Bec: Grr! #Bec growls in frustration# For some reason isn't accepting the fact that I uploaded chapter 3…so I thought I may as well get typing chapter 4 and hopefully once I've uploaded that, they'll both be there and ready for me:s #sighs# technology…it hates me!

#Sighs again and pokes younger sister dejectedly# Bec doesn't own Inuyasha, tee hee! #Bec sighs yet again# I thought it was easier to include her for once…


From Chapter 3...

Kikyou held up the half torn photo, 'come any closer and I'll finish the job.' She smiled icily over at Kagome, who stood for a second, utterly confused, and not liking the situation one bit, she was stuck in the middle of something she didn't understand.

Chapter 4

Kagome looked over at Rin again, who was still in her own world, and wondered what to do. 'Obviously this picture is important, but why?' She stood for a moment trying to figure out what to do. 'Kikyou must know something I don't, I don't understand how she went from determined 16 year old, to glassy-eyed wreck, or why.' Getting more and more frustrated, she suddenly noticed they were attracting attention. Maybe she could use this to her advantage.

Meanwhile, crumpled on the ground and behind the glassy façade Rin was reliving her nightmare that also happened to be her past.

-----Rin's past-----

She could remember when that photo had been taken. Her father had set up the camera tripod in the sand, on their family holiday, and they had all groaned. It was such a standard procedure that they didn't even bat an eye when he started fussing about light, and shadows and 'aesthetics', in fact by now most of them knew almost as much as he did about the whole business. A seven-year-old Rin, still with the same brown hair and eyes, that at this point, seemed almost too large for her face. It gave her an overly serious air, that was immediately broken as she turned to her older brother with a smile. 'Can we go out onto the rocks after this?' She asked, lovingly looking up at her older brother, Tatsuro. Tatsuro grinned back down at her, 'Sure,' he replied after querying their mother with a quick glance, and receiving an affirmative nod. Rin's younger sister, Kira, tugged on her t-shirt sleeve, 'Rin, I come too?' she implored. Rin pulled a face and tried to explain to the three year old, that she was too young, and that she herself, at seven, was much older and experienced. Kira, looked over at their mother, with a pleading look in her eyes. 'If I'd known what was to come I would have taken her, regardless.' Their mother looked downcast, 'but Kira, if you go too, who will stay here and build castles with me…you know daddy can't do it…he's not as good as you.' Kira relented immediately and ran to her mother hugging her legs, 'It's ok mummy, I'll stay with you.'

'Come on now, Tatsuro, you at the back, Rin, to one side…yes, that's right, now Shima, you hold Kira, and step back…just a tad more…' their father, Aku, was still giving directions, and they followed them with good humour. When he was finally satisfied, the timer was set and he made sure he was in spot, in the shot. The result was, as always, perfect. 'I should have known it was too good to last.'

They arrived home three days later, and Rin ran, with her new treasures to her room. She set the newly found and cleaned shells down on her bed and studied her room. It was a light shade of blue, with a single wall of navy, which had all but disappeared beneath all the shells she had collected. She was only allowed to 'decorate' one wall, but she didn't mind. Her young mind was busy at work calculating where these new acquisitions would go. Once she finished she collapsed on her bed, tired from two weeks fun in the sun with her family. She woke to a strange smell. It smelt like when daddy burnt the toast…she got up and slid off her bed, casting a glance to the shell wall, a reassuring presence. She opened her bedroom door and saw smoke, coiling insidiously from the staircase opposite her room, it thickened as she went to climb the stairs, so she turned and headed to the living area…her eyes grew hazy from smoke inhalation, and she stumbled knocking over a partially unpacked suitcase. The contents went everywhere, and she saw the photos her father had taken go flying. She scrambled after them trying to pick them up. Her eyes focused on the last one he had taken on the third film, and she clung to it like a lifeline. She heard sirens in the distance and tottered to the front door, collapsing on the threshold, unable to open the door. Her eyes refused to open, and she felt a pain in her left shoulder, her lungs felt constricted as she struggled to take a breath. She was so confused, she could her screaming, a rough voice and a child crying, with her last coherent thought being of her sister, she lost consciousness.

-----Present----

Tears suddenly started streaming down Rin's face and Kagome took this as her cue. She raised her voice, hoping to attract the teacher's attention, as well as that of her fellow students. Kikyou would have no choice; she couldn't continue such blatant abuse of other's property with the attention of everyone. 'Kikyou, look what you've done, you're so cruel,' Kagome knelt down next to Rin, drawing people's attention to the figure in the dust. 'How could you do this to Rin, she's new, and younger than you are. I know you're a bully, but I didn't think you'd stoop this low.' Kagome smiled to herself, despite her worry for Rin. It was working. She could see out of the corner of her eye, gradually a group was forming, Eri, Ayumi, and Yuka, Sesshoumaru was watching them lazily…but then he wouldn't help, she scanned the rest of the circle and almost whooped when she saw that Miroku was looking over, if he came over with Inuyasha, it would be over…Kikyou would never want Inuyasha to see this side of her so blatantly. She could see Kikyou's face contort, as she too noticed the attention they were attracting.

-----Rin­­­-----

She woke in a strange room, and immediately cried out for her brother, he usually slept in the room next to her, and was always there when she had a bad dream. She sat up and frantically looked around. Then the scent came to her, and she truly started to worry. Her young mind already associated antiseptic with the hospital, and she had been there only when her brother had had his appendix out the year before, and it had been just as scary then as it was now. Her mind now caught up to her, and she felt the pain down her left side full force, she once again lost consciousness. 'If only things could have ended there' Rin tried to stop the next part of the memory, knowing that it would only reopen barely healed wounds…I thought a new school would help heal, but instead I'm tortured again. This time when she awoke there was a man with a kind face standing next to her. 'Now, don't move, you're badly burnt, your left side was exposed to the fire, you were lucky to be near the door, you escaped the worst of it.' Rin blinked trying to sort through the information. 'F-f-f-fire?' she croaked, her throat protesting use. Then she started to panic, 'Where's mummy, daddy, Tatsuro and Kira?' 'Hush, hush,' the strange man said, she started to fidget with her blanket, for some reason she couldn't se them. 'Now's not the time for that, now you need to rest.' And with that she suddenly felt drowsy again. Her lids became heavy and the last things she remembered was whispering, 'Tatsuro…you were always beside me…where are you?' 'No, NO!' The present day Rin fought to break out of the vicious cycle, and realised that tears were streaming down her face, 'It's not fair, I don't want to go through this again.'

-----Present-----

'The sooner I get this over with the sooner I can help Rin, thank goodness Kouga was over the other side of the camp,' Kagome was now pretty sure that she was doing the right thing. She could hear vague murmurings from the onlookers and noted that Inuyasha had followed Miroku to see what the fuss was about. Again she spoke out, 'what did Rin ever do to you? You go through her things and now you're destroying her property! Look what an effect it's had on her!' She left her true anger at the events be evident in her voice, despite only just getting to know Rin, she already considered her a friend, and was seething on her behalf. Kagome noticed a sudden flicker on her vision and her eyes darted to Sesshoumaru, but he was still just watching in the background…'odd, I could've sworn he moved' she dismissed the thought, and as she did so saw to her surprise Inuyasha step out of the ring of onlookers. Kikyou's face dropped.

-----Rin-----

Her eyes opened and she looked around. She took in the picture standing on the bedside table; alongside it was the customary bowl of fruit. Sitting up realised she was no longer in pain, and she experimentally wriggled her toes and fingers. A dull throb and ache, was her only response. Thankful, she slid her legs to the side of the bed and slipped out, bad idea. Her left leg gave out underneath her and she collapsed to the floor. The commotion brought a nurse running, and he quickly lifted her back onto her bed. 'Now where were you headed?' he asked in a kind tone. She licked her lips, 'I was looking for my family.' She forced out in a quiet voice. He picked up the chart at the end of her bed, and she saw the grim look that graced everyone else's faces when they looked at it, now descend on his previously calm face. 'Hang on, I'll be back in a minute.' He said and headed out with her chart. She sighed, and sat back, wondering what was going on, and why her parents and family hadn't been allowed in to see her. Rin hardened, and firmly tried to push the memory away. She had been so naïve, hadn't even suspected…her mental resolve faded, and she was once again sucked into her memory. She waited patiently and a few minutes later the nurse returned with the doctor from before. 'Now, Rin we have some rather bad news,' the doctor began, 'the fire you were in, it burnt down your whole house.' Rin's head reeled and spun, their house, gone. Everything, gone. She realised the doctor was still talking and tried to listen. '…to believe, but your brother sustained much worse injuries than yourself.' The doctor seemed to realise that what he had said hadn't registered, as he muttered something to the nurse, and left quietly. The nurse sat next to Rin's bed, and stated the terrible news calmly, but with compassion rarely found. 'Rin, your parents, and younger sister, were trapped in the fire; the fire service couldn't get to them in time.' Here he paused, and saw Rin's eyes were filled with tears. 'You've got to be thankful that they would've been unconscious from the smoke when they died.' He stopped to give her a moment; Rin was reliving her last moments in her home, the rough voice…her father; the child crying…her sister. They were both gone, taken away from her. Then her brain registered something; he hadn't said anything about her brother. 'W-w-what about Tatsuro?' she choked out, 'my brother.' He looked at her with his eyes filled with pain. 'They brought him in with you…' Rin's eyes glowed with hope, 'Really? Where is he? When can I see him?' He looked away and answered, 'You can see him now if you like…but he's very badly burned' He had added the last bit, even though he knew she wasn't hearing him, she had the look of hope you see in those stranded at sea, when they've just been thrown a life belt. He sighed and got up reluctantly, preparing to take her.

-----Present-----

'Just exactly what is going on here?' he demanded, his voice hard, and his eyes flashing with anger. Kikyou immediately smiled and her posture relaxed from its bullying pose. 'Oh nothing Inu honey, it's nice to know you're concerned about me though,' a girlish smile teased the corners of her mouth. Inuyasha's golden orbs narrowed, as Kagome's anger escalated. Now, of all times Kikyou was flirting with him! She could hardly believe that even Kikyou could be so cold hearted. She looked down a Rin, who had now stopped crying, but still had the same glazed look on her face, as though trapped within her own soul. She looked back at Kikyou, not realising that her miko aura was starting to grow. Inuyasha started towards Kikyou, 'How many times have I told you that we're through?' he asked his voice cold, 'so don't call me Inu honey, ever again…' he stopped in his tracks. He could sense the anger emanating from the other girl, Kagome, was it? But he could also sense a growing miko aura…how was that possible? He turned and looked at her and was surprised to see her glowing with a white light. He looked at Kikyou again, who was now looking slightly worried, and he noticed a photo flutter from her grasp.

He swiftly retrieved it and saw that Kagome was now looking at him. 'Give me the photo,' she said. Stated. Not a question, just a statement. 'So you just going to hand it over then?' Inuyasha almost flicked his ears in annoyance, then stopped himself knowing it would shatter his human disguise. 'Yes,' he thought back to the annoying voice, 'does it look like a good idea to anger this strange miko?' And with that he gave a 'Keh', and let the photo drop out of his fingers as he walked away, past Kagome.

-----Rin-----

She was flushed with excitement, and the nurse knew it was going to be harder than normal. He opened the curtain to the bed next to her, and saw her face stiffen in shock. Her brother was barely recognisable, and he was hooked to all sorts of drips, and he was still unconscious. 'B-but I…' she trailed off. 'He hasn't regained consciousness since he was brought in,' the nurse filled in the silence. 'How long have we been here?' Rin could hear her voice cracking. 'Only about 10 days.' The silence hung like a thread, waiting to be broken. Rin dissolved into tears, listening to the steady pulse of her brother's life support machine. She suddenly stopped, as the beeping grew slightly more frantic. She looked, with crazed eyes, and the nurse saw what was happening. 'Oh no,' he ran to call the doctor. Rin could only watch as she saw the life of her brother drain away before her very eyes…as the machine flat lined she was hoarse with disbelief. 'Tatsuro…' she whispered, before her world became a blur. She realised tears were pouring silently down her face, as her last remaining member of family perished. She was alone.

-----Present-----

Kagome felt Rin stir, as the frozen onlookers slowly melted back into the darkness, and she helped the girl to her feet, and held out the photo, Rin took it unseeingly, and with Kagome guiding her headed to her tent. As Rin took the photo she saw the back, the writing flashing in the firelight. 'I will remember those who have gone.' Followed by four names. Kagome looked quickly around and realised Kikyou and her minions had gone.


Bec: Well, there it is…now tell me who guessed? OK hopefully I'll be able to put up both chapters now! #Bec pulls a face# Otherwise I will be most annoyed!