(Hangs head in shame) Yes, I did it. I shot Sesshoumaru. First, I would like to thank my friends Lauren (Raurenu-Chan), Marie (Lindorie-Chan) and Katie (Grapesforall) for constantly supporting me in this fic. And threatening me with pitchforks and various blunt objects. Not that the story is anywhere near ending, no, no! I just wanted to display my gratitude, and to you reviewers!

Friends: w00t!

Me: (goes red) Oh no, not the w00t.

Friends: w00t, w00t ( all dance )

Me: (shrugs and joins the dance )

Anyway, on with the story.


Chapter Eight: Silence breaks

Rin fell to the floor, landing heavily on her elbows, in a split second a rainbow of emotions flickered across her mind; hurt, rejection, anger. Then she realised this was a split second too long.

A bullet flew through the open window and implanted itself in Sesshoumaru's chest; his eyes were closed, braced. She breathed in when she realised that the spot it had hit was the spot she had been resting her head on a moment before, that bullet had been for her.

Rin's flickering emotions stopped at guilt as a sense of responsibility washed over her, she had enough time for her eyes to fill with tears.

Then she screamed.

She screamed because Sesshoumaru was going to die, she screamed because it was meant for her, she screamed because it was all her fault.

She didn't stop screaming when Inuyasha and his friends burst into the room, by then her tears had formed a puddle next to Sesshoumaru's head, where she'd been sitting. She couldn't stop screaming, no, she didn't want to stop. She would only pause for breath. Kagome had rushed to her side and comforted her, saying it was only the shock. Rin started breathing very fast when she stopped screaming at last, hyperventilating, she hyperventilated.

'This is all my fault' were the words that stung in her brain, the blood pumping in her ears even ringing the words, burning them into her memory.

---

Sesshoumaru was in the state between consciousness and unconsciousness. His brain was perfectly blank.

'Hmm, isn't there supposed to be a bright light or tunnel or something?' he mused in his head, and as if by magic there was a bright light. Too bright for his liking, it glared down at him piercingly

"Turn it off" he mumbled sleepily.

---

Inuyasha bopped his barely conscious brother on the head with his fist.

"Turn what off?" he demanded.

Sesshoumaru put his hand to his face to rub his eyes when a twitch in his chest made him immediately regret the action. He recognised the glare of the lights and the smell. He was in the hospital. Two words travelled to his numb brain before the feeling returned to his chest.

'Oh bugger'

"Argh!" he exclaimed, as his chest seemed to want him to notice that there was a hole in it.

"So, what happened?" Inuyasha said slowly, ignoring Sesshoumaru's rather undignified 'Argh' and leaning on the edge of the hospital bed.

"What do you mean; what happened? Nothing, we're just here because getting shot is the in thing, Inuyasha" Sesshoumaru snapped, smacking his brother upside the head with his good arm, the left one.

"I mean, what did you see?" Inuyasha said excitedly "Like, when it happened?"

"A bullet" Sesshoumaru said vaguely "And a bloody bright light"

"I mean, do you know who did it?"

"Yes"

"You know?" Inuyasha remarked in surprise

"Well, I was there, you know" Sesshoumaru said bluntly, skidding through the events in his mind "Wait, what about Rin?"

"She had a big hissy fit, hyperventilating and screaming her bloody head off. What were you doing in there anyway? Miroku had a few ideas..."

Luckily, Sesshoumaru did not get a chance to answer or, indeed, throttle his brother because their father and Izayoi walked, in. Izayoi had an arm round Rin, who was also with them.

"You've woken, thank goodness" Izayoi sighed, relieved. "Now, I want you to tell us everything"

---

Naraku slammed his hands down on the table, making fists. It was already on the news. He'd guessed something was wrong and cursed himself for sending Kagura. Of course, that guy had got involved, and Kagura had freaked.

Now he'd have to deal with her.

He had a feeling Kagura was already going to try to get away after it'd all fallen apart. Kagura was a smart girl, but she lacked guts and ruthlessness. He didn't pity Kagura; it'd seemed she'd run away in fear to the untrained eye. She didn't. She ran away in spite, she ran away because she knew he'd have to come and get her. Naraku slipped a gun in his pocket.

And get her he would.

---

Kagura stood on the bridge, her cell phone hissing in her ear.

"Is it good to go?" she snapped into the phone.

There was a mumbled talking on the end of the line.

"Excellent, yes. I understand. OK. When?" she said excitedly

The mumbling continued.

"Yes, good. This will not fail, you understand?"

There was a sharp hissed mumble and a spark of static on the other end.

"Good, with you working for me, I will have Naraku dead and that Rin brat silenced. Permanently"

Kagura hung up and stood on the side of the bridge.

"You did not doubt I would come" a cold voice reached her ears. Naraku.

She smiled slyly but didn't turn "I knew you would" she whispered.

"Then, Kagura. You will already know why I have come?" Naraku said, a sort of pleasured malice in his voice.

"Oh, yes." Kagura grabbed her gun and turned around "And that was why I drew you here!"

"My dear Kagura, do you not know?" Naraku pulled his gun from his pocket behind his back. "One of us is to die here, and I assure you it will not be me."
Kagura smirked "That is what you think!" her finger closed on the trigger.

"That is what I know, Kagura"

In a moment that seemed to pass like an hour for Kagura, she pulled the trigger. A pain in her chest made her start. Naraku had shot her; she gave a little 'Oh' of surprise and tumbled off of the bridge and into the water.

"You understand now Kagura? It was all planned by me," Naraku said, looking over the edge of the bridge to the sinking body.


Animefreak321654 - Yes, I am evil. Sorry about that!

Lindorie- Chan - Grrr.

Narye-Ah - Thanks...I think. I'm glad you liked it. Or, well, I'm glad you took the time to shout 'NO' at me :)

Nani-Nadja - I'm sorry if I made you cry but... 'HOTNESS'? (Backs away from fangirl)

CryingOverWill - (points to chapter) Happy? I was going to have her commit suicide but it wouldn't fit with the story so...Meh.

Inu obbsessed! o.0 - Hehe, thank you for the review. No I don't have AIM.

kawaii-ish - Oh, so it was WAAAAAA (Runs and hides)

Retta - Oh well, the suspense is all part of the fun (readers glare) I mean..uh...

New Fan - Thank you, New Fan! For your first review anyway, I mean, your second one was just as scary as all the others I've been getting.

SakuyaTsuki - Thanks for being 1 of the few who did not yell -

winterwing3000 - Yeah, I tried to make it take a while but...this is MY story and I make the rules.

ayra - Thank you a lot.

Shadow Dragon59 - Unfortunately, no. He is not a demon and nor is anyone else.

(All of you seemed to have missed the fact that I simply would not kill him THIS EARLY ON. I'm not guaranteeing he's NOT going to die though, this is a Tragedy Fic, after all)