UnSpoken Love By: OtakuSailorV

Chapter 26: Nearing the End of the Road

She still had no weapon, but Rin was determined to help any way she could. It was hard, trying to figure out a way to help, but she knew if she thought long enough about it, she'd come up with something.

The problem was that time was one thing she just didn't have anymore. She had to find a way to help and get all this mess sorted out before she and Sesshoumaru reached their target, and that was probably, oh, in five seconds, give or take a few.

It struck her like a lightening bolt out of nowhere. She could try and use her miko powers, couldn't she? Kagome fused them to her arrows to fight, but couldn't Rin try calling them up into her hands and throw punches? She doubted her skill in hand-to-hand combat, but it must be done. She could think of no other way to help and for now it was her safest bet seeing as she didn't know how to fight with swords like Sesshoumaru, Inuyasha and Sango did.

Ok, so maybe she could only use one arm, but it was still a good plan, right? She looked at the bloody broken arm at her side. She had insisted on not tending to it before going off to join the fight against Naraku. It was just too big of a gamble to rest now. Even though every move that Sesshoumaru made jumbled it causing new waves of pain to strike her.

Sesshoumaru glanced down at his passenger, the blood coating her left arm was drying now, and the cloth that had once been her sleeve stuck to it. The smell of so much blood was reeking havoc on him, but he wasn't one to complain about such things. He was worried for her though; she kept wincing in pain, though she never once let a moan of pain escape her, nor did she protest against his movements.

Well, they were nearly on top of the crusade now, and he would force her cousin to care for her while he finished off Naraku.

Inuyasha cursed, as he barely was able to force off another barrage of the long vine-like tentacles that Naraku persisted in attacking them with. He was growing weary of this battle, and he was starting to wonder when his stupid brother was gonna show up with Rin. Not that he was worried for his brother; on the other hand, he was worried for Rin. Who knew what kind of things that damned brother of his was putting her through!

Almost as if in answer to his thoughts, a silver and white blur streaked across his vision suddenly; Inuyasha was taken aback when he recognized his brother.

His nose instantly picked up the scent of fresh blood though, and it wasn't his brother's either! Rin was bleeding!

Golden eyes narrowed as he nearly barked at his brother in his anger, giving chase to the man that carried the injured girl in his arms. He seemed to be making a beeline for Kagome. "Hold it right there Sesshoumaru!"

His brother didn't slow though, didn't even act as if he had heard a thing at all. Inuyasha was furious. What had the bastard done to Rin!

Kagome, who was riding with her sister Sango on the back of Kirara turned when she heard the ruckus. Sango swung her boomerang bone at several of the Saimyoushou that crowded about before turning as well. "They're coming this way." She commented, blinking curiously.

Kirara wrinkled her nose at the scent of Rin's blood and growled at the intruding Sesshoumaru.

Seeing where they were headed, Rin glanced at Sesshoumaru, disgruntled. She understood if he was concerned, but she wanted to help, not sit on the sidelines because of her stupid arm. She gave up being angry almost as soon as it struck her though; he was just trying to help her out after all. Fumbling, she tried to hide her arm, hoping maybe that they wouldn't notice.

Kirara swiftly descended to where Sesshoumaru stood, waiting for them. Calling up his poison whip, he fended off an attack from Naraku with ease. Couldn't the silly humans go any faster? They didn't have time to dawdle around right now!

"What's going on?" Kagome asked when she saw the sheepish look on Rin's face, she looked like she was hiding something, the girl had always been a bad liar.

Sesshoumaru walked over proudly, ignoring Kagome completely. Placing Rin on Kirara's back, he gave her almost a worried look before glancing at her arm again.

"It's alright, I'm fine." Rin answered the question she knew he would never ask, especially in front of her cousins.

Sango started when she saw Rin's arm. "Oh, Rin!" She gasped, knowing that they had to be youkai teeth marks.

Kagome gasped as well. What had happened to her poor little cousin? She was covered in blood on her left side!

Rin flinched visibly, but not from the pain. She hadn't wanted her cousins to see that she was injured. They would surely blame Sesshoumaru for it, and she knew they didn't have time to explain. Even now Naraku was preparing to strike them.

"No time!" Rin cut them all off loudly, drowning out their words. She gave Sesshoumaru one last glance, mentally telling him to be safe as Kirara took to the air again, narrowly avoiding an oncoming attack from Naraku.

Sesshoumaru parried the attack aimed at him with ease, all the while keeping one golden eye on the flaming youkai cat.

His eyebrows came together as he fought off the vines, trying to advance while also dealing with a strange sense of worry that overtook him. He wasn't used to such distractions and utterly hated that they were cropping up now. Why was he more worried about the girl now than he had been when he was beside her? It was utterly useless trying to sort anything out during a fight though, so he forged onward, trying to get the human off his mind.

Rin frowned, getting a good view of the landscape surrounding the battle from their vantage-point.

Naraku could not reach them up this far, but the Hell Wasps and his other minor demon minions howled and raced through the air toward them in a growing mass. Her two cousins and Kirara all easily took them down though.

Rin herself was trying to experiment with her own miko powers. It was hard, she had been a such a slacker when Kikyou had taught her that she had progressed at a snails pace. She was hating herself for it now though. If she had simply applied herself like she should have. . .But it was no good to dwell on that now, she would just have to do what she could and focus more in the future. . .If there was a future.

It was painful, trying to draw out energy in her good hand. To do this, though, she had had to release the grip that she'd had on her broken and bloody arm. It now hung loosely and uselessly at her side, pain stabbing through it every few seconds.

She winced as Kirara made a wide swing to avoid some attack and her arm was thrown. It threw off her concentration as well, and she had to start anew on gathering energy for her attack. At this rate she'd be lucky to even manifest a pink glow.

Her eyes widened a touch when she finally felt her fingertips tingle and twitch with warmth. She remembered distinctly that she was supposed to feel something like this when she first called up the miko magic. It would fade with experience, but for now it was a comforting sensation. She concentrated harder and the energy became somewhat tangible. A shimmer-y pink glow around her warmed fingertips.

The pain in her other arm started to dissipate and Rin quickly switched her focus away from it, trying to think only of firing a burst of energy at the cloud of demons hovering nearby. It would be no good if she exhausted herself repairing her damaged arm.

The pink glow took a round form; she could feel the small power radiating. It was not much to be particularly proud of, but she was nonetheless. By now she thought she could use it as an attack, but she wasn't sure how to initiate an attack really. She hadn't even thought past what her next move would be after gathering the energy.

She had watched plenty of shows where they simply aimed their arm and the magic energy seemed to fire itself while the user uttered some battle cry. But she felt silly doing that, and didn't think it would work that way in the first place, most things you saw on TV didn't happen in real life.

Maybe pointing her hand toward her attackers would work though, she wasn't sure, but it was worth a try. . .

Shifting her arm so that it pointed toward the heart of the demons attacking and tried to focus her thoughts on shooting it in that direction. It took her a moment, and she could feel perspiration rolling down the side of her face due to the effort.

Rin gasped both in surprise and in pain as a sudden white-hot pressure built up in her palm and then immediately shot forward, jerking her arm back and nearly sending her flying backward into Kagome. Kagome gasped from the impact, and steadied Rin gently, but other than that said nothing. Rin grasped Kirara's flanks tightly between her legs, trying to keep herself seated.

Sango and Kirara, both shocked as well by the sudden attack swung off to one side quickly as the hoard of demons exploded, the attack making a swift contact. Rin felt an odd smile cross her features as she noticed this. She had done it! She had successfully fired her first attack, and without anyone else's help too!

It soon faded when Sango looked over, obviously thinking she might be hurt. Kagome leaned forward, she had not said a word yet and Rin wondered if she had been watching the entire time. She should have warned Sango before firing. . .

Rin gave her a jittery look, her cheeks flushing a little. Kirara mounted further into the sky, roaring in response to the cries of the chasing demons. "Ah, I'm sorry Sango-chan, I was. . ." She dropped off as Kagome smiled warmly and placed a comforting hand on her cousin's shoulder.

"You were able to use your miko powers at last." She complimented.

Sango caught on immediately and smiled in return, nodding encouragingly before turning back and readying the Hiraikotsu for another attack.

As Sango swung it out to destroy the last of Naraku's demons and Hell Wasps, Kagome leaned down to whisper in Rin's ear. "Try to inform us before you fire next time, though."

As Kirara disappeared amongst a cloud of demons and miasma, Sesshoumaru gracefully cut his way through toward Naraku's heart, where he was sure the cause of all this waited.

His brother kept crying out from various points every once in a while using the Kaze no Kizu to blow away a whole section of the vines and roots. He was wasting his energy; Sesshoumaru had learned before that it was easier to dodge them and only cut the ones that made a frontal attack instead of worrying about every side attack as well. The nasty things had a tendency to re-grow immediately when he cut them off anyway, so he saw no point in wasting any vital energy that would be needed to slay Naraku.

And he was determined to be the one to cut down the foe. He was the reason that the Council had been interfering in his affairs so much lately. Besides, the man was simply a nuisance; Sesshoumaru took no liking to the creature that stole the shapes of others.

Wowie! It's been a really long time since I last updated! eyes pop out Gomen nasai, minna-san, you probably thought I had given up on this project!

Things came up for school the week I was to update this (damn you Biology!) and I was unable to write. I'm still facing this problem, but it will all be over soon and I can return to regular updates hopefully. le sigh I'm terribly sorry, I hate to keep using excuses, I feel like a whiny idiot.

Ah! I nearly forgot, there were questions about the events of the last chapter that I was pretty sureI answered in the text. I went back over the chapter after receiving word of this and found thatI had indeed not. I revised and replaced the chapter, so if you were curious, you can go back and check it, though there's not much difference...

Thanks to those that review and keep patient with me, again. I really appreciate it, and I do plan on finishing the story soon. Another chapter or two and we're all done here. Eheh. . .

Thanks again and I'll be sure to update again by summer break! Ja'ne!

Review Please?