Chapter 5

Authors Note: Glad everyone liked it Read and Review!

Rin sat up, it each day felt like a day closer to that nightmare and Sesshomaru's eyes seemed to be closely latched upon her as if he knew. Jaken never understood what was going on and rarely talked to prevent from getting hurt harder then usual. Sesshomaru stared towards the girl, his human child looked terrible. Her smile was becoming forced now, and dark circles hung under her eyes, as much as he hated it. They couldn't travel today, searching for Naraku and even finding him, what good would it do her? He stopped abruptly, Jaken almost bumping into him and falling on his face, the dragon stepping on his back, Rin staring down towards him, her eyes widening as she quickly backed the dragons up- without a word.

"Rin"

"Hai Sesshomaru-sama?"

"Are you hungry?"

The human child blinked, he was never really blunt like this and neither was he offering to feed her so early in the day. Rin was so surprised by this she could hardly think of the right answer. "A little my lord but I can wait…" She said a bit uncertainly.

"Then we'll eat. Jaken prepare camp. Were staying here."

Jaken blinked "But…but my lord, it's so early in the day and…"

A foot collided with his head as Jaken fell forward, and while the toads head was smushed into the ground with Sesshomaru's foot on top of him. The lord smiled down towards the young girl, a secret smile, "Take care of Jaken" He said removing his foot and walking off into the woods.

Rin did as told smiling much easier as she did, her arms wrapping around the small toad and pulling him up. The toad didn't understand what happened that day, why Rin changed back to herself so quickly. He didn't understand what had happened between his master and her, and he never understood why Rin had followed two demons so loyally to begin with. But, he was happy. She was as much his as his master's. She had grown to them, her smile, her touch, her voice, and he and his master's bond had even proven stronger because of this girl. Because now they shared the same fear, losing her. Mortality would take her one day and they'd have to live with it…for centuries more.

Sesshomaru came back with some meat and he didn't talk much, sitting down and preparing the meat for Jaken and himself. Rin smiled and clapped her hands delighted, humming at pleasantly by there early brunch. It was nice to just rest and so she slept after she ate, and she swore before she fell into a pleasant sleep, she swore she felt Sesshomaru-sama's finger tips graze her brown hair in a fatherly manner. And that morning the girl dreamed of a demon lord…who would allow her to call him father.

XoX

Inuyasha paused as he walked along, he felt like he was getting nowhere or hardly moving. Like each step wasn't taking him in the wrong direction and not the right one. He had such a powerful urge to just lunge forward and leave the four of them covered in his dust. It was such a disgusting feeling to wish to do this to your family. He couldn't help it, they were his family every one of them meant the world to him. Kagome was something, nothing and everything all rolled into one. Shippo was a kid, a brother perhaps, maybe even in some ways a son. Miroku was a companion, a friend, a brother, and even stranger ways respectable. Sango was…Sango was something. Sango was a friend, maybe a best friend. Though his and Sango's bond wasn't as open as everyone else's they understood each other's pain more then anybody else did. They connected they were….the same.

He paused looking through them, it was to silent, it made his ears twitch. All there footsteps were almost at the same time. Except Sango's and his. Sango's were much harder then everyone else's, her brown eyes firm, fierce. Like she wanted to bolt off as badly and uncontrollably as he did. As if she had her own demon to slay….

It had been a week since that day, Kagome was better and so was everyone else. Except him and Sango it seemed like once again they were the only ones sharing any sort of pain.

"Inuyasha! Can we stop for lunch!" Kagome said hopefully, holding up a bagged lunch from her 'backpack'. He stared towards her, stopping was the last thing he wanted to do, eating was even worse.

"Keh! You humans are so weak!" He mumbled hoping to get on her nerves and keep going but here came Miroku ready to defend the 'starving' Kagome.

"Now now Inuyasha, we've been going for hours and lunch does sound quite appealing even to me."

Inuyasha opened his mouth to snap at the two but Sango's voice came out before he could say anything else. "We've only been going for a few hours, I'm not hungry and neither is Inuyasha so it looks like it's a tie"

"Sango-chan…" Kagome whispered almost shocked, Inuyasha raising a brow as well.

"There's only one way to settle this Kagome-sama"

"Rock, paper, scissors!"

Inuyasha twitched as did Sango. "Fine" Inuyasha scuffed for the two of them as they moved there hands.

"Shoot"

Kagome did paper, Miroku did scissors, Inuyasha had done rock and so had Sango.

"Inuyasha your out, and so is Miroku-sama, so it's just me and Sango-chan" Kagome said almost happily. This was a game from her time, she had a pretty fair advantage of winning.

Inuyasha stared towards Sango as she brushed past him, dropping Hirakotsu at his feet and pulling her hair out, her youkata falling to the ground. Standing in front of Kagome, in her exterminators outfit and her brown hair blowing wildly in the wind, her hair tie being carried off.

"Sango looks serious, eh Inuyasha?" Miroku said blinking a few times almost a bit afraid. She never had her hair all the way down but to the poor perverted monk it wasn't the least displeasing.

"Rock"

"Paper"

"Scissors"

"Shoot!"

The hands came down easily, Kagome's hand being a paper while Sango's was scissors. A smile burned the slayers cherry lips as she lifted Hirakotsu back on her shoulder slowly walking again. "Were go another hour or two and stop then" She said over a shoulder, Inuyasha being the first to follow and then Miroku and last Kagome. What had gotten into the slayer?

XoX

"You're saying you want to be with me Kouga?"

"I told you I would not leave your side and I have not yet, have I Kikyou?"

The miko smiled staring towards him, "And what if you have to leave me?"

"I vowed I wouldn't. I'll take care of you forever"

"But Inuyasha…"

Kouga stared towards the miko, his hands clamping onto her shoulders as his blue eye stared into hers. His black hair piling over his shoulder as he bent down to look into her eyes. "He's in the past just like Kagome is for me…can't you…put it behind you?"

"Why do you like me anyway Kouga! What could you see in someone dead like me?"

Kikyou stared towards him, tears in her eyes as she turned her head to the side. "Now look what you made me do" Kikyou's voice trembled as Kouga let out a slow sigh, looking up towards the sky.

"I don't know what I see in you or why I like you this much, maybe it's just because I like you." He said finally. "That's the only thing I can think of, I don't know why it happened or why it could happen, you can't do anything more for me then any other demon or human could. You can't grant me an heir and you have nothing I want…other then you."

Kikyou stared towards him, the tears still unshed in her eyes. "I haven't cried in so long…"

"Then cry, I'll hold you, if you can't love me as a lover yet, love me as your friend, you companion. And with time Kikyou-sama I will when your heart." His strong arms wrapped around her and she let herself break in Kouga's arms, tears flowing down her face as her hand squeezed his shoulder and his firm armor.

Kikyou pulled out staring up towards him, "Something bad is going to happen Kouga" She said wiping away the tear slowly. "Naraku has sent someone after me, and not only me, Kagome and Inuyasha's demon slayer companion and whomever else it may concern."

Kouga stared towards her raising a brow. "That was unexpected…what are you talking about?"

"A man that looks like you is watching us." Kikyou whispered, "Somewhere in Kanna's mirror, this man and Naraku are watching us."

Kouga growled lowly, staring towards her angrily. "How can you be so certain?"

"My instincts are never wrong Kouga" Kikyou stared towards him firmly. "That's why I stopped crying, I felt the mirror opening and we don't need to let them know were close or he'll use it against us somehow. They can't hear us but they see everything Kouga."

Kouga paused staring towards her seriously; "Fine" His mouth seemed dry. "Do you know what there planning?"

"No…" Kikyou said slowly as she felt the invisible void close a sigh of relief escaping her mouth. "It's gone"

"How'd you know it was there?"

"Naraku loves me…he's always checking up on me, even with that baby as his human heart…whenever it's near him he has an uncontrollable urge to see me. To see what I'm doing, who I'm with, how I'm suffering. Any pleasure or pain he can get from it…he yearns for it, for me."

Kouga twitched anger burning in his visable eye. "I won't let him!"

Kikyou smiled. "You sound like Inuyasha"

Kouga growled looking to the side, mumbling something about the half breed mutt and then sighing miserably.

"Shall we continue to look for Naraku, Kikyou?" He said finally breaking the ice that had arose between them in even such a very short time.

Kikyou smiled. "I'm glad you asked, yes, it's a fine day to kill a half breed isn't it?"

Kouga's eyes widened slightly, "Half breed?"

"Yes, it's hard to remember sometimes that Naraku is just a half demon…" Her voice trailed off as she began walking. "Lets get moving, it will be night soon."

Kouga nodded following forward watching her hair move behind her. Her hair was always down like his was now, he was tempted too….

Kouga walked up to her, running a clawed hand through her hair and tying it. "What are you doing?" Kikyou asked over a shoulder staring towards him, her black hair pulled up in a high pony tail like his used to be. He smiled pleased, "For now, you should wear my hair tie and you should wear it like this until you have confidence enough to wear it YOUR way." Kouga said smiling walking by her side now. Kikyou smiling a bit red, staring towards him. "You're a goof you know that?" "So I've been told…"

XoX

Night fell quickly on Rin, her heart racing. "Jaken-sama wake up Jaken-sama………." She tugged at his body eager to get him to wake as the demon stood over her. She couldn't see him but it was HIM. It was THE ONE. Sesshomaru-sama had left to get dinner and THIS MAN had knocked out the fire. She couldn't scream she didn't want him to find her, she couldn't run, she was on her knees, she couldn't see him. She crawled over Jaken's body, pausing as she stared towards him. As she saw a foot step over Jaken as well.

"He doesn't want Jaken-sama…he wants Rin" The words stumbled in her head as she began to crawl faster; she could hear him walking slowly behind her, following her easily with his demon eye sight. She turned to see him, rising to a stand, blue eyes glowing towards her. One was blue, and one was red. The blue one looked scarier then the red one did, it looked hypnotic. She took a step back and then paused staring towards him.

'Don't give off any sign of what you're going to do Rin' she thought to herself, her eyes staring straight into his. Her body trembling. 'Now!' She screamed in her mind as she darted to left. She ran as fast as she could but she could tell he was running faster, she heard his swift movements running off the side of trees with ease, as smooth and as quickly as her beloved Sesshomaru-sama. There movements…they were so much alike…cousins….

Rin screamed then as she fell hitting the ground, shutting her eyes tight. It's like when the wolves got Rin…they chomped into Rin's flesh until Rin could not feel or breathe anymore. And then they left Rin there to die….and Rin did die and Rin is going to die now….

"No!" Rin said rising to a stand as she stared towards him over a shoulder, tears in her eyes. "Rin will not die again!" She threw herself forward the figure's eyes glowing blue and zapping her foot. It wouldn't move…it was concrete…solid rock. She had no choice, she had to stay.

"Sesshomaru-sama!" She watched as her lord's figure darted over her, her heart racing quickly as the blue light took her entire body, crisping over her legs, the rock moving over her up towards her chest. She felt her chest get tighter, "No…Rin's heart beat…" Tears brimmed her eyes as she felt the light stop…but her whole body up to her middle chest was filled with rock, her heart beat was so slow…it felt like it was going to pop. Tears fell from her eyes, as she cried in pain; the faint sound of swords clanking behind her was all that was heard.

Sesshomaru knelt down to her, blood dripping on her cheek. He had stabbed Sesshomaru-sama, even bits of his armor was broken, but Sesshomaru had won. "Rin…"

"Sesshomaru-sama…Rin's heart beat is so far away…Rin is so scared…"

The demon winced his eyes in pain as he stared to her, half her heart was stoned…Her heart was going to break. The half that was alive was going to burst and….his eyes widened as he stared towards her. Was she going to die?

His hand gently lifted her face up towards his, her eyes looked tired, tears in her eyes, filled with pain. "Rin"

"I'm scared Chicue…I'm scared to die…"

Sesshomaru's eyes widened and then shrunk back as he looked to the side, rising to a stand. As he drew out Tokijin staring down towards her, "Rin…your heart…is going to burst…I'm not going to let you suffer until it does."

The tears rolled down her face, "I understand Chicue I just…." She sobbed. "I just know…I won't be able to see you again!" The tears rolled down her face in floods, "That's my only regret Sesshomaru-sama, if I die…I can never see you again…Never again…Rin can never…."

"I'll bring you back." He said staring towards her, his golden eyes serious. "I won't let you die here…you can call me….chicue." He said finally, his bangs covering his eyes as he raised Tokijin over his head.

"Goodbye….Chicue"

Tokijin stabbed perfectly until the open part of Rin's heart, and the tears stopped flowing from the little girls eyes. Sesshomaru paused as he felt all essence of Rin die and fade away, as he cradled the little girl in his arms. He didn't feel awkward and he didn't feel shame, he felt pain. Every bit of him hurt and he prayed to god that there would be away to save her, that there was some spell that he could find to save her, that there was someway when this was all over, that when he did kill his cousin and when her body was no longer half stone, that the half of her heart that he had killed, could be saved with Tenseiga. He silently prayed as he held her in his arms that he hadn't killed…his mortal.

Authors Note: Think of this as only the beginning. Rin was only the first victim…Kikyou's next. +TeAsEr+