Alone Again

AN: This was something I wrote almost two years ago. So... I hope it's not total crap.Re-reading it, it seems a bit peverse... I don't get along with my dad very well, though I know he loves me.This is most depressing... Sorry. R & R, please.

There was a demon crouched over Rin's slight form, crumpled on the ground. She moaned and I fought to control the wild beating of my heart.

'It's alright,' I told myself, 'it will leave the moment it sees me and never bother us again. She- she cannot be badly hurt.'

"This Sesshomaru, Lord of the Western Lands, commands you to step away from his ward, the human child Rin." I called out coldly.

The demon turned, grinning at me stupidly. Blood dripped from its claws. It looked like a tiger, except three times the size and greenish. Still grinning it leapt for me. I drew my sword. The real sword, not the Tensaiga, given to me by my father. That was a sword of healing, of no real use. The only reason I kept it was that he had given it to me. I raced forward, my hair flying out behind me. I whipped my sword up, slicing itsthroat open. Its blood spattered everywhere, but I managed to avoid most of it. The demon collapsed behind me, already dying of blood loss as I ran to Rin's side.

"Rin." I whispered, rolling her over to examine her wound. It was bad, probably fatal. Rin was human, she was frail, her tiny body couldn't stand this sort of injury. The demon's claws had torn a hole in her chest. I could recover from that, but Rin... She whimpered. It was a miracle she was even alive.

"Sesshy-sama?" She asked.

"Yes, Rin?" I replied, my tone more gentle than usual. Looking at her eyes, I realized they were glazed over, not sparkling and laughing like usual. That scared me.

"Sesshy-sama, Rin's afraid."

"It's alright, Rin. I promise it will be alright." It would be, I reminded myself. Tensaiga had healed her before. Rin would live, even if she died again.

"Promise, Sesshy-sama?"

"I promise, Rin. Everything will be fine." I took off my armor and outer kimono. Softly I spread the cloth over her, trying to ignore the dark blood that seeped through it, staining it red. For what felt like an hour I held her, cradling her in my lap.

"Sesshy-sama, Rin say thank you. You was good to Rin. Rin loves you." She whispered. Her eyes, once so young and happy, now filled with pain, flicked over my face. Then she sighed and closed them.

"Rin?" I asked, trying to control my panic.

"Rin loves you." She repeated. I bent closer to hear her words.

"Father..."

My eyes widened. Father? She thought of me as her father? I wasn't her father, but... was that how I felt? Like I wanted to shield her, protect her. And underneath it all this fear I would lose her. Like I loved her. My child. My daughter.

Awkwardly I bent down to kiss her forehead.

"I love you, Rin." I don't know if she heard me, because when I pulled back she was dead.

"No!" I gasped. This wasn't right. This wasn't supposed to happen. Shakily I drew in a breath. Tensaiga. I could bring her back with it. Quickly I stood and drew the sword my father gave me. Raising it above my head, I swung it down with all my strength.

'Heal,' I thought. 'Heal her. Bring her back. Please.'

I gazed down at her. The blood and wound were gone, but she had not moved. I drooped to my knees beside her.

"Rin." I took her arm. She still didn't move. I felt for her pulse. There was no beat. Rin was gone forever. Tensaiga couldn't bring her back.

Numbly I sat back, clutching my kimono. It was soaked with Rin's blood. I would have to wash it. I headed to the near by stream. That was where Jaken found me, gently scrubbing the silk.

"Lord Sesshomaru! What are you- you should not be made to wash your own clothes! You should have made the human child wash them for you. It is not like she ever does any real work."

"Jaken," I said, my voice cold. "Do you presume to tell me how to take care of my own daughter?"

"No, my lor- daughter?"

"Rin was as my own child. I believe you were supposed to be watching her." There was no tremor in my voice. Rin was dead. I could not change that.

"I left for some firewood, my lord."

"Really.Rin is dead, Jaken, because you weren't there. My child." I turned to him and drew my second sword. His eyes were huge. How I hated that expression.

"You will be with her next time. You will be with her always." In less than a second I killed him. I had given him a job and he failed. He was of no further use. Then again, I had also failed to protect Rin. Perhaps I should follow his fate. My gaze rested on the sword in my hand.

Sword. My half blood brother still held Tetsusaiga, the sword our father gave him. The sword that could kill 100 demons in one swing. InuYasha had no right to it. Tetsusaiga should be mine.

I stood. There was no time to grieve. I loved Rin, but I could not do anything more than bury her. Then I would leave. Alone. I had been alone much of my life. Still it was strange, after all those people, to be alone again.