Summary- Years have passed since the incident with Khan. Now Rin is happy, living with her young child, InuTaisho. InuYasha has taken over in Sesshoumaru's absence, and no one knows what has happened to him. Rin still wonders upon the missing youkai, and if she shall truly ever see him again...

Eternity

Chapter Two

"You must love one, and in return, they must love you back...Rin, do you love me?"

Rin shot up in her bed, breathing deeply as her eyes were widened. What kind of dream was that? She had seen Sesshoumaru...he was waiting for her along the shorelines of the ocean that they had last spoken to each other at. He was so beautiful in the sunset light...as if he were a god that had floated down from the sky above. He was looking at her, and she held a beautiful kimono as his eyes seemed to travel through her, straight to her very core.

Rin shook her head. Sesshoumaru would never do something like that to her. This she knew as fact. How could someone expect such loving things from someone so cold-hearted? He had nearly killed her once, when she was wandering the halls of the castle. He was willing to let her fall and die that time...

"You should be asleep."

Rin's eyes widened as the familiar voice echoed in her room. She looked to the edge of her bed to see a hazed figure of Sesshoumaru. But...how was is possible? Sesshoumaru was dead, and yet here he stood?

"I'm imagining things...I'm going crazy..." Rin whispered to herself in attempt to make the...creature go away. She did not need this here. Better yet, she didn't need anything like this to happen ever again. She didn't need to fall in love, she didn't need to lose that which she did love, and she definitely didn't need it to haunt her for the rest of her life.

Rin shook her head and rubbed her eyes, looking back to the foot of her bed, only to see an abandoned bedroom. She was right after all. She missed Sesshoumaru so much that she even went as far as to create a ghostly memory of him...

A small breeze blew past her and she looked to the balcony window in confusion. She could have sworn that she closed that before going to bed...Rin shrugged and claimed it as illusioning. She got up and walked to the balcony, but instead of closing it, she walked out upon it. She gazed up into the sky and saw the moon was nearly gone. The stars twinkled overhead and Rin began to remember how she gazed out all those nights ago when she was a slave inthis household.

"Wait a second..."

Speaking of being a slave, where was Jaken recently? She hadn't seen him ever since rumors of the Taijiya Village being rebuilt reached the castle. Now that she thought of it, many demons have disappeared from the Western Territory. Were the demon slayers residing near the castle?

-What should I do? Should I make them leave and quit killing demons in my lands, or should I leave them be and allow them to live? What would Sesshoumaru have done...-
Rin thought. She knew herself that Sesshoumaru was an excellent ruler. InuYasha may have helped her out a couple of times, such as meetings with the other Lord's and covering for her as the Ruler, but that was mainly it.

Rin stretched and looked down to the ocean shores, pondering upon her dream some more. Sesshoumaru continued staring at her, and then he started to advance. Rin remembered how her heart pounded and how her body began to tremble until she eventually collapsed upon the sand, but Sesshoumaru had caught her before she could fully fall.

Rin shook her head. That was definitely not Sesshoumaru. It must have been someone else, because Sesshoumaru would never have done that.

"Sesshoumaru, what do I do?" Rin whispered, thinking upon the taijiya subject again. She closed her eyes, hoping that somehow, he would be able to hear her and to answer her. Rin rolled her eyes mentally. How pathetic was she? Praying to some deceased person about how to protect her lands?

"Ouch..." Rin muttered as she looked to her shoulder, the one that Sesshoumaru bit four years ago as a "mate" marking. Her eyes widened slightly as she saw nothing there. Where was the scar? Where was the bite mark? She swore that he left it there, so where...?

"Rin? What are you doing out here?"

Rin looked down with a shocked squeal and blinked. Shippo?

"Shippo, why're you out so late at night?" Rin asked. Shippo grinned and laughed at her. She practically repeated his question right back at him. Rin, now understanding what he was laughing at, giggled slightly at her obliviousness.

"Well Rin, in answer to your question, I was just out here looking for some more of my kin again. I know that I scented them here a few days ago..." Shippo said, mumbling the last part to himself. He looked up at Rin expecantly and Rin nodded. Shippo had been looking for other fox-demons after a runin including the scent of a tribe of kitsune.

"So you haven't found any trace of them yet?" Rin asked him. She hoped dearly that the demon slayers didn't find them and slay them...

"Nah. I caught a slip of them, but they went over a river and the wind swept it away." Shippo explained. He was so disappointed, but as long as he could find a trace, no matter how small, made him happy to know that he wasn't the only kitsune left.

"Well Rin? You never answered my question."

Shippo grinned as Rin blushed and then looked away from him. In truth, he knew why she was out here so late at night. Shippo's grin slowly began to fade as he thought of Sesshoumaru and his death.

-I never got to know how my master died. InuYasha, nor Kagome knows either. Only Rin does, but she never told anyone...I wonder why she won't express herself. Well...I really don't blame her. Witnessing the master's death? Who would want to speak of that?-
Shippo thought. How he missed the master...serving him was the only way he could pay Sesshoumaru back for what he did...

Flashback

"Get back here, you rat!" Yelled a large, white creature with a single braid of hair in the back of his head as he chased a young boy upon a storm cloud. The young kitsune cried out as another creature, although he seemed more human - and handsome - than the other came forth upon clouded heels and attacked the young boy with a pike.

"Come on, fox! Come play with us!" The one upon his heels screamed out, grinning from ear-to-ear. Shippo ducked as a bolt of lightning was thrown at him. He slipped and rolled into a hole in the ground, a rabbit hole he supposed.

The two demons landed on the ground and glanced around. Where had that kit gone to? Shippo stared out of the hidden hole at the two males. His eyes were wide and his breathing irregular. He was going to be killed...he was going to die!

"Hiten, are you sure that he landed down here?" Said the fat one. The other glared back at him.

"Do you question me, Manten? Of course I'm sure, you fool!" Hiten yelled at Manten. Manten winced at his brother's shout and sniffed around. He then looked into the rabbit hole that Shippo was currently hiding in and smirked.

"Hiten, I found the rat!" Manten yelled. Hiten rolled his eyes and watched humorously as his younger brother pulled out the fox kit. He smirked and walked over to them, grabbing Shippo by the tail.

"Well, well...if it isn't the son of Kaijo the Great..." Hiten mocked. Shippo looked up to Hiten and struggled out of his grip.

"Let go, let go, let go, let go!" Shippo screamed. Hiten then threw Shippo into a nearby tree, making the young kitsune hit the trunk with the back of his head. Shippo winced and slowly opened his eyes, staring up at his captors.

"W-what are you going to do to m-me...?" Shippo asked, hoping to buy time. Hiten laughed.

"You idiot, we're going to kill you of course!"

Shippo gulped. He was hoping that that wasn't it...

"You're in my way. Stand aside."

Shippo, Manten and Hiten blinked at the new voice and all three looked to the stranger who held it. Shippo gasped, while Manten and Hiten growled. Was it really...?

"Well, well...if it isn't the two demon bandits that travel region to region, causing trouble." Sesshoumaru spoke. Shippo watched him in amazement. Didn't this man fear them? Hiten and Manten were two soldiers of the Thunder Demon Tribe, and the strongest to match.

"And who are you, filthy dog?" Manten spoke foolishly. Sesshoumaru narrowed his eyes at the insult sent his way. How dare this fat bafoon call him filthy? Did he even understand whom he was degrading?

Sesshoumaru growled, and in a second, he held a squirming Manten by the throat, his talons ready to pierce through his very flesh. Manten began to panic and squirmed in Sesshoumaru's grasp, accidentally cutting his own throat upon Sesshoumaru's nails.

"L-let me go, you dog!"

There he goes again, insulting him without knowing to whom he was speaking to. Sesshoumaru rolled his eyes at Manten's ignorance and threw him into a nearby tree, making him woosy. Hiten watched, shocked as his younger - but larger - brother was thrown across the clearing so easily. His emotions went into a rage at the sight of it.

"You...how dare you! I'll make you pay for hurting my family!" Hiten yelled as he ran at Sesshoumaru, his pike in hand. Sesshoumaru stared at Hiten as he raced towards him, before he leapt into the air, just over Hiten's attack. Shippo watched in amazement. But wait...if his arch enemies, which he couldn't defeat, were weaker than this demon, then what if the man began to attack Shippo?

"Damn you!" Hiten yelled as he immediately turned around, glaring all of his fury at Sesshoumaru. Sesshoumaru paid no heed to his stare and instead, focused himself upon Shippo. A young kit? Were these fools about to slaughter a mere child? Where was the honor in such a crime? Not to mention it was absolutely no fun at all...

"Don't tell me you are so low as to kill a mere pup." Sesshoumaru asked Hiten. Hiten smirked and looked behind Sesshoumaru's shoulders, noticing that Manten was finally recooperating. Hiten looked back to Sesshoumaru, focusing all of his energy into his pike.

"I'll make sure that you don't survive this night...or I'll die in a lie!" Hiten screamed as he charged at Sesshoumaru. Sesshoumaru narrowed his eyes, still not sensing Manten, and readied his energy upon Hiten. Shippo's eyes widened as he realized the two brother's plan.

"Hey! Behind you!" Shippo screamed. He couldn't just let his savior get hurt! Shippo gulped. He just hoped that his savior didn't end up being his slayer.

Sesshoumaru, hearing Shippo's warning, suddenly understood. He mentally scorned himself for being off-guard and for being taken a fool so easily. Just as Hiten threw a powered up lightning bolt at him from his pike tip, Manten fired a mouth-full of thunder energy towards Sesshoumaru as well from behind.

"You're both fools if you believe that I, Sesshoumaru, shall be defeated so easily." Sesshoumaru said before he ducked down, allowing both attacks to hit each other, cancelling each other out. Sesshoumaru smirked, taking advantage of Manten and Hiten's shock, and unleashed his energy whip, slicing both brother's in half.

Shippo uncovered his eyes and glanced around when he was sure that the fight was over. He took a deep, relieved breath and looked at Sesshoumaru. Suddenly, his knees began to shake and his tail began to vibrate harshly. Sesshoumaru glared down upon the young boy and turned.

"You are not worth killing."

Shippo's eyes widened. Then he wasn't going to kill him? Shippo was suddenly bursting in happiness. He wasn't going to get killed! And his arch enemies were dead! Shippo looked as Sesshoumaru began to walk away from him and panicked. Although Hiten and Manten were dead, he was sure that the rest of the Thunder Demon Tribe was going to hunt him down, thinking that it was he who killed them.

"H-hey! Wait a second..." Shippo ran up to Sesshoumaru's side, noticing that he did not stop walking, but rather continued at the same pace as before.

"Do as you wish."

Shippo blinked. Had this guy just read his mind? Shippo stared after Sesshoumaru as he began to walk away again. Shippo smiled and followed after. He finally had a protector, and a chance at life...

End Flashback

"Shippo?"

Shippo blinked, snapping out of his past thoughts. He looked back up to Rin and saw her staring at him worridly. "Are you alright, Shippo?" Rin asked again. The poor fox just seemed to fade off into space after he asked her his question. Rin sighed as Shippo once again left her, his mind traveling away to other important thoughts.

"Nevermind..." She mumbled before turning away and walking slowly back inside the bedroom. She glanced around as the moonlight slightly lit up the area. She then turned and looked at the moon. Tomorrow night, the moon would fade completely. InuYasha would turn into a human, and then they all would be vulnerable once again to any demon that wished to take control of their lands.

"Sesshoumaru...I wishyou were here..." Rin whispered as her eyes began to sting slightly. What was wrong with her? She had never felt so sentimental before about Sesshoumaru. Before, Rin despised Sesshoumaru's very being. He had seperated her from her sister, took her from her home, trapped her inside a metal cage to rot! How could Rin possibly love someone so cruel?

-Because although he seperated you from Kagome, you were better protected...and who could call that a home anyway? And he didn't leave me in that metal room at all...I still got out many times, and never did he reprimand me.-
Rin thought. Ever since she had come into this castle, never had a day been boring.

"You will sleep somewhere else. This Sesshomaru has dealt with enough today and would like rest. Having a coward within my beddings against me is not my idea of rest. Now find somewhere else."

Rin giggled to herself as she recalled the memory. That was when a harsh storm had hit, and she was terrified of storms. She still was, in fact. Sesshoumaru had told her to move and sleep somewhere else, and then the next morning, she got lost in the castle looking for the Dining Hall, which she would never have found had it not of been for the Toukijin and Tetsusaiga.

Rin blinked as she thought of the Toukijin. It had been a while since she went to speak to Sesshoumaru...maybe tonight she would, since sleep escaped her. Rin nodded and walked over to her wardrobe, picking out a nice, warm kimono. It was similar to Sesshoumaru's regular clothing, and so that was why she bought it. It was a pure white with small red flowers upon the left shoulder. The kimono had fluffy rims and a beautiful silk collar. Rin smiled and hugged herself with it, imagining Sesshoumaru doing it instead of herself.

"Well Sesshoumaru...I hope you're not sleeping, because here I come." Rin whispered before she put on some sandals and quietly sneaked out of the castle.

-2-2-2-

"Touga?" Utsugi called out. Touga did not move from his spot behind Khan's stone body. The spell had worn off already? Such a thing was impossible! Khan should be sealed for the rest of eternity...not for merely a few years...

"Something must have corrupted the barrier between this World and the Netherworld..." Touga replied. Utsugi, curiosity now getting the better of her, went over to where Touga stood and stared at the large crack that had formed. She then looked to Touga.

"Do you think that he'll escape again?" She asked. Touga himself was unsure of the results of this spell. What if Khan did come back? But far stronger than he was before? If what Touga was predicting was true, then there was only one way to destroy Khan, once and for all...

"I just hope that the stakes don't get that high..." Touga whispered, before the water mirror rippled again...

To Be Continued...

Yay! Another chapter created by me! (grins) Well, I do hope that you continue to review, becauseI'm starting to come up with a plot. (crazy eyes) Anyway, what do you guys think of it so far? Also, I've started typing the sequel to Nothing, I just need to finish this story first, and then I'll add it, alright? (grins again) And maybe I'll post up Man's Best Friend again eventually... (side-glance)

Anyway, wish me luck in Algebra...kinda failed it. (sweat-drop) Anyway, see ya!

PLEASE REVIEW!

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