize that bow. Your filthy hands have no right to touch it." 

She took another step toward Rin.

Release it.

In one brief instant, Elif sprang at her and Rin released the arrow. It hurtled toward the much-detested dog demon, but its course, as well as Elif's forward motion, was interrupted. A long, white-sleeved arm reached out and plucked the arrow from the air, snapping it with barely a twitch of a finger. Sesshoumaru was much less subtle with Elif, whom he shoved roughly backward, setting the woman less-than-gracefully on her rear. Elif rose from her indignity, her fierce purple eyes darkening to a feral black as she looked from her intended target to the being that had interceded.

"I am entirely within my rights to slit her throat, Sesshoumaru. Once she is rotting in the ground, perhaps you will regain your senses."

Rin looked on hatefully, not even hearing their exchanged words for the hard thumping of her heart and the sounds of the other voice in her head. This time, though, the whisper was not preaching death, but restraint, and it was he who stayed her hand from another attempt at Elif's life.

I understand your anger. That arrow would have connected and brought her down before she could have touched you. It was he who interfered. Are you so certain of his lack of interest in her?

Rin looked on voicelessly at the pair of demons, at how closely they stood together, Sesshoumaru's back to her. Elif said something to him and sent a poisonous glare her way. He paused and looked over his shoulder at her, coldly detached. She did not hear what he said to her, not over the tornadic roar inside her ears, but did understand the motion of his hand. He was dismissing her back to the house. With an unsteady backward step, Rin shouldered her bow, returned his cool, emotionless stare, and retreated into the forest.

Sesshoumaru watched her disappear through the hanging leaves, berating himself for his lack of attention. He had assumed the anger and bitterness toward him had been honest, a repercussion of her realizing his limited ability to return her feelings. He had always had difficulty understanding her; she was as different from him as there was the capability of being. Even as a small child, she had expressed herself with the words and actions of one who was soft-hearted and forgiving. It was ridiculous how easy it had been for him to assume that these emotions of hate, malice, and disdain she had recently begun putting forth, emotions that were more familiar to his own heart and ill-temper, had been real, not inserted there by the insidious plotting of another. He should have recognized them for what they were sooner. They were how he would have reacted in her place. They were not Rin.

The thought of Ashrem's leering, gloating face brought out a festering, black anger, one that he quickly turned on Elif. "What do you want? And make it quick, or so help me I will finish the job she began."

Elif pulled back from him. "She is marked for death, Sesshoumaru. I will not let that go unchallenged."

"You will let it go or I will kill you where you stand. I have no preference," he snapped back. "What did you come here for?"

"You nearly killed my brother," she said, her expression petulant.

"I would have finished the job had I not required a messenger. I am disappointed to hear that he did not drop dead after delivering it."

Her eyes narrowed into a glare. "We received it. My father will not forget this, your gross overreaction to a simple mistake, a misunderstanding."

"A convenient one. Of all the villages within his domain, he chose to begin with that one. I see the motives behind that, Elif, and I hope you are correct in saying that he will not forget. I thought hearing about it from your mangled brother would make the point quite nicely." Sesshoumaru took a moment to enjoy the look of fury on her face before adding, "And tell your father that I have my own growing list of grievances that will not be put aside. He will have to answer for them. If he continues to choose to hide behind his children, I have no qualms against dealing with you each in turn."

A small, enigmatic smile fell across her lips then. "Will you kill me now?"

"If I intended to kill you now, I would not have just wasted all of those words on ears that would be unable to repeat them."

"And next time?" she questioned curiously. "It saddens me to hear you so at odds with my family. I have known you for so very many years, Sesshoumaru. I remember a time when we were even friends. Do you recall? Once, you would have been glad to see me."

"If you return here, you will force my hand," Sesshoumaru warned.

"Could you so easily end the life of someone you once called friend?" she asked, softening her expression. "Particularly one who feels as strongly about you as I do?"

"Yes. Leave."

And it was then that his ears picked up the cry of a frightened, high-pitched voice screaming his brother's name. The sound instantly became mingled with the scent and sickening feeling of a rapidly building purifying energy, pent up and ready to expend itself. Without further word to an equally astonished Elif, Sesshoumaru streaked back through the woods.

By the time he exited into the clearing that contained the house, he was becoming increasingly aware of that familiar feeling of thousands of miniscule teeth biting at his insides. His eyes locked on Rin who was standing in front of the house holding Midoriko's sword, the blade glowing with a white-hot, pulsating light.

The hanyou, in turn, was standing not far from her, clutching Tetsusaiga, looking hesitant as to what to do. He sensed Sesshoumaru's arrival and looked back at him, as though for direction.

Fully aware of what was about to happen, and very mindful of that day two hundred years ago when another young woman had annihilated a collected assemblage of demons, Sesshoumaru shot toward Rin. Her arm moved with youkai-like reflex and the sword came crashing down, igniting a massive wave of purifying energy that rolled outward like a tsunami. Within the space of a thought, Sesshoumaru recognized this as being entirely capable of delivering a killing blow to both of the demons in the clearing and diverted his course.

Tenseiga gave an insistent thump of alarm against his thigh as Sesshoumaru collided with the slower-moving Inuyasha. The roiling edges of the purifying wave struck at them and Sesshoumaru wondered if, in fact, he had been too slow this time. There was a feeling of molten lava washing over skin, accompanied by an agonized exclamation of pain. He did not have time to process whether it had been Inuyasha's or his own before the roar died into an oblivious silence.

********************************************************************************************************************

When she emerged from the forest after her encounter with Elif, Rin walked purposefully toward the house, her mind whirling with a carousel of thoughts. She paused for a moment to look up at a tall tree. Inuyasha was gazing down at her, his golden eyes curious, but it was the weapon held casually in his hands that locked her sight. Midoriko's sword.

"What was all that noise about?"

"Sesshoumaru's taking care of it," Rin said carefully, willing him not to become overly-interested in the matter.

He said nothing else, but she could feel his eyes on her as she walked the rest of the way to the house and up the ancient wooden stairs. She swept past a chattering Jaken, ignoring him completely until he became offended enough to stalk off in a huff.

Without even having to give direction to her movements, Rin's hand reached out toward the wall, pulling down a vicious-looking, double-bladed weapon as she passed. Her feet continued to pace soundlessly down the hallway until she came to the door of her room. Silently, stealthily, she pushed the heavy wooden door open enough to slip inside. Her gaze immediately fell on Kagome, still sound asleep, the Shikon no Tama glittering beckoningly from around her neck.

For a moment, as she looked down at her friend's face, Rin experienced hesitation, a moment that was quickly overridden as her arm was thrust outward, placing the curved blade of the stolen sword against Kagome's throat. Instantly, the girl's eyes flew open. Her instincts were sound enough to warn her not to try to move as the weight of steel pressed against her skin.

"Rin," she gasped in astonishment, all sign of sleepiness gone from her face as she looked up at the calmly detached expression of her assailant. A strange, pointed blue mark was emblazoned on the skin of the girl's forearm, the hand that held the weapon.

"Give me the Shikon no Tama, Kagome," Rin advised in a voice Kagome barely recognized.

Kagome hesitated, her mind frantically weighing her options. The blade pressed even harder against her neck, making her afraid to so much as swallow.

"Kagome, please," Rin pleaded in a more normal voice, sounding anxious.

Carefully, with slow movements, Kagome pulled the chain from around her neck and extended it toward Rin. Once the jewel was held snugly within the palm of her hand, Rin backed away from Kagome and disappeared down the hallway.

Kagome rose instantly to her feet, reaching for her bow and arrows before tearing off after Rin. She found the younger girl in the foyer, staring at the Shikon no Tama with a triumphant expression that looked nothing like the Rin Kagome knew. Wordlessly, she extended the hand that held the jewel and it flared up without hesitation, doubling in size within the blink of an eye.

Kagome could feel its powers building, like a physical thing that was growing and expanding until it filled the room. "Rin," she began with a hesitant step toward the girl, but stopped her forward movement when the jewel gave a violent lurch.

In a tree outside, Inuyasha looked up at this strange, foreboding feeling. Almost instantly his senses picked up on a threat…and then Midoriko's sword was wrenched from his hands with an unbelievable strength, enough to send him toppling out of the tree. He landed in a crouch and looked up to see the massive doors to the house fly open.

Rin stepped forward, the Shikon no Tama, now a whirling ball of pulsing light, held securely in one hand as she reached up and pulled the projectile that was Midoriko's sword from the air.

Kagome, recognizing the weapon that was now being held in Rin's possession, cast a terrified look in Inuyasha's direction, her mind suddenly filled with the story Sesshoumaru had told them, of the cave that had held the eternally petrified remains of that vast horde of youkai…

"Inuyashaaaaaa!" Kagome called.

Ashrem's made his move, Inuyasha thought grimly, his hand moving to pull Tetsusaiga free of its sheath as Rin walked sedately down the stairs. And it was right underneath our noses. Tetsusaiga transformed, though Inuyasha had no clear idea as to what to do in this situation. He could not attack her and he could not approach her. He recognized what was building up around him and it was distinctly uncomfortable.

Blurred movement out of the corner of his eye prompted him to turn his head to find Sesshoumaru entering the clearing, looking wrathful. This brief moment of inattention was what instigated Rin to strike. The sword rose and came down within the amount of time it took Inuyasha to turn back to face her.

A wall of energy sped outward in a circular arc, reminding him strongly of what had been expelled from the jewel the day he had battled Naraku's horde outside of Kaede's village. This time, however, it was far more powerful … and not within Kagome's grasp to halt.

Inuyasha moved to leap out of the way just as something crashed into his chest with the force of an avalanche. An instant later, the purifying energy met him.

**********************************************************************************************************************************

Ashrem looked out on the morning sun as it dragged dawn along behind it, washing over the natural surroundings with a warm glow. A brilliant, cerulean sky was revealing itself. Those damned storms had finally moved on. It was going to be a lovely day.

He had just experienced one of the most satisfying moments of his life. Though he was fairly certain he had not succeeded in killing Sesshoumaru, surely he had caused him some damage; at least enough to allow for a nice headstart for Rin, who was on her way now, snugly in the clutches of that beautiful jewel, being brought to him with a haste that he himself was directing.

It had been very rewarding, stealing the girl right out from under the dog's nose. He had hoped to have a few more days to gain a better grip on Rin before instructing her to do his bidding, or rather, shoving her aside so that he could take care of it on his own. Unfortunately, Sesshoumaru was quite intelligent and very aware of his surroundings. It had not taken long for the veil of suspicion to fall across his face, something Ashrem had recognized.

It would have been easier to keep his connection with Rin hidden for a longer period of time if the girl hadn't been so … ordinary. It was difficult to disguise so vast a personality and ability change in someone like her. She had no powers of her own, little physical strength, and her personality was too little like his own to make his efforts convincing. He had found his own hatred and disgust for the dog demon shining through like a beacon, something that was difficult to hold back while still maintaining a careful hold on her. Despite that failure, it had been rewarding watching the normally implacable expression of that dog demon briefly flicker from the venomous words of a mere human girl. Sesshoumaru is losing his touch, Ashrem thought with amusement.

Yes, it had been very satisfying.

He looked up at the sky once more, watching as a blindingly bright sphere shot toward him with a speed that would have awed any youkai. He did not so much as blink as it descended toward him, but folded his arms in quiet expectation as the object landed and promptly evaporated into the form of a young woman clutching the Shikon no Tama in her hand. Wordlessly, and with the stare of a corpse, Rin extended the jewel toward him.

"You did wonderfully," he praised her, then frowned as she continued to stare ahead as though she had not heard him. With an exasperated shake of his head, Ashrem made a slight motion with his hand and the girl blinked, regaining an almost-human expression once more.

"You will remain with me for the time being. I suspect your dog lord will come searching for you once he is able to function again." Ashrem laughed cheerfully, reaching out to put an arm around her shoulders, pulling her along with him as he moved back toward the small, abandoned shack he had settled into. "You will be quite a surprise for him, my dear girl. I am interested to see what his decision will be. But, most importantly of all, you will make a wonderful diversion. I thank you for your assistance," he said with a slight bow.

Rin said nothing.

*************************************************************************************************************************

After so painful an experience, one would generally like to awaken to something more peaceful than that which had pulled all conscious thought out from under them. That was not to be the case when one was served by so infernally loud and obnoxious a creature as Jaken.

"Sesshoumaru-samaaaaaaaa!" Jaken called, sounding almost mournful.

Sesshoumaru summoned enough muscular control to sweep his hand out, knocking Jaken from his feet, hoping that that action would let his servant know to be silent. He found that he was overly optimistic.

"Sesshoumaru-sama!" came the cry again, this time joyful…and even louder.

The ringing in his head grew exponentially, not aided when the memory of what precisely had led him to this discomfort came back to mind. Rin … holding the sword … and the Shikon no Tama.

His eyes snapped open. Ignoring the horrible, aching burn that had apparently consumed every nerve, tissue, and organ within his body, Sesshoumaru pushed himself back to his feet. The sun was now hanging heavily in the sky. A downward glance discovered an unconscious, dark-haired Inuyasha sprawled at his feet. He looked up then and found a sight that prompted him to step over his brother's body for a closer look. The front foyer of his home had collapsed inward upon itself in a pile of shredded wood and cracked stone, a silent testimony to what had struck them down.

A heart still beat within that house, one that was awake and afraid. It was thumping very loudly, as it would inside the body of a very frightened, very confused, and very trapped miko. He walked closer to this ruined section of the house, listening intently until he discerned her location, Jaken trailing silently in his wake.

Now he chooses to be silent, Sesshoumaru thought irritably as he began shoving broken timber aside, pulling it away piece by piece until a dusty, dirty arm was made visible. He pushed aside another larger stone, revealing a small cave-like depression that had likely saved Kagome's life. She coughed hoarsely as more chalky-gray dust was disturbed, squinting up into the sudden explosion of daylight. Wordlessly, Sesshoumaru reached in and pulled her up out of the hole, setting her on her feet … and immediately had to fight the impulse to throw her back in when she let out a screech in the form of Inuyasha's name.

Briefly closing his eyes against the renewed pounding in his head, he followed steadily behind Kagome, watching as she ran with impressive speed toward the still form of the hanyou.

"Inuyasha!" Kagome exclaimed, dropping to her knees and reaching out a hand to shake his shoulder, causing his head to loll back and forth like a broken doll. "Inuyasha!"

"Quit shrieking, you wretched female!" Sesshoumaru barked at her. "He's fine!"

She turned her dirty, dust-smeared face and looked back up at him. "He's in his human form! He shouldn't be …," she trailed off, looking uncertainly up at a sky that still held several hours of daylight.

"His hanyou blood could not hold up to what just struck him. It is natural that he would have reverted back to this form." Sesshoumaru fixed her with a fierce, unblinking stare. "You can sense the direction in which the Shikon no Tama went."

"Yes," Kagome said, still watching Inuyasha intently. "Rin left with it," she stated, looking up at him for verification.

He nodded. "Her scent is gone. We have to track her, which means you must come with me."

"I'm not leaving him here," Kagome said of Inuyasha, looking at Sesshoumaru as though he had just lost what common sense she had ever credited him with.

"There is nothing wrong with him, nothing that will not be slept off. I do not have time to wait here until he finishes healing and I will not slow myself by carrying that mutt. If he had done what I had asked of him, she would never have been able to place a hand on that sword. He is fortunate I bothered to pull his worthless skin out of the way of the brunt of that attack." Before she could accuse him of actually giving a damn, he stated, "Somehow the idea of Inuyasha perpetually frozen as a statue on my grounds was very unappealing."

Kagome frowned and looked to him very much as though she was ready argue her side for the rest of the evening. "The Shikon no Tama called that sword to it. There was nothing he could have done!"

"That changes nothing. I need you to track that jewel and you will come with me."

"Don't order me, Sesshoumaru," she warned. "I will not help you until I am sure he is okay. I'm not just going to abandon him here like this with who-knows-what lurking around in that forest of yours."

Sesshoumaru knelt across from her then, separated by Inuyasha's limp body, looking deathly serious. "Do you want me to wake him up?" he asked in an odd tone, and Kagome was suddenly very aware of a look in his eyes that she did not like at all.

"What do you---" she halted her intended question as Sesshoumaru's fingers turned a sickly green. Wordlessly and with casual ease, he plunged his claws into the side of Inuyasha's neck.

"What are you doing?! Stop that!" she screamed at him, horrified.

"Shut up and watch."

Inuyasha's body remained still and securely unconscious while the poison began to work its way through his skin. Then, in the blink of an eye, his entire form gave a violent pulse. His hair went back to white, claws replaced the very human fingernails, and he woke with a jolt, eyes glazed, one of his hands reaching up instantly to clasp around Sesshoumaru's wrist, instinctively trying to shove him away as his demon blood surged in an attempt to defend him.

Sesshoumaru pulled away, shaking free of Inuyasha's grasp. The hanyou's hand fell limply back at his side as he inhaled great lungfuls of air. "Bastard," he said hoarsely, piercing Sesshoumaru with a glare.

"It seems your demon blood has not forsaken you after all, little brother," Sesshoumaru commented wryly. "You can thank your miko for that rude awakening."

"How did you know that that would---" Kagome began, but was stopped by his curt explanation.

"Unless he is lingering near death, a youkai will almost always be revived by his instincts when he feels he is being threatened, even if he is not fully aware of the nature of the threat. Our blood protects us, no matter the state of our health." He eyed Kagome expectantly as Inuyasha moved slowly, painfully, to a seated position. "Now, miko, he is awake and as functional as we can hope for. I expect you to fulfill your end of the bargain."

*************************************************************************************************************************

All right, now we're getting close to a wrap-up! I'm thinking 2 more chapters and an epilogue ought to do it. My goal is to finish this by February. Yeah, yeah…I've got optimism issues. And I've come to the realization that Chapter 16 is terrible in a lot of ways. It's almost straight dialogue. Eeek. Bugs me. Gotta fix later.

Next chapter: Sesshoumaru will locate Rin and find himself facing a pretty tough decision.

To the reviewers:

New Fan: As you can see, Ashrem's dealings with Rin moved very quickly. There really wasn't a good way to draw it out because Sesshoumaru is a smart guy … it's not going to take him long to figure out something's up with her, so it had to be shorter than it was with Midoriko. Ashrem's not going to have a whole lot of time to target Eizan, unfortunately. ;) I'll leave that guy to Sesshoumaru in the sequel. Also, as for "strong feelings"… that's hard to say. Sesshoumaru is all action and less talk, so there's not going to be some huge declaration of love. I think it'd be pretty hard for him to even say that word. ;) The sequel will take a more romantic turn. I didn't want to rush them in this story just for the sake of doing it. It would have been too forced.

Sesshoumaru'sFirefly: Oh, that can hardly have been a surprise! LOL! ;) Ashrem's had his eye on her for like 5 chapters now. :D

Blaise: Sorry to have confused you … if you'll be more specific about what the problem is, maybe I can correct it.

Melanie: Awww, thanks! I was worried about Sesshoumaru not being in character, especially in the first 10 chapters or so, but then I just sort of realized, "Ya know, he wasn't born that stoic badass demon we all know and love. He had to get there from somewhere." So I purposefully gave him more of an "Inuyasha-like" attitude when he was younger. Now the problem with him being out-of-character when he's older is harder to resolve because, basically, he steps out-of-character the moment he opens his mouth. The guy doesn't express himself very much, at least, not without a weapon to do it for him. But when you're writing a story about him, he has to talk. Oh, problems, problems. ;) Thanks for the sweet words!

Silver Spell: Thank you, my dear! Yeah, I've gotta finish up thinking out that plot … a necessary evil. ;)

Noir12: Thanks! Sesshoumaru struck me as being very conscious of that, too. But, the thing is, since he's also the type to say to hell with everyone else, I can also see him getting together with Rin. That's why, in this story, I've tried to make it clear that he could care less what everyone else thinks, but he does not want to dishonor his family. We'll see about more romantic interactions … lol … I'll try to squeeze something in, but, again, it's really hard since they're going to be so newly "together". He doesn't seem especially romantic. Rin's gonna have to train him on that. ;)