In Her Eyes

by Demented Insane Spirit

"I want to be with Lord Sesshomaru, even if it just means I can be by his side." Unbeknownst to Rin, Sesshomaru has been waiting patiently so that she can make the choice between the life of a human or as a demon's companion. Where he once was satisfied with her mere presence in his life, when he sees Rin again, he finds that his feelings are no longer that simple.

11. Act I, Part XI

Part XI

The village had been busy ever since Inuyasha had returned. There was a general atmosphere of relief amongst the majority of the villagers. Those that had assisted Nijou's family to leave the village were quietly disapproving of the other villagers' attitudes, but those families were widely ignored by everyone given the more pressing matter of fortifying the village. Men rushed about the village to reinforce homes and Kagome, Kaede, and Miroku made rounds through the village, checking barriers around the homes. Aside from the upcoming demon attack, the village elders were also preparing for the autumn festival welcoming the change of season and farmers were harvesting the last of their summer crops to prepare for the long, cold season until spring.

Kagome and Miroku had been the ones who had encouraged the elders to continue on with the festival with the idea that it might strengthen the resolve of some of the villagers and would similarly to dissolve tension that had developed between some of the families. Rather than stringing lights along the trees and lighting lanterns to float down the river, the villagers had instead kept the celebrations within the barrier that lied over the village and kept it reduced to one night of celebration rather than multiple days. On the night of the autumn festival, it was a welcome distraction for the adults to relieve their anxieties for one night with food, sake, and dance. The men would remain on rotation guarding the exterior of the barrier, but did so in increments so that they could still join their families in the celebrations.

Kaede had helped Rin into her festival kimono, a deep red kimono with white and violet flower patterns, and pinned her hair at the nape of her neck prettily. The older woman heaved a sigh, pressing her hands on Rin's shoulders as the two gazed into the looking glass. "I feel like this is the last festival I'll see you here," Kaede quietly said with a sad little smile.

"Why do you say that?" Rin asked in surprise.

"It's just a feeling, like a mother's intuition. I might not have had my own children, but I've raised you since you were a little girl. We know when the children are about to move on."

Rin looked down into lap at the red tassel that she had been playing with in her hands. She closed her fingers around it and then looked up to give Kaede a reassuring smile. "I don't think so," she told her earnestly. "Not permanently. This place is still home to me." She turned so that she was facing the older woman. "You're the only mom I've ever known, so you do have a child. Don't sell yourself short."

Kaede gave a trembling smile and leaned down, hugging Rin tightly. "It's going to be a sad day when I see you go, child," Kaede said hoarsely before pulling away, wiping at her good eye. "Goodness, where have the years gone? You're going to be seventeen soon. I shouldn't be so emotional!" Kaede briskly brushed herself off and got to her feet. She seemed to give herself a stern shake and smiled at Rin. "Ignore all this. I've been getting sentimental lately. Go on and have fun. You deserve a break after all the fuss I've put you through lately."

"Oh, Kaede, please stop blaming yourself! It's okay."

But Kaede would not listen to her and waved a hand, as if she could physically cause Rin's words to float away. "Go. Lord Sesshomaru will be pleased to see you in that kimono. You look lovely."

Rin meekly obeyed Kaede, knowing when the older woman was getting into one of her stubborn moods. Clasping the red tassel tightly in her hands, she obligingly stepped out of the house before Kaede could begin scolding her. In the time since Inuyasha had returned, it seemed the whole village now knew she was betrothed to Sesshomaru, something she rather suspected was a result of Kagome and Miroku more than anyone else. Many of the villagers had approached her to congratulate her, appearing genuinely pleased and she heard from Kagome that a few of the men had placed bets at some point over the years, which explained why several of the older men were in such good spirits when congratulating her. As with all things, though, she had caught the scandalized stares of certain families and was sure they had a few unsavory things to say in regards to her choice of a partner. Without Nijou's influence, though, these villagers were not brave enough to openly insult her and she was thankfully left alone when she walked through the village.

Outside, the pathway that led to Kaede's home was lit up with decorative lanterns and beneath them, Sesshomaru was standing and only looked in her direction when she stepped out to meet him. Immediately, she beamed at him in greeting and there was the slightest softening in his gaze when he inspected her outfit. She was not sure that 'happy' would have been the word Kaede would have used to describe his expression, but she did get the impression that he was pleased with her appearance as Kaede had predicted.

In the past few days, she had been so preoccupied with both helping Sango in the smithing and Kagome with the festival that she had not had as much opportunity to be alone with Sesshomaru. The last time she had been alone with him had been very personal and more intimate than she had though she could ever dare to be with him. The evening that he had come to her, she had been overjoyed to at last have some time with him. She had not thought she could ever summon the courage to do what she had done, but the time had seemed right. He had grown increasingly more comfortable in touching her that night and, propped as she was on his thigh and so close, she had wanted to bestow a tiny peck of appreciation.

It had not been like when she had kissed Kohaku, where he had been the one to lean in and she had reciprocated out of experimental curiosity. The kiss itself was nothing like with Kohaku, either. There had been no initial awkwardness, even though she had anticipated the feeling. There was no subsequent dissonance or confusion. The feel of Sesshomaru's hand on her waist, instead of alarming her, had excited her and made her breathless. The taste of him on her tongue had been dizzying and made a deep heat burn straight through her chest down into the southernmost region of her body. The entire experience had been both illuminating and somewhat terrifying in nature. While she was looking forward to more personal moments, she also was afraid of the strange new desire that had awoken in her. It was unlike anything else she had felt for Sesshomaru or any man, for that matter.

Presently, she approached him tentatively and felt the flutter of pleasure when he briefly reached up to brush a finger over her cheek. Even the slightest of touches from him still stirred her heart.

"I have something for you," she said, extending her hand and unclasping her fingers. "I thought now would be a good time to return it."

Sesshomaru picked up the red tassel from her palm, rolling it around in his own palm thoughtfully before looking at her. "For what purpose? It does little for me."

"Because it's yours," she answered simply, taking the red tassel from him and tying it back onto his armor where it had been. Her thumb ran over the red strands absent-mindedly before she released it, clasping her hands in front of her and smiling. "Thank you for letting me borrow it."

"It wasn't missed."

Rin laughed at this remark. "I'm surprised you haven't forgotten about it. I've had it for seven years, after all."

"I never forget," Sesshomaru told her with a side-eyed glance before he turned and began to walk down the pathway, leaving Rin to catch up to him. "Did it do what you wanted?"

"Yes," she replied, falling into step beside him. "Whenever I missed you, I would take it out. It was comforting, kind of like I was connected to you even if you were far away."

"That's a lot of meaning for something so useless."

"Maybe," she agreed, unperturbed by his bluntness. "Is there anything that reminds you of me, Lord Sesshomaru?"

"Tenseiga."

Rin cast him a surprised glance and then looked down at the sword that lied at his hip. "Really? I would've never guessed that."

They had arrived at the end of the pathway and the entrance to the village. It was crowded with the villagers and their families. In spite of the guards and obvious danger in being at the village, families had come to celebrate the seasonal festival together. As many of the families had simply moved to another village and were familiar with the many demon attacks upon the village, the air of nonchalance was to be expected. She spotted a familiar boy in the crowd with a pretty girl on his arm and recognized him as one of the boys that had tried to court her when she was younger before moving away. His new wife was round with pregnancy and Rin was happy to see the pair looking happy together.

"It wouldn't have worked for me otherwise," Sesshomaru said, also looking into the crowds from where they had stopped at the edge of the celebrations. "There's no one else I would have felt the need to use Tenseiga on."

"Oh, I don't know," Rin said lightly, smiling up at him. "You've been kind to others, too."

"Don't mistake pity for kindness, Rin. Most creatures hardly qualify for even that."

She stifled a laugh, pressing her hand to her lips to hide her smile. In his own way, she knew that Sesshomaru was telling her that she was the only one he would extend any kindness towards. It warmed her heart to think that Tenseiga, which Sesshomaru had loathed when she first met him, had become a permanent reminder to him of her. She did not miss the great honor of it, either, knowing that Tenseiga had been created from the fang of the Great Dog Demon. Looking again at the Tenseiga, she experienced a wave of gratitude towards Sesshomaru's late father. If not for him, she would never have been able to survive this long to remain with Sesshomaru. She wished she could have met him. He seemed as if he had been a very wise man.

"That girl is looking for you," Sesshomaru said to her. "Do you want to see her?"

Rin followed his gaze to see Akai making her way through a crowd towards her. When their eyes met, she raised a hand and smiled tentatively as she approached. Even as Rin's stomach clenched with anxiety upon noticing her, she waved her hand in return. She had not spoken to Akai since the night of Hana's celebration when she disappeared. In fact, she had not even seen the other girl in the village.

"It's okay," Rin said to him, lowering her hand and giving him a reassuring smile. "I'll go with her for a bit to see what she wants."

"Very well. Don't stray outside the village." His gaze flicked up above them. "The priestess's barrier doesn't go far outside the buildings."

"I won't," she promised before stepping away from Sesshomaru's side to meet Akai.

"I half-expected Kohaku to chase me down," Akai said jokingly, although she looked somewhat uncomfortable when she said it. Unlike Mei or Hana, she had a short bob and a small tail of hair that popped out at the top of her hair. Rin had always admired her hair, which was so straight and shiny. For the festival, she had pinned a simple dragonfly metal piece in her hair that matched her bright, lime green kimono. It was a shame, Rin reflected, that Shinobu had lost her as his future wife.

"If you keep talking about him, he'll appear," Rin replied with a smile and started walking through the crowds. Akai had taken her arm in hers so that the two of them walked arm-in-arm through the village. She spotted Inuyasha and Kagome playing a game, though it appeared as if he were arguing with her more than playing it. She caught sight of Jaken with the twins, with several flower necklaces that Kin'u and Gyokuto had clearly constructed for him from their practice. Rin giggled to herself at the sight, reminded of the many times that she had created such items for Jaken when they were waiting for Sesshomaru to return to them.

"I thought know would be the best time to talk to you," Akai said to her, breaking into the warm atmosphere. "It felt like with this demon attack everyone's talking about, Hiroshi and Shinobu leaving, and Hana getting married...I might not have the chance again."

They had come to the bonfires where the elderly were roasting sweet potatoes and villagers were milling about, warming themselves. Akai approached one of the bonfires, releasing Rin and extending her hands out towards the flames. The firelight flickered across her face, casting eerie shadows upon her that reminded Rin of the bonfire the last time she had seen Akai. While Hana had always remained aloof, Akai had been reserved with Rin rather than outwardly hostile. Once Mei had begun to become friends with her, though, Akai had also warmed up to Rin. She had always been quieter than either Hana or Mei, though no less beautiful. Rin had gotten close to her over the years and even with everything that happened, she felt no ill will towards Akai. She, too, had been wronged that night. To hear Hana speak so callously about Akai's looks and to have an utter disregard for her friend's feelings had been difficult to bear witness. If Rin had been her, she would have thrown a fist at the other girl, but that was not in Akai's nature.

"I was just thinking...isn't it weird, how romance can break up friendships?" Akai reflected aloud. "Hana, Mei, and I used to be best friends. Hana's always been a little mean, but she made up for it by defending you or protecting you when one of the boys was being a pain. I never told her that I liked Shinobu because I knew she liked both him and Takashi. I didn't expect things to happen the way they did that night. I haven't talked to Hana since then – I can't forgive her for what happened. If she had just been happy for me, Shinobu might've learned to love me a little bit. And Mei won't talk to her for what she said about you and Kohaku."

Rin looked away from Akai, gazing into the warm ochre of the fire.

"I can't speak for Hana or Takashi or Shinobu," Akai continued, "but I never thought badly of you, Rin. My brother's family was killed in his village from bandits when he was away. I know that humans and demons can be equally as evil. Lord Sesshomaru has treated you better than most men. I'm envious of that." She turned away from the fire and smiled. "I'm sorry. I'm a coward, so I didn't speak up for you during all those times growing up. It's hard when you grow up in Hana's shadow."

Rin shrugging, giving a tiny smile as she clasped her hands behind her back. "It's not like it would've changed anything. Hiroshi was being a jerk behind Kohaku's back and he actually respected him."

"Shinobu's not bad when he's by himself. It's when he's around Takashi and Hana that he gets that way. When he's alone, he's actually very sweet." She paused, side-eyeing Rin. "I told Mei to meet us here. You can go back if you're not ready to talk to her."

Rin laughed. "I'm not dumb. I figured something was going on when you approached me."

Akai smiled apologetically. "It's not like I didn't want to talk to you, too. I felt like everything got messed up that night – for all of us. What Hana said...well, I guess I can wait until Mei gets here to explain."

"What's there to explain? She already admitted to it."

"It wasn't that simple. Not from what I remember, anyway."

The two of them fell silent, warming their hands at the fire. Rin was grateful that Akai had given her the choice to leave, to avoid the awkwardness of an encounter with the other girl. Kohaku had done well to impede Mei's attempts at approaching her and while she had appreciated it, she, too, had the sense that there would be little time for discussion soon. After Inuyasha had returned, they were all highly aware that Bushuugi could attack at any time and after that, it was unknown what would happen following such a battle. She did not know whether she would be remaining in the village for a time or if she, Sesshomaru, and Jaken would at last be leaving the village together. She still felt the loss of Mei's friendship and while she was still feeling hurt by what she had learned, she had also processed through the events of that night enough to allow that perhaps not all was as Hana had revealed. The fact that Mei was so desperate as to fight with Kohaku in order to see her made it clear enough that there was at least something else to the story, though whether it was enough to grant her forgiveness was another thing entirely. At her core, she was a forgiving creature, but she knew that Kohaku had not yet forgiven her and Sesshomaru's cautionary words over the years had begun to make an impact upon her.

It would depend, she decided, on what Mei had to say.

"There you are," Akai broke the silence as the tall, lithe female broke out of a crowd of adults, striding towards them briskly. "We've been waiting for you."

Mei cast an uncertain glance Rin's way before looking at Akai. "Sorry. I wanted to make sure I wasn't followed. You know how Kohaku's been. He's even got the twins and Sango on me these days."

Rin smiled to herself. You're a good friend, Kohaku.

"Congratulations, by the way," Mei abruptly said to Rin, who at last turned from the fire to look at her full in the face. Mei scanned her face, her own expression shuttered. After a moment, she seemed to see something in Rin's face that made her relax somewhat. She smiled at her and once again, Rin saw the friend that she was in so many of her memories. "I'm happy for you, Rin."

"That can't be what you wanted to say to me," Rin told her in a teasing tone, to lighten the mood somewhat. Akai was looked puzzled and she did not want to go into personal details about her relationship with Sesshomaru just then.

"No," Mei agreed, rubbing her arm awkwardly. "Are you willing to listen to me? I know what Hana said had to hurt."

"Of course, it hurt. How could you never have told me about Kohaku?"

"Maybe we should start from the beginning," Akai suggested.

"Yeah, alright," Mei said, nodding. "Where to start? The thing is...well, all the kids were weirded out when you showed up. This girl, that we had no information on, was seen with a little imp demon and dropped off with Inuyasha and Kagome. What were we supposed to think? Not to mention, Kohaku was already kind of creepy to us. We used to tell stories about how he was actually an old man trapped in a kid's body or that he was a child soldier that was tortured – we used to make up some of the worst things about him because he didn't act like a kid, you know? And then you didn't really act like a kid, either, and when Lord Sesshomaru first showed up, it really creeped us out. We all thought that you were maybe spying on the village or would curse us if you got too close. We were terrified."

"We were also kids," Akai added at seeing Rin's stricken expression, "and ignorant ones, at that. We didn't know any better. We only knew what our parents and the elders taught."

"Anyway, that's why we were jerks to you and Kohaku at first. But when Hiroshi became friends with Kohaku and you were friends with him, I remember we would talk about whether it was safe to talk to you. Me and Hana used to have this stupid idea that maybe you both were actually demons in disguise and wanted to take kids' souls."

"Oh, I remember that. You two even went to Kaede's to peek inside to see if she turned into a demon at night."

Mei grimaced. "I forgot about doing that."

"I wouldn't go with you because I was afraid that Lord Sesshomaru would swoop down and kill us if it was nighttime."

"You two had a really active imagination," Rin said to them in disbelief.

"I know, I know," Mei said and then waved a hand. "Anyway, we obviously realized you two weren't demons or anything else. I didn't like you at first, to be honest. I thought you were weird for hanging out with demons and I had a crush on Kohaku because, you know, he's cute and strong."

"Mei also likes the mature type," Akai put in helpfully. "She had a crush on one of the older merchants that would come through town just because he seemed like – in her words – he 'knew things.'"

"I was eight!"

"And he was twenty-three."

"So that was when you decided to use me?" Rin cut in to steer the relationship away from the twenty-three-year-old merchant boy.

"Yeah," Mei admitted guiltily. "But when I started hanging out with you, I felt stupid. You were so nice to me and having Hana as a best friend, you don't get that a lot. I don't even think my plan lasted for longer than a season. I liked all the stories you would tell me about traveling with Jaken and Sesshomaru and thought it was so cool how you knew all this stuff about demon culture and their history. It reminded me of Kagome – she had all these stories about weird things like 'trains' and 'computers.' I loved listening to you and I wanted to be your friend. I still liked Kohaku, obviously, but..." She trailed off, lifting a shoulder.

"But what?" Rin prompted.

"Even back then, it was obvious Kohaku liked you. When I realized that after being with you both alone, it really pissed me off. I hated it. I even knew it when I asked him two years ago, but I thought – hey, take a chance, see what happens, right?" She laughed weakly, bowing her head. "I was crushed. I went to Hana, cried about it, and then she ended up confronting Kohaku, asked him why he rejected me. I should've just kept it to myself. Hana and Akai knew I liked him, though. He told us why, that he liked you, and asked us not to tell you. Hana threatened to go and tell you, I begged her to just leave it be, and that's all that happened. I didn't want to ruin your friendship with Kohaku or our friendship. I didn't expect Hana to open her stupid mouth and bring it up or say something so disgusting to you."

"But that still doesn't tell me why you never told me about him. You know that I wouldn't have said anything."

Akai, catching Mei's hesitation, said instead, "Up until last summer, I think all of us just assumed you liked Kohaku, too – even Hiroshi."

Rin gazed at her in amazement. "I suppose I can understand why you might think that...But what does last summer have to do with anything? What changed?"

"You don't remember?" Akai asked in surprise. "That's the year that Lord Sesshomaru was here for almost three seasons. He showed up in the spring and he stayed until almost mid-autumn. It was the most we had ever seen him here."

Rin frowned, her brow furrowing. "So?"

"You don't see the way you two are together," Mei cut in, exasperated. "Like I told you before, the two of you just seem so happy together. Not like Inuyasha and Kagome, who bicker all the time, but really, really happy. And last summer, it was just...different. Maybe because we were all thinking about marriage or because he was there longer, so we saw more of it, I don't know. It was just obvious to anyone looking."

Rin flushed at this observation, embarrassed that so many eyes had been on her without her knowing. She, too, had noticed a difference in the length of time that Sesshomaru had stayed last summer and his overall behavior towards her. She had never lingered too much on it back then, thinking that she was reading into the increase in his touches or that the hopefulness in her heart had been leading her astray. Now that she had experienced the depth of Sesshomaru's affection for her, she wondered just how much everyone had seen that had been obscured by her willful blindness to the truth.

"And I didn't want to tell you about Kohaku after I'd already been rejected," Mei continued. "I still like Kohaku a lot, I really do, but I'm not going to go around pining after a boy that wants nothing to do with me." She glanced at Akai pointedly.

"Trust me," Akai said in response to her look, "I feel stupid about that. I felt like the laughingstock of the village after my engagement was broken off after just a day."

"You're not a laughingstock," Rin reassured her. "Shinobu was just stupid."

"Look," Mei sighed, "don't treat Kohaku differently because of this, okay? I'd feel horrible if I ruined your friendship, too."

"Oh." Rin grimaced slightly. "It's okay, Kohaku already told me."

"And he's still acting like an overprotective animal!" Mei shook her head, almost in disgust, although there was a smile on her lips. "It's good that he got to tell you. And...I don't expect you to forgive me for what I did to you as a kid... We were all jerks, but I'm not going to pretend like I'm any better than Hiroshi. I get why you and Kohaku were so mad that night. You're still one of my closest friends, though. Something that happened years ago can't undo all the memories I have with you or all the good times we've had together. I hope that counts for something."

Rin evaluated her silently, not wanting to speak immediately. She did not think that Mei was lying, but the fact that she had concealed that when she knew Rin to be trustworthy still hurt her. At the very least, she could have told her about not liking her when they first met. She knew that Mei's heart was in the right place and she did still love her deeply as her friend. Nonetheless, there was still an unhappiness that lied in her heart in regards to their friendship. Mei had still chosen to leave her with Hiroshi that night, still chose to lie all these years, and had not trusted in her own ability to process the information without it affecting her friendship with either her or Kohaku. No matter how Mei framed it, the actions had been selfish. Perhaps she and Kohaku had been through too much to where they were more mature than their peers, but for that, she could not forgive her.

"Sorry," Rin said at last, "but...I can't forgive you, Mei. That doesn't mean you're not my friend – it's just that I can't give you what you want."

"I don't want anything," Mei quickly told her, shaking her head. "I don't want your forgiveness. I just want to be friends, that's all. I'm not saying we have to pretend like this never happened, either."

Rin smiled at her. "Okay."

"What a relief," Akai said, pressing a hand to her heart as she sighed. "I was really afraid of how this was going to turn out. Come on! Let's go at least look at some of the booths that the village set up."

The two girls nodded, joining Akai, who seemed eager to let the conversation lie.

"By the way," Rin said as they began to walk back towards the crowd of villagers, "whatever happened that night between Takashi and Shinobu?"

"Oh, that." Akai shrugged in an attempt at nonchalance. "They found me and, well, I was pretty upset and told Takashi that Hana liked Shinobu more than him, but chose him because of his family. Hana started screaming at me, but Takashi was yelling at her. He was pretty drunk, if you remember, and was kind of raising a fist like he was going to hit her. That got Shinobu mad, so he punched Takashi in the face and the two of them got into a fight with Hana screaming her head off. I went back to the village then."

"Is that true? She liked Shinobu better?"

"She was getting pressured by her family to marry Takashi," Mei explained. "She always told me that she thought he was cuter than Shinobu, which is mostly why she liked him. I think if her family hadn't been involved, she would've chosen Shinobu. But I also think she was trying to be nice in her own way and not take the boy Akai liked."

"I'm glad she thought of that when she wasn't drinking," Akai said with a somewhat bitter laugh. "I really hope she never touches a cup of sake again in her whole life."

"After that, she might not. She lost everything that night. You, me, Shinobu, Kohaku – now she's only got Takashi and a few of the younger kids that hang around her siblings."

"I feel bad for her a little bit," Rin quietly said.

"Don't," Mei firmly told her. "Trust me, she doesn't deserve it for the problems she caused that night."

Rin made to say something else, but then heard the sudden sounds of raised voices in the distance. She froze and beside her, Mei also went still, her body tensing in alarm. The few villagers around them looked around, puzzled, until further screams of alarm were heard from what appeared to be the other side of the village. Rin's gaze swung up to the barrier, which she realized had been broken at some point. Whatever had invaded the village had proven that Kagome's barrier, so thin and weak as it was to try and hold itself over so much space, could not withstand a demon attack.

"Demons?" Akai asked anxiously.

Rin had taken an uneasy step back, hearing the swell of chaotic sounds, thinking that perhaps it would be safer to go back the way they had come or find higher ground. The hairs on the back of her neck shifted, making her aware that something or someone was now behind her. She whipped around in alarm, ready to defend herself with her bare hands if needed. Relief flooded through her when her gaze met the amber eyes of Lord Sesshomaru. His gaze flickered towards Mei, the only indication that he was questioning her presence there.

"Wolves," he told her by means of explanation as Mei and Akai, caught unawares, turned to meet their visitor. "They've brought a pack right into the village. Half of them might as well be dead."

"Then why're people screaming?" Mei asked, frowning at him. "The wolf demons have been welcomed here since Inuyasha started living here."

"You're as deaf as you are stupid," Sesshomaru observed calmly. "Some of them have open wounds and are missing limbs. Human women have an unfortunate habit of screaming any time they witness blood." Mei scowled at this observation, but was not given a chance to respond in kind to his remark. "What are you doing here anyway, girl?"

"Don't talk to me like you're older than us." She lifted her chin and glared at Sesshomaru, although there was a definite tremble in her slender frame. It was not often that Mei spoke to Sesshomaru and she certainly had never had a verbal sparring session with him. "You're only a few years older than us in human years!"

Sesshomaru stared at her blankly before looking at Rin. "Your friend seems to have a death wish, Rin."

"She came here to apologize to me," Rin explained apologetically, moving closer to him, and flashing a comforting smile. "We should go find Master Jaken, shouldn't we?"

Sesshomaru frowned at her. It appeared that he did not approve of Mei's involvement with her, let alone her apology. Rather than voicing his displeasure, he instead looked away from her and said nothing. He was not agreeing with the company she was keeping, but had no desire to express himself further. She smiled to herself, recognizing the subtle gesture for what it was and waved at the two girls.

"I'll be going ahead," she told them. "Stay safe!"

"O-okay," Akai stuttered, pressing in closer to Mei. She, like Rin, was not a fan of wolf demons, injured or not.

Rin did not wait for Mei to respond, knowing that she was feeling defensive and a little scared. Even though Mei was happy for her, there was still the residual effects of living a life amongst those who did not trust demons. Sesshomaru was a danger to her and his threatening words, while not an empty threat necessarily, were more to showcase his discontent with her behavior towards Rin. She knew that he would not go out of his way to kill one of the humans in the village unless there was a real need for it. Mei, however, did not know that and had taken his words to heart. She was brave, but not so brave as to continue her insolence towards Sesshomaru.

Sesshomaru had waited for her to say her farewell before moving towards the villagers that were now scattering every which way. Rin followed by closely, smiling slightly to herself. His form separated the crowds with ease and while she worried about what was happening with the wolf demons, she was happy that Sesshomaru had come to find her. She did not spot Jaken in the crowds as they walked towards front of the village, which made her suspect either the twins had stolen him for their own devices or he was where she assumed the injured wolf demons were located. At the front of the village, however, there were only village men muttering to each other, along with smears of blood in the earth. They were kicking dirt over the blood to cover it. Spotting a crowd of men outside the apothecary shop, the pair made their way to the large building. The men immediately scrambled out of their way as Sesshomaru stepped towards them and then inside the building.

Inside, furniture had been moved to make room for the wolf demons. Many of the demons were bandaged and for the most part their injuries were in control thanks to the ministrations of Kagome, Kaede, and Miroku. Altogether, there could not have been more than a dozen there. Inuyasha was standing in the corner talking to two vaguely familiar wolf demons that looked grey-faced and harassed.

"I should help them," Rin said to Sesshomaru, her fear of the wolf demons vanishing at seeing the horror inflicted upon them. These were not creatures that could hurt her. They looked no more dangerous than any of the elderly in the village.

"No, there's no use in it," he told her as Inuyasha spotted them and abruptly turned away from the two wolf demons. "Stay here with me for now."

Surprised, Rin nodded. Sesshomaru usually preferred to handle things regarding battles and such conflicts alone. Even Jaken was not typically present for those discussions, in spite of the fact that the imp demon was sent on errands for Sesshomaru's specific needs. As she thought of this, she took another glance around the mass of demons and did not spot Jaken among them. She hoped that he was still with the twins, who she had not seen in the crowds and were also, thankfully, not present.

"Ginta and Hakkaku were ambushed by some of Bushuugi's men," Inuyasha told his brother without preamble. "They were making their way here after their tribe was attacked. Sounds like Bushuugi's got some of his stronger men hiding out in the mountains."

"And where's their leader?" Sesshomaru asked.

"I don't know...Hakkaku said they didn't see Kouga at all. The way that this is going, he's not going to have a tribe at the end of this." Inuyasha sighed, crossing his arms over his chest. "Kagome's barrier collapsed so easily, too."

"He's making his moves," he commented. "It's only a matter of time before Bushuugi decides to reveal himself."

"Why can't we sense him if he's nearby? I can't even smell the men that attacked these guys."

"He's masking their demon aura."

"This is a pain in my ass." Inuyasha glared out towards the injured wolf demons and then glanced at Rin, who had been standing silently next to him. "Should you really be in here? It's not a pretty sight."

"I've seen worst," she answered with a shrug. "It doesn't bother me. Have you seen Master Jaken?"

"Oh, he's with Sango and the twins at their house. I don't think Kaede's going to be going back to her house tonight. It might be safer for you there."

"What do you expect an old woman to do?" Sesshomaru queried. "Play dead and hope they run away?"

"Hell, I don't know! It's better to have a priestess nearby than nobody."

Sesshomaru shot his brother a withering look before turning to leave the building. "You can either stay with the priestess or come with me, Rin. The decision is yours."

Without another word, he had exited the building, leaving her with Inuyasha. She glanced over at the group of wolf demons and reluctantly had to admit to herself that there was little she could do for them now. They had all been bandaged and now Miroku and Kagome were going to each to bless them with their holy powers. And, given Inuyasha's annoyed mood, she thought that lingering here would not be a pleasant experience. She flashed a quick smile to Inuyasha, who was frowning after his brother, and then followed Sesshomaru. He was standing outside and looked at her when she approached him.

"I'll stay with you tonight," he said. "It won't be safe to be out in the open."

"Oh! Then...you'll be staying inside Kaede's with me?"

"Yes."

"Should we go get Master Jaken?"

"He can come find us," Sesshomaru dismissed, walking away from the apothecary shop.

The men that had been at the front of the village were now gone, having successfully covered up all the blood splatters with dirt. The rest of the villagers had returned to the festivities. It was clear that, to most of them, there was nothing unusual to them about injured demons stumbling into the village. With them removed and hidden away, it was out of sight and out of mind. Most of the villagers had smiles on their faces, blissfully unaware of any trouble behind the scenes. Looking at them, Rin was amazed at how easy it was for them to glide effortlessly back into their daily lives.

"Trying to find those girls?"

"No," Rin said, shaking her head. "Nothing like that."

Sesshomaru's gaze dropped to her, seeming to consider over her for a long moment. She could feel the burn of his stare even as she continued to gaze out at the happy villagers. She did not turn to meet his eyes, though, knowing him well enough to anticipate the next question.

"Wasn't that the girl Kohaku was chasing off?"

"Yeah."

"Why was she apologizing?"

She at last turned to meet his gaze, smiling up at him. "If I told you, Lord Sesshomaru, you wouldn't be very happy."

"Where those humans are concerned, I rarely am," he answered simply. "If you've freely forgiven her, I won't be pleased with you, Rin."

"I didn't." She continued to smile at him, noticing by the sudden stillness in him that she had surprised him. "I was thinking about what you said and how Kohaku's been handling it. I wanted friends like Kagome has with Sango and Miroku, but...I don't know. Mei is strong like Sango, but maybe she just doesn't have enough life experience to be confident like her. Akai's too scared to stand up for herself. She's nice, though." She giggled suddenly. "Even though Kin'u and Gyokuto are kids, I think sometimes they're better friends than some of the people around here. But...I do listen to you, Lord Sesshomaru. You're right. I forgive too easily. I just want people to be good and sometimes, it feels like they don't know how."

"Your expectations for these people are too high."

"I think Kaede has a good heart and she's been here the longest out of everyone."

Sesshomaru took a moment to dwell upon what she had said before replying, "The old priestess was alive when Inuyasha attacked the village and the Shikon Jewel was held here. She would have a different mindset than these other villagers."

Rin looked at him inquiringly. "But why?"

"Death forces a creature to adapt. The more often someone faces death, the more understanding they have about life. These villagers have lived in relative peace because of Inuyasha. Their parents know that – some resent it – but their children are ignorant. They're at a disadvantage comparatively."

Rin could not find a response to this immediately. She knew that what Sesshomaru had said made sense and it certainly explained why her and Kohaku's approach was so much different from that of their peers. It had never bothered her in the past. She had seen them get upset at the most inane things and recalled the girls crying so easily when she had been younger. Even when she had been hit or pinched by the other children, she had never cried. It had seemed a silly thing to cry over from her perspective. Kohaku, too, had never shed a tear and after hearing Mei's story, she could well understand why strange stories had been spread about them. They must have appeared so unusual to the other children.

She would not have wished her childhood on any child, though. To be an orphan, mute, and then beaten regularly by the villagers was not a life that she would wish upon anyone. She could not even imagine the horrors that Kohaku had gone through and doubted he had spoken about it in length with anyone in the village. He was already a private person and even though Hiroshi had been his best friend, she doubted he had done more than given him superficial details. Rin only knew from their time traveling together with Sesshomaru everything that had happened with him. After she had come to the village, he had never mentioned the old demon slayers or his parents, just as she had not mentioned her own parents. It had been a subject they had silently agreed to leave in the past.

"I don't know that I like that," she said at last. "It's good to have perspective, but I wish I could've gotten it a different way. Was that how you grew up, Lord Sesshomaru?"

He did not bother to look at her. "I was left to fend for myself as a child."

"That's awful!"

"It was necessary. There was no room for weakness. It's lucky that Inuyasha's mother died so early. She did him a service in her death. He would be far more insufferable otherwise."

Rin sighed out a breath, almost smiling. Like usual, Sesshomaru did not mince words, not even with her. It was one of the many things she liked about him. "I wonder if Jaken's parents raised him the same way?"

"Clearly not. It's a miracle Jaken had survived as long as he had when I came upon him."

She laughed at this and was glad for the change in subject. She did not want to imagine an infantile Sesshomaru wandering alone by himself, learning to feed and defend himself when he was a child. Even though she knew the man she was standing next to was far stronger than anyone else, the concept of him lacking familial love and affection made her heart hurt. It explained Sesshomaru's aloof countenance, especially in regards to conversations about children. He had never treated children any different than he had adults, speaking to them as if they were as capable of understanding him as anyone else. She wondered if he had even spoken that way when he was a child, talking down to adults while being a miniscule demon himself. The idea was comical to her.

Then again, she reflected to herself seconds after this image, if Sesshomaru had been raised any differently, he wouldn't be himself.

She stifled a yawn, saying, "I think I'm ready to go back, Lord Sesshomaru. It's been a long day."

He glanced at her in acknowledgement before turning away from the village. The two of them made their way back the way they had come that evening, moving up the solitary pathway that went to Kaede's home. The sounds of the villagers faded, leaving only the lull of the nearby river and quiet, night air. Even in the silence, she felt close to Sesshomaru in that moment and safe. Without the barrier, there was no sense of security for most of the humans; next to him, she knew that no harm could come to her. It was a security she enjoyed while in his company. She often wished she could feel as secure on her own, like Kohaku or Sango did when they were out in the forest. It had become a goal of hers in the recent weeks to become a more capable companion to Sesshomaru. Outside of practicing archery and the basic self-defense he had taught her, she knew she still had a long way to go.

Once at Kaede's, her personal goal was set aside as she realized she had no concept of how to invite Sesshomaru inside. This did not seem to be a custom with which he was familiar, though, for he followed her as she opened the shoji doors without even a pause. It did not appear that he was particularly bothered with the humble human dwelling, either, and once inside her room with him, she became aware that she had never had anyone outside of Kaede inside her own quarters. It brought back recollections of the girls in the village having to sneak boys into their rooms or sneaking out of their homes at night to meet their sweethearts. If not for what had happened that night, she could only imagine how scandalized Kaede would be at the thought of her having someone of the opposite sex in her room overnight. But these were not ordinary circumstances.

That thought then brought the question of why Sesshomaru had suggested being inside the house at all. It was his nature to remain outside, either standing atop the roof at night or otherwise sitting outside her window. She did not mind, of course, but found it rather curious.

"Um, Lord Sesshomaru...," she spoke up hesitantly, shutting the shoji door behind them and turning to face him.

"What is it?"

She stalled for time, lighting a lantern and then carefully setting it beside the doors. "You don't have to stay in here with me."

"Bushuugi is masking his demons now, as well as himself," he told her steadily, a slight frown causing his brows to lower with irritation. "I haven't picked up his scent since I've been here."

"I see! If one of them snuck inside the house, you might not know," she concluded, nodding to herself. "Well, then I'll just be a moment. I just need to get ready for bed."

Sesshomaru had gone to the window, inspecting something outside while Rin disappeared behind the screen in the corner. The lantern shed just enough light in the room for her to see. She released a breath of air as she began the laborious process of undress from her festival kimono. When she had hung the delicate silk up on the screen, she shivered at the coolness of the air as she grabbed for her plain white night kimono. It felt deeply intimate to have only a screen separating her and Sesshomaru as she undressed. She knew her mind was going places it had no business being at the present moment given the circumstances that had brought him into her room, but she could not seem to make her thoughts behave. Even as she tightened her sash, she had to smile at herself. In the future, there would be a time perhaps when she and Sesshomaru would be sharing a room. She should not have been surprised that he would be comfortable in crossing such boundaries now. He had shown more than once since she had chosen him as her partner that he had every intention of treating her as more than just his companion. In the eyes of others, it might not have been much, but she recognized his attempts at differentiating her from just another acquaintance.

I should get comfortable with it, too, she told herself silently as she undid her hair, regardless of the situation.

Stepping out from behind the screen, she pulled out her futon and after laying it down, blew out the flame in the lantern. Sesshomaru had remained at the window, gazing outside at what appeared to be an increasingly cloudy night sky, but turned when the room was once again doused in darkness. Determined to go about her routine to create some semblance of normalcy, Rin slid between the covers of the futon and pressed the top of it to her chin, thankful for the warmth. Sesshomaru moved from the window and, surprising her, settled next to her on the tatami mat. Rather than sitting as he usually would, he settled onto his side, propping his head up with his hand. She could just barely make him out in the gloom and although he no longer looked irritated, she could not quite read his expression.

"You offered to help those wolf demons. They must not intimidate you," he said in a reflective tone.

She lowered the futon covers from her chin, turning her head so that she could see him better. "I guess not."

"You're getting stronger."

Rin laughed slightly, appreciating the compliment. "I'm trying to. I'd like to be stronger for you, Lord Sesshomaru."

"I know."

He bent forward suddenly from his lounging position, his finger pushing her hair back as, without even a moment of hesitation, he kissed her. She was surprised by the motion, having not at all expected it. Last time, she had been the one to initiate it and she had just been reprimanding herself for thinking of anything related to intimacy in the current situation. The kiss was not fiery like it had been last time, but almost experimental, as though he were testing himself – what he was testing, she could not imagine. She could feel his hair tickling her temple, the warmth of his body above hers and wanted to reach out, but was also terrified to do so.

By the time she had even considered moving her fingers from the futon, he had withdrawn and she was blinking up into the golden glow of his eyes in the darkness. Her mouth still tingled from where his lips had been just a second ago. Even though Sesshomaru's expression was no different than usual, she could detect something in his gaze that was almost akin to warmth. Looking up at him, she felt her chest constrict with feeling upon looking at him. Something about the way he looked at her and kissed her made her think he, too, was inexperienced in this realm. To her, it was beyond an honor that he was willing to try to open up to her, even if it was just a small fraction at a time.

"Sleep," he said at last, drawing away and returning to his earlier position. He had turned his head, once again looking out towards the window and the overcast sky. "I'll be here."

She pulled the futon back up to her chin and smiled at him. "Okay...Goodnight, Lord Sesshomaru."

---

The days after the autumn festival moved on languidly as the temperatures dropped. The wolf demons remained in the apothecary shop, much of them still too injured to move. Only Hakkaku and Ginta were seen in the village and very infrequently, as even Ginta had suffered injuries to one of his arms. There was an expectant air among the warriors in the village, as it seemed more likely than ever that Bushuugi would strike soon. Sesshomaru, for his part, kept his vigil outside Kaede's house, forcing Jaken to remain inside with Rin and the old priestess. Outside of the one night, he preferred to be out in the open where he could more easily maneuver. The experience, too, had unsettled him, made him feel complacent. It had never been his habit to watch Rin sleep, but he had found his attention diverted by her slumbering form, her hand stretched out towards him as she slept soundly beside him. It had taken him several hours before he had moved away from her to sit with his back pressed against the wall in order to put distance between them. She had become a temptation for him ever since she had become his mate, one that he had to use every bit of restraint to avoid. He was growing accustomed to the strangeness of it, even enjoying the subtle masochism of testing his limits with her. He was quite pleased to see that his self-discipline had kept him in check when he, instead of her, had initiated another kiss. It was his way of testing the recently awakened, starving beast within him.

Even so, he knew the risk of those indulgences and did not want to put either himself or Rin at risk due to his own lack of awareness. It was better for him to be outside the house rather than inside with her. There would be a time that he could have some degree of time to relax with Rin, but that was not now. That fact was frustrating in and of itself, as he felt his time was already limited with her. He had not told anyone else as much, but he wanted Bushuugi taken care of fast so that he could finally eliminate the last of Ryukotsusei's bloodline and be done with their annoying tendencies to seek out the dog demon clan. It was beginning to wear on his nerves. To have a taste of what could be his future life with Rin had spurred him into productivity. He would be glad to at last leave this village.

Aside from his own internal irritations, since the night he had spent with her, he had watched from afar as Rin studiously practiced archery with Kagome. It was clear that Rin, while accustomed to being protected by him, also wanted to contribute to her own well-being. He approved of her taking such actions. It was attractive to him that, in spite of her diminutive size, she had wanted to do her best to increase her strength. There were no delusions on her part of just how much she could do, either, so she would never truly experience failure the way a warrior did. Regardless, Kagome was doing her best to correct her and, after a few days of watching their progress together, he left the pair of women to their own devices. There were few humans he could say that he trusted Rin with, but he knew that Kagome, at least, always had her best interests at heart.

Presently, Sesshomaru was standing in the fields that lied outside the rice fields, waiting for Inuyasha to meet him here. Inuyasha had said he wanted to go with him that night to inspect the perimeter of the village, explaining away Sesshomaru's stare with a, "I have a bad feeling." This was such an inadequate reason that he would have dismissed him if the half-demon had not looked so serious. That was often the case these days, Inuyasha looking somber and brooding. He had not reported to Sesshomaru when he had returned and, in fact, the two of them had said very little to each other. Sesshomaru had observed Inuyasha hovering over Kagome anxiously the majority of the time, appearing like a clingy pup that did not want to be far from its owner. Given Inuyasha's odd behavior and his own preoccupation, Sesshomaru had not bothered to approach him. He hardly wanted to deal with his brother when he was acting like a child.

Nonetheless, he did not immediately go out to check the perimeter. He, too, had sensed something in the air, a feeling that only warriors who had seen many battles could pick up on. One could almost taste war in the air.

"Lord Sesshomaru," a drawling voice greeted from behind him. He turned slightly, just enough to look at his visitor. As he had anticipated, Bushuugi was standing several feet beyond him. The demon lord looked just as Sesshomaru had seen him in the west. His violet hair was pulled back in a braid that hung long on his back, his dark armor almost blending into the shadows of the night. His crimson eyes, however, glowed in his pale face and when Sesshomaru looked at him, there was a glint from his sharp canines as he grinned at him. "You're proving to be just as tiresome as your father."

"Flattery will get you nowhere, Bushuugi," Sesshomaru replied, turning fully to face him.

"I've been watching your girl. She's pretty for a human." His mouth stretched further into an unwholesome leer. "You like her a lot, I can tell."

He said nothing to this insulting remark, his eyes narrowing on him. It was no surprise that Bushuugi felt he could speak to him so disrespectfully. He had said nothing to Sesshomaru when he had battled his armies in the west, but his general demeanor and appearance had been insolent enough. It was not the disrespect that caused his blood to boil, but the remarks about watching Rin that set him on edge.

"It's interesting to see how similar you and Toga are," Bushuugi continued blithely. "I remember everyone saying that same thing when he got with that woman, too – how could someone so powerful choose that thing as a mate?" He laughed, a hoarse, ugly sound that grated on Sesshomaru's ears. "Never would I have thought the great Sesshomaru would make the same mistake."

"What do you hope to accomplish by attacking Rin?" Sesshomaru asked in an aloof tone. "It will only hasten your death."

"You're under the mistaken impression this is personal. We demon lords have already suffered the disgrace of your father's negligence of his noble heritage. The dog demon clan has brought nothing but shame to our people with how you all galivant with your human mistresses, not to mention that disgusting byproduct that lives in this village." He made a vague gesture towards the village, a clear indication that he meant to indicate Inuyasha. "This is about protecting our values and the system that has made us rule over humans – what makes us stronger than them. Your clan would choose to throw that all away for some piece of flesh."

Sesshomaru snorted, smirking slightly. "That 'byproduct' is far stronger than you, Bushuugi. He killed your mess of a father without much of a fight."

"How unexpected!" Bushuugi cocked his head, eyeing him. "I wouldn't have expected you to be so sentimental towards your little brother."

"Hardly. I'm simply stating a fact that even a half-demon from the dog demon clan overpowers a demon lord from the dragon demon clan." Sesshomaru smiled coolly as Bushuugi's fingers tightened into fists at his side, his face suffusing with offense. "And you dare approach this Sesshomaru, a full-blooded demon lord?"

"I'm not afraid of you, Sesshomaru!"

"Yet you ran when your men fell."

"A wise man knows when to regroup in war. Only a fool continues to push forward when their formation breaks." Bushuugi passed a hand over the top of his head, smoothing nonexistent hair and releasing a slow breath before smiling at him. "And besides, the demon lords want me as their leader. After your father fell by the hands of a human, they lost all respect for the dog demon clan."

"Why should I care?"

Bushuugi blinked, surprised by this question. "Why – ? How do you expect to lead the Western Lands without their approval?"

"With my sword," he replied, drawing Bakusaiga and pointing the tip towards Bushuugi. "I've already killed the men that took over my father's old lands. You're the only one so foolish as to come here and think you could ever overpower me."

He released a disbelieving laugh, shaking his head. "I heard about how stubborn you were, but this is something else. No one will accept you as your father's replacement while you attach yourself to a human girl and I, for one, am looking forward to taking down the last of your clan and your disgusting affinity for human women. We'll see who is more powerful – or more clever."

"Your stupidity bores me," Sesshomaru told him, raising Bakusaiga to strike. "Shut up and die."

Bushuugi narrowly dodged the explosion of green light that tore through the fields, ripping up the earth and grass, tearing through the nearby trees. It left a deep scar where the Yoki Wave had hit. Bushuugi snickered, crouching in the place that he had landed.

"I've struck a nerve, I see!"

"No, I just have no interest in discussing politics."

As Sesshomaru rushed towards him, his blade swinging for Bushuugi's head, the dragon demon sprang back to avoid the slash and nearly ended up back within Sesshomaru's reach. He shot balls of fire towards Sesshomaru, who easily dodged from the flaming infernos that were flung towards his head. Behind him, he could hear the sudden sounds of fighting and screaming and knew that the village had been ambushed.

There was an explosion of earth ripping up and Bushuugi and Sesshomaru jumped away from each other as the Wind Scar tore between them.

"Sesshomaru!" Inuyasha landed beside him, Tessaiga in hand. He caught sight of Bushuugi and his grip tightened around his sword. "You!"

"Get out of my way, half-breed!" Bushuugi snarled, impatiently gesturing so that a wall of flames erupted from the ground and went cascading towards Inuyasha like an ocean wave. "You're not my opponent!"

With Bushuugi distracted, Sesshomaru once again swung Bakusaiga and the Yoki Wave tore through him, lighting up his body in green light. After the light had faded, there was the distant sound of laughter as Sesshomaru approached where Bushuugi had been standing only moments ago.

"I'm going to torture that pretty little mate of yours in front of your eyes, Sesshomaru," Bushuugi's disembodied voice laughed. "You'll both regret dishonoring us and making an enemy of me. You'll soon see."

Rin.

Without a word, Sesshomaru turned away and ran back towards the village, ignoring Inuyasha yelling after him in confusion. He could hear him following behind him, but did not slow to wait for him. He had been fooled by an apparition of Bushuugi's, a novice mistake, and one that he should have discerned if he had been more observant. His body was flushed with rage at Bushuugi and frustration with himself. If he had not been occupied with that fake, he would have gone to the village faster. If Rin died because of his own negligence, he would never forgive himself. He was supposed to be protecting her and he had been standing in a field waiting for his idiot brother!

The entire village was lit up with fires and hulking dragon demons were cutting through humans that feebly tried to run away or fight them off with whatever they could get their hands upon. The dragon demons were massive, much larger than the creatures that he had encountered in the forest. Bushuugi had kept his best men for that night, to cover him while he played his tricks. Out of pure malice, Sesshomaru cut down two of the dragon demons, his anger abating only somewhat upon seeing their body parts separate from each other. Their blood gushed forth, running through the dirt and creating morbid rivulets in the cool earth. He had no time to linger on them and he could hear Inuyasha fighting behind him, cutting through other demons. He could smell Bushuugi now, even amidst the smell of smoke and blood. This was no apparition here – he had come personally to the village to do as he had promised.

Running through the village, Sesshomaru caught sight of Rin with Kagome and Jaken, the three of them surrounded by demons. Kagome shot a blessed arrow through the crowds, taking out two of them while Jaken lit one of the other demons up in flames, although this did little against the dragon demon's scaly exterior. The demon made a mighty sweep towards Jaken, his claws outstretched, but one of Rin's arrows came barreling through and found its target in its eye. The demon shrieked, backing away and pulling at the arrow just in time for one of Kagome's blessed arrows to hit him.

And then, from above, Sesshomaru caught sight of Bushuugi floating serenely, a hand outstretched as a large, glassy-like bubble appeared beside him. He had a smug, satisfied look on his face and had not caught sight of either Sesshomaru or Inuyasha. It took him only a second to realize his intention. He had become far too familiar with kidnapping attempts by demons to not understand what he intended. Bushuugi knew he was outnumbered here and was planning to kidnap Rin and lure him into the west where he had more support and thought that Sesshomaru would be more easily overpowered. It was a cowardly move, one that he should have expected.

Abandoning Bakusaiga, Sesshomaru formed a whip of green light from his fingers, intending to catch Rin's ankle and drag her from the circle. He was too far and the orb was already beginning to lower down to the group. There was no time for him to run and get her. He raised his hand, the green whip flicking into the air and catching Bushuugi's attention. A flicker of panic crossed the demon's face before he sent the glassy orb sailing down towards the surrounded trio.

And then, several things happened simultaneously. An explosion sent Inuyasha rolling into the clearing, the orb dropped down to the group, and in a quick second, Kagome had shoved Rin as hard as she could, causing the other girl to go flying into Jaken and sending the two skidding across the dirt, past the demons.

Instead of capturing Rin, the orb had trapped Kagome inside it. She had thrown herself into the spot that Rin had been. Kagome slammed her hands against the orb, mouthing silent words just as the orb turned from translucent to black.

"Kagome!" Inuyasha bellowed, scrambling to his feet and running after the floating black orb.

"Damn! This will have to do," Bushuugi said, scowling irritably as both Inuyasha and Sesshomaru made to corner him. He swung an arm and a dragon formed from fire, roaring at them. Inuyasha was screaming with rage, leaping into the flames, swinging the Tessaiga to disperse the flames in order to get to Bushuugi. Behind it, however, was empty and Bushuugi and the black orb had disappeared.

"Kagome!"

Behind them where the explosion had sounded, dragon demons were roaring, screaming out in pain as they were cut down. After scanning the skies for Bushuugi or the orb, Sesshomaru looked behind him to see Kouga pulling off the head of one of the dragon demons and flinging it into the flames that had begun from Bushuugi's attack. He came walking up to them, glancing once at Sesshomaru and then approaching Inuyasha. The half-demon was staring up at the sky, Tessaiga's blade tip pressed into the dirt as if his soul had been drained out of him. Bushuugi's scent had disappeared entirely, along with the black orb that had trapped Kagome. He was satisfied that Rin was safe, but this brought on the complication of dealing with what he knew was going to be an incoming emotional explosion from his brother. Nothing he said would ease Inuyasha's anxiety or pain at seeing her taken in front of him. He knew his brother well enough to know that.

"What was that black thing? Was that Bushuugi?" Kouga demanded. When Inuyasha did not reply, he grabbed at his shoulder and shook him. "What the hell happened, Inuyasha?"

"Get off me!" Inuyasha shook him off, whipping around to glare at Sesshomaru, who had not moved from his spot and merely stared back at him. "This is all your fault!" Inuyasha had dropped Tessaiga and seemed to be intending to use his bare fists to attack him.

As he made to rush towards him, Rin had inserted herself between them, having disentangled herself from an unconscious Jaken and her own limbs. Sesshomaru twitched, intending to grab her and pull her out of the line of fire.

"W-wait! Please, Inuyasha!" she begged.

"Don't get involved, Rin!" He shoved her away before Sesshomaru could move, causing her to fall back to the ground. She released a hiss of pain, grabbing at her palm that had split open with blood from the impact on a sharp rock

This was a mistake.

Inuyasha had paused, alarmed at the sound of pain, but Sesshomaru was already bearing down upon him by the time he realized he had moved. Without warning, Sesshomaru kicked him hard in the stomach, causing him to go flying backwards, hitting the ground heavily. Rin froze from inspecting her hand, staring at the spot where Inuyasha had fallen. Kouga, too, had gone still, staring uneasily between the two. It was clear he wanted to intervene, but did not think he had any place in the conflict and was too wary of Sesshomaru's temper to move.

"Watch who you direct your anger at, Inuyasha," Sesshomaru warned him. The air around him crackled warningly, causing even Rin to not approach him immediately.

Inuyasha slowly rose to a sitting position and screamed out loud, a long, drawn out yell of frustration as he held his head. No one in the clearing said a word, watching as he expelled the pent-up rage and sorrow until his shoulders slumped and he pressed his face into his knees. He was a pitiful sight to behold and while Sesshomaru could sympathize with him for losing his wife, this emotional display was beyond his capabilities.

After a long time, Inuyasha raised his head, glaring at him through his mussed fringe.

"He took her because he couldn't get Rin," Inuyasha said.

"Your priestess threw herself into it," Sesshomaru swiftly responded, having expected this line of logic.

"Because it was meant for Rin!"

"If he had cared which woman was taken, he would have let her go or killed her immediately."

"You don't know that he won't!" Inuyasha spat, getting to his feet and grabbing Tessaiga from where he had dropped it. "You don't give a shit about anything unless it has to do with you! Do you even care that she sacrificed herself so that Rin wasn't taken? No! You're too fucking selfish to see anything else!"

Sesshomaru looked to Rin, frowning. He had witnessed Inuyasha rage at him enough times in their history that it had become commonplace for him to blame something on him, whether it was related to Tessaiga, their father, or his mother's death. It was unsurprising that he would find some way to blame Kagome's kidnapping on him, in spite of the evidence that she had clearly done it out of concern for Rin and nothing to do with either him or Inuyasha. His words did not particularly bother Sesshomaru, who cared little for Inuyasha's opinion of him. Looking at Rin, though, he could see the guilt in her eyes, the beginning questions casting shadows over her face. She would likely feel responsible for Kagome's kidnapping, even if she, like himself, had done nothing to cause it. The sight of Rin shouldering the guilt made him hold his tongue. He would not indulge Inuyasha in his tantrum.

Instead, he ignored him and reached down, grasping Rin's arm and helping her to her feet. Her hand was still bleeding and she had a few cuts and abrasions from the attack on the village, but was otherwise unharmed.

"Lord Sesshomaru," she quietly said to him, "we're going to try to find Kagome, aren't we?"

Sesshomaru applied pressure to the cut on her palm to stop the bleeding, not speaking at first. Beyond Rin feeling guilty, he and Inuyasha had walked right into Bushuugi's trap. In a sense, the two of them were just as responsible for not being at the village. He should have returned immediately when he had caught that scent in the air, knowing that Bushuugi would target the village and Rin. Inuyasha, too, should have known better and stayed at the village when he had mentioned having a 'feeling' about that night. It was an error in judgment, something that seemed to be happening often lately when it came to Bushuugi.

"Yes," he answered after a pause.

A relieved smile spread over her lips.

"I didn't ask for your help!" Inuyasha coldly informed him.

"Unfortunately for you, I don't care," Sesshomaru replied, releasing Rin's hand and turning back to him. "It's one of the benefits of being selfish."

Inuyasha flushed with anger.

"Wait a minute," Kouga finally intercepted, planting his hands on his hips and frowning at the pair. Rin had left Sesshomaru's side to rouse Jaken, who she was now rigorously shaking to force him to wake up. "This isn't just about you all anymore. He's been targeting my clan! I owe it to them to kill him."

"Do what you want," Sesshomaru said. "You might even be able to kill him."

"I'm not dragging your wolf demons with us, Kouga," Inuyasha told him with a scowl. "You've lost enough of them and most of them are wounded."

"I'm not bringing them! They've been through enough. It'll just be me."

"Fine, fine." Inuyasha slid Tessaiga back into its scabbard, sighing heavily. "Well...where do we start?"

"You truly do lack any common sense, Inuyasha," Sesshomaru said with a frown. "Bushuugi will be returning to his estate in the Western Lands. He'll have hidden it in the mountains."

"I feel like there's a caveat here."

"He's made alliances with other demon lords. He'll use them to protect his estate. That's the only reason he fled. He thinks that together with their forces, he'll be able to kill us. It seems there are some who take offense to the dog demon clan existing these days."

"You couldn't take care of them before this all happened?"

"I was unaware father had insulted so many people for dying," Sesshomaru sarcastically answered.

"You mean because of my mom," Inuyasha clarified. "They're pissed off because he was with my mom and now they're coming after us because of Kagome and Rin."

"So it would seem."

"Damn them," he said with feeling, tightening a fist and driving it into the palm of his other hand. "When am I going to just be able to live in peace already? Is it mine or Kagome's fault whose son I am? This is bullshit."

Sesshomaru eyed him and turned away, sheathing Bakusaiga. The village had begun to quiet, with only the sounds of fires crackling and distant groans and low voices of conversation. It appeared the last of the dragon demons had been defeated and only the wreckage of the village remained. Rin had been able to wake Jaken and now had his battered head lying on her knees as he rubbed his face, appearing disoriented. Leaving Inuyasha alone with Kouga, Sesshomaru approached the two and Rin looked up when he stopped to stand next to them.

"What now?" she asked anxiously. Jaken wobbled unsteadily to his feet upon seeing Sesshomaru.

"We'll go to the west," he answered.

"'We,' my lord?" Jaken repeated with a shocked glance. "We're taking Rin?"

"Obviously."

Sesshomaru turned back to glance behind him at Inuyasha and Kouga, who were talking in low voices. Inuyasha, without his brother nearby, had an panicked, ashen look about him that aged him. Kouga, even with his brash attitude, was inspecting Inuyasha worriedly as he talked, clearly unaccustomed to seeing the half-demon so affected. Sesshomaru did not like having to travel with them, but he knew it was unavoidable. Inuyasha would go tearing through the country without him and cause even bigger issues for them alone. The west was not like here, where only small-scale demons resided. There were more demon lords and the battles one fought could determine one's enemies. Sesshomaru had already accepted them all as his enemies – he did not need Inuyasha to reinforce that. Even if he had remained behind, though, Sesshomaru no longer trusted him to keep Rin safe. He was too easily led away and could not even protect his own wife when it mattered most.

Rin will be safer with me, Sesshomaru decided.

That night, everyone in the village spent their time putting out fires, locating the wounded, and burying their dead. The darkness dragged endlessly on that night. Those that suffered the worst wounds died would most likely die overnight. Several people whose houses had been damaged or destroyed had made makeshift places to sleep, huddled up near tiny fires they made. Kagome's barriers had only been able to protect against invading demons, but not the fires that had spread. There were only a few homes that suffered such damage, thankfully. By the time the fires were put out, the village was a black, charred mess.

Sesshomaru lead Jaken and Rin from the wreckage to the forest, where Rin fussed over Jaken after making a small fire. When he complained of a migraine, she found a large gash on the back of his head that she cleaned and bandaged before bullying him to rest and sleep even when he tried to add more branches to the fire. Reluctantly, Jaken settled back against the tree, easily falling into a doze.

"I feel bad," Rin said to Sesshomaru as she went to stand next to him. She had bandaged her own hand, as well, and now picked at the bindings fretfully.

"You're not responsible for her actions, Rin," he said to her. "The responsibility lies on Inuyasha and myself. Bushuugi's tricks will only get him so far."

Her head shot up in surprise. "No, Lord Sesshomaru! That's not your fault. I should have gotten out of the way."

"Even if you had moved, it would have made little difference. He would have managed to get you both instead of just her." He brushed past her towards the fire, settling down beside it and crossing his legs. Rin still looked doubtful, but followed him, sitting next to him and tucking her legs beneath her. "I won't make the same mistake I did tonight. If Inuyasha's wise, neither will he."

She glanced up at him and then sighed, moving a little closer and resting her head against his arm. "I hope Kagome will be okay."

Rin fell asleep leaning against him, only waking a few times that night to check on Jaken before returning to his side. He fed the fire to keep her warm, moving very little outside of that. He watched over them while they slept, listening for any sounds of movement in the trees around them, for any screams in the village, or any taste in the air that someone else had arrived. The night was calm, however, and the village and their little group was left blissfully alone to rest.

When they woke the next morning, Sesshomaru gave them time to drag their sore, beaten bodies to stand and then made his way back into the village. Rin was unusually quiet that morning, something he attributed to her preoccupation with Kagome's safety. He knew that nothing he said would assuage that fear of hers, so he left her alone to her thoughts. Her feelings regarding what had happened were, unfortunately, the last of his concerns just then. It was integral that they begin planning their move back to the west and even if Inuyasha did not want to be rational about such movements, Sesshomaru was not about to go rushing after Bushuugi without at least some degree of preparation. Admittedly, if he discovered that Inuyasha had ran off in the night, he would not be altogether surprised. If the roles had been reversed, his instincts might have overcome his senses and he would have done the same.

On their way towards the village, Kohaku strode down the path to meet them, raising a hand towards Sesshomaru in greeting.

"Good morning, Lord Sesshomaru," Kohaku said, smiling faintly. He looked tired, as if he had not yet managed to sleep. "I wanted to talk with you before you saw Inuyasha."

Sesshomaru glanced down at Rin who had perked up slightly upon seeing her friend. Her eyebrows had knitted together in confusion, as if she could not fathom any reason why he would approach them.

"What is it?" he asked, returning his gaze to Kohaku.

"I'd like to accompany you." He straightened, as though to make himself appear taller, and met Sesshomaru's eyes with his own determined stare. "None of Kouga's men are going to be going with you and even though I know you and Inuyasha could handle it, I'd like to offer myself as a resource. It'd be an honor if you'd allow me to travel with you again."

Sesshomaru inspected him curiously. This man truly was a strange creature. He had always had a great deal of respect for Kohaku, even more so after the incident with Hiroshi, but Kohaku continued to surprise him. By this time, Sesshomaru was sure that he had been given an opportunity to propose to Rin and she, in turn, had rejected him. His feelings towards him and Rin had not shifted since then. It was blatantly apparent that, while he did indeed want to go as a warrior to help with rescuing Kagome, he was also thinking of Rin's safety. He was likely thinking of the time that Sesshomaru would inevitably be pulled into battle and wanted to be an added safeguard against Bushuugi kidnapping or killing her.

It was one of the many times that Kohaku had displayed his selfless love for Rin and deep regard for Sesshomaru. Unlike Inuyasha, who Sesshomaru was finding to be unreliable currently, he could trust that Kohaku would not let his emotions impede his actions. He would do what was necessary to keep her safe, even if it meant putting his own life on the line. That was what Sesshomaru needed if the other male was going to join their group.

"Very well," he said at last. "Don't get in the way."

Kohaku smiled and nodded. "I won't."

"You, again?" Jaken grumbled to Kohaku as the group continued down the pathway towards the sound of Inuyasha's loud voice. "What good do you think you'll do?"

"Be nice, Master Jaken," Rin said, giving him a pat on the head that caused him to wince. "Kohaku's a great warrior. You should be happy that we'll have another set of hands!"

"With our luck, Inuyasha will drag us into something that has nothing to do with Bushuugi! 'Another set of hands' isn't going to help then!"

"He's just in a bad mood because his head hurts," Rin said to Kohaku, apparently deciding that attempting to quell an angry Jaken would get her nowhere. Kohaku mouthed 'ah' before wisely turning away from the glaring imp.

When they found Inuyasha, he was in the midst of an argument with Miroku while Kouga stood to the side, cleaning out his ear idly with a bored expression.

"I'm sorry, Inuyasha," Miroku said in his quiet, steady voice. "I know you want me to agree with you, but I also know what Kagome would think if she were here – "

"Which she's not," Inuyasha cut in.

" – and she would tell you to work with Sesshomaru. It isn't wise to do this alone. That's something we all have learned from Naraku." Miroku inspected the palm of his hand, a troubled frown causing his brows to wrinkle.

Inuyasha caught sight of Sesshomaru and bristled angrily upon seeing him before rounding back on the monk.

"Sango and I can't come, Inuyasha," Miroku continued, causing the half-demon to gape at him in affront. He smiled, putting a hand to his heart in apology. "Trust me, I want to. I hate not being able to help find Kagome and it would almost be like old times, but you have people here that are willing to help you and more than capable. You and I both know that Sesshomaru is better than either Sango or myself."

"Don't say that in front of him," Inuyasha muttered.

"Don't worry, little brother," Sesshomaru quipped tauntingly, growing impatient with Inuyasha's tantrums. "I already know my strength exceeds most of you. I can't be flattered."

"Real funny."

"Sango's pregnant," Miroku added, interrupting them before Inuyasha could get anymore riled up. "I can't leave her, Kin'u, and Gyokuto behind and there's no way that Sango should be going into battle right now." He reached out and squeezed Inuyasha's shoulder. "Sorry. I know that you'll find her, though. We'll keep the village safe while you're gone." He smiled, releasing his shoulder. "And we'll be here when you get back."

"I didn't want to have to do any of this again," Inuyasha said, deflating after listening to Miroku. "I didn't want to drag Kagome into anything – I promised myself I wouldn't!"

"I know." Miroku released a tiny exhalation of air, his smile turning melancholic. "That's the hard part about promises. You can have good intentions your entire life and make promises to people, but you can't control what the world around you does. Sometimes the world can make you out as a liar. All you can do is the best that you can. It's a hard burden to bear, being strong. The stronger you are, the more enemies you attract. Kagome knew that when she married you. There's no point in complaining about something out of your control."

"Then what's the point of being strong?" Inuyasha bitterly asked. "What's the point if it's just going to get her killed?"

"That," Miroku said gently, "is something only you can answer."

End Part I

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A/N: And so begins part two! There's going to be about a month or so delay in the next update, what with the upcoming holidays and needing to do some catch up in the writing/editing. I have a feeling I'm going to have to do a couple rewrites in this next section of the story, too... In any case, I hope you're all enjoying the story! There will definitely be more Sesshomaru/Rin moments in the next part, as well!