Chapter 5 - Memories

"Sessy! I'm back, and I've got the jewel shards you wanted." Rin dashed to the demon lord waiting for her, holding out her hands with the shards.

"Did you get caught?" Sesshoumaru asked as he took the jewels from Rin's hands.

"Umm…well…yes, but I managed to get away and I'm alright. Don't worry."

"Hmm……well done, Rin. They should be coming soon." Sesshoumaru turned back towards the trees.

"Have you picked up her sent yet?" Kagome asked as InuYasha sniffed the ground thoroughly.

It took a while, but, "Got it! This way." InuYasha jumped back up, and the group started their pursuit for the girl again.

"Does anyone have any idea who that girl could have been? Then, maybe we'll have an idea on who we're really up against." Sango rode on Kirara with Miroku behind her, her voice shouting through the day's violent winds.

"No idea" was mostly everyone's response.

"Wait! I know who that girl is. I remember seeing her once with Sesshoumaru," Kagome exclaimed.

"Yes. I know now. But what I don't understand is why would Sesshoumaru be traveling around with a human, and even relying on a human to do his dirty work." Rialle decided to remain silent to InuYasha's question, knowing the answer.

They're here, Sesshoumaru thought. "Rin, I want you to hide in the forest. Don't watch and don't be seen. You understand? Go, now!" Without hesitation, Rin obeyed his commands. Then, Sesshoumaru turned to meet his younger brother and friends.

"Well, if it isn't my older brother. Give us back our jewel shards, Sesshoumaru." Not stopping to think, InuYasha charged at his brother and attempted to strike, but Sesshoumaru was too fast and dodged easily. InuYasha lunged out again, and this time, Sesshoumaru grabbed InuYasha by the neck and threw him at the group.

"Hand over the tetsusaiga, and then I'll give you back your shards."

"Hmm." InuYasha stood up and strangely held a smirk upon his face. "You know I'd never hand over this baby. Not even when my life is at stake. Yet even if I was stupid enough to trade my tetsusaiga for those jewels, it wouldn't be a fair trade since those shards aren't mine." InuYasha gave a proud laugh. "Allow me to introduce you to the person who will bring you to your doom. Although I'd never EVER admit this, she's better than me and can easily take you on. Anything that would bring you down would make me happy." He crossed over to Rialle and whispered loud enough for Rialle to hear, but soft so Sesshoumaru couldn't, "Don't you dare defeat him. I want the last strike. Just slow him down, that's all. Got it?"

Rialle's face was set with no emotion at all, but she understood InuYasha's orders. You're pride as a demon will always live on, no matter what the situation is. She walked out to face Sesshoumaru. Both said nothing for a while, then Rialle remembered….

Flashback

"I'm not going out there just to sing for them, especially with Sesshoumaru amongst them." Rialle whispered to her friend, Akina, who also stood nervously behind the curtains.

"Shh! You must be quiet. I've heard they have very good hearing. And Sesshoumaru is a demon lord! You can't just leave on them. You don't want to die do you? C'mon, just forget your ambition to rid the world of all demons and do what they ask. Save our hides tonight and sing for them."

"Yeah, well why me? They asked someone to sing - not me." Rialle's voice was full of anger and disgust.

"Duh. You have the sweetest voice and all of us don't want to die if we displease them. Uh, it's so unfortunate that we all had to work when the demon lords thought today was a good day for entertainment. "

Rialle looked back out at the seated lords, now waiting impatiently for the act to begin. She hated them all, but especially Sesshoumaru. The dog demon would often spy on her, maybe to somehow get her into trouble. Although Sesshoumaru tries to hide himself every time he watched her, Rialle always knew he was near. It was simply a feeling she had, though she never understood why Sesshoumaru would spy on her. She despised him, but she had no choice. "Alright Akina. I'll do it."

"Rin? Where are you? Rin?" Rialle searched endlessly for her best friend. She sighed as she stopped once again in front of Rin's home. "I doubt she'll mind if I go in and get a cup of water." For no reason at all, Rialle silently opened the door and silently walked in to the kitchen and took out a bottle of water from a box on the floor. Somehow, she felt that someone, or maybe some people were in the house with her, yet she still had no idea why she decided to come in silently. Thus, she went to investigate the upstairs rooms. "Rin?" she whispered. At first, she walked past Rin's bedroom, but when she heard someone breathing loudly inside, she crept back to take another look. She didn't dare take a step into the room because of what she saw in the shadows on the wall. Two figures were passionately kissing in the dark – one demon, one human – both familiar people. Anger started in her again as Rialle slipped back down the stairs and out the front door. That was Rin and Sesshoumaru in there!

Rialle looked down at the coffin which held her best friend, almost like a sister. Why Rin? Why did you have to die? I need you with me. Tears tangled together with rain down her cheeks. She kneeled beside her friend's coffin, saying her last good byes. Then, she stood up and walked toward the car waiting for her. But, a tall figure stood in her way – someone she didn't want to see on this sad occasion. "You! You're not allowed here. Get out of here!" Sesshoumaru didn't move, only stared at Rin's coffin. "Did you hear me? YOU"RE NOT WANTED HERE!" Rialle couldn't control her anger. She lunged at the demon lord, but couldn't attack him and sobbed onto Sesshoumaru. "Why didn't you save her? Why?" She began pounding at his chest , still crying. "Why, why, WHY? If you truly loved her, you would have been there for her. You would have saved her!" Rialle gave her last hit and just cried. Sesshoumaru let her and began stroking the young girl's hair. Rialle didn't mind.

Nothing was said for a while until, "I wish I had my tensaiga with me right now. Then, I would have been able to revive her."

Rialle pushed herself away from Sesshoumaru and met his eyes. "Yeah, well you destroyed it because you said you didn't need it anymore." The anger was back in her voice.

Sesshoumaru looked up at the rainy clouds and whispered, "You're not the only one who lost someone today, Rialle." He looked back at the warrior filled with hatred. "I want you to know, I really loved her. And I will do anything to avenge her death." Tears began rolling down his face, but his expression held the same steel look. Yet Rialle knew, he was also feeling pain.

"Then help me, Sesshoumaru. Help me by avenging the one you love. Help me defeat Naraku!" This time her voice was filled with determination.

End Flashback

"Rialle? What are you waiting for? Attack him and get those shards back!" InuYasha waited impatiently beside her.

Rialle moved with the wind and grabbed the shards from Sesshoumaru's hands. Everyone hardly saw her move so fast, not even Sesshoumaru. It left him surprised that the young girl easily took back the shards, without putting up a fight. "Our business is finished here. Let's go." That was all Rialle said.

"Wait, No one's going anywhere until InuYasha hands over the tetsusaiga." Sesshoumaru flew to Rialle's side, raising his arm to prevent her from walking away. He looked at her carefully and asked, "InuYasha, have you ever wondered how much this girl looks like you?" All were shocked at the random comment. Rialle flinched slightly, so slightly that nobody caught it.

"What do you mean? She doesn't look anything like me!" Though, InuYasha wasn't completely confident on what he said.

"Maybe…" Sesshoumaru muttered under his breath.

A cold breeze passed through the silent group. Out of the corner of her eye, Rialle caught a glimpse of Rin. Then, InuYasha broke the silence and changed the subject, "Well, what are you waiting for? Attack him!"

But, Rialle continued to walk forward, around Sesshoumaru's extended arm. Sesshoumaru didn't go after her. "I have no intention of attacking him. He has done nothing to me." Slowly, Rialle disappeared into the woods.

Suddenly, Sesshoumaru said, "Humph, that girl certainly is smart not to meddle with me. Come Jaken, we're leaving." At the same time, he was thinking, Who was that girl?

"M-my lord. Leaving, sire? But what about –," Jaken stammered as he followed Sesshoumaru.

"InuYasha. You may have gotten off easy this time, but next time, I will take the tetsusaiga from you." Then, he too vanished into the forest with Jaken, and Rin following behind.