[AN: I deeply, deeply apologize for making you all wait this long for this chapter but my mother went into the hospital again, life caught me by surprise, and many other things but admittedly it was mostly because I was having a crisis of self worth. I did not believe I was worthy of this story anymore, that I could write and keep up the hype. I was afraid of failing, so afraid that I didn't even write anything anymore. Today I finally smacked myself in the face and sat down and decided to write again. I hope it was worth the wait and I hope you don't have to wait that long ever again.]
Lady Tsukiakari was up earlier than most since, like her son, she did not need to sleep but sometimes did. She did not like her dreams, they reminded her of the past and she distanced herself from the past as much as physically possible. The past was over and done with it was time now to look forward to the future. She wondered about her son and his future and what part that young woman would play in it. Something in her was stirring, a fire she could not feed. She wanted to coddle children again, not that she really coddled Sesshomaru. She remembered the good old days back when he was small and she would spar with him in the gardens near their home. He trained with his father too but despite thinking his father was both literally and figuratively larger than life he adored his mother like no other.
To him she could do no wrong and for the longest time he didn't think there would be another woman that could take her place in his heart. He only had so much room in there to show affection. He knew now that wasn't true. His love for Rin was fathomless, as deep as the oceans that surrounded his land. He thought, too, that he could never be affectionate towards human beings. Concerning his mother the two barely showed any signs of mother to son love. When they flew around each other in dog demon form that was how they showed recognition, appreciation, and bonding. When he was a child his mother only sometimes would press her forehead to his just barely but she never overly gushed over him or was the type to give him kisses and hugs.
This is just another reason why everything he did with Rin felt like a new and strange experience. Rin was often very loving towards him and this was different to how he had been treated. He would not call his mother cold, not in terms of raising him, but he would call her unique. She had her own way of handling him that most humans could not understand. She didn't hold his hand, tuck him in, but she did sing lullabies to him sometimes in the old demonic language that she spoke so perfectly. It was like a silvery stream of water sweetly caressing over the rocks. She spoke in their native tongue and strove to teach him. Even now he knew it well enough but could not compare to her. Every vowel and word spoken was silky but even still when Rin sang to him it was different. Perhaps it was nostalgic to have someone sing to him but it wasn't even the same. Rin's voice was so mild compared to his mother's and what she sang about were songs of love, of hope, of triumph, of living eternally by his side. His mother only sang of battles and wars, of bloodshed and their full demon glory. She would compliment him in their songs, feeding and fueling the fire in his stomach to be his best self when killing. He could remember clear as day the words to his favored song, sung in that dialect of yore.
You are the moon in my sky
Shining brightly, brighter than the rest
You shall slay those before you
With your sword and your rage
Let it swell inside you
Like my song swells in your heart
Let these words remind you
That you are Prince on high
Prince of the woods, Prince of my sky.
Perhaps it was not the best idea to turn him into this murderous being and name him for his pure raw destructive power. Lady Tsuki could see that now but she did not regret a thing she said nor thought back then. She and he were fierce unrelenting fighters and for centuries they fought side by side but only when it was necessary. She would always tell him not to exert excess energy on creatures who merely wanted to test their strength and though she cultivated the flames inside of him she told him not to let it get the best of him, that and his pride. Yet she was proud too. She was proud of her son more than anything in her life and once her husband left Sesshomaru was all she had. Eventually, she had no one and at first she didn't care but the empty nest syndrome was starting to, after hundreds of years, kick in. She longed for another child to take care of but with no mate of her own she could not do such a thing.
A girl would be nice. She had long planned on giving her son a sister but it never came to be. She tried to get pregnant again but it didn't happen no matter how much she wanted it to. It appeared after Sesshomaru she could not bare anymore children. She longed to have more but decided after a while to just be happy with the one she got. He was her crown jewel, her precious beloved son, and she would make sure whatever made him happy he would receive. Nights on end she quarreled with Inutasiho about giving Sesshomaru a proper sword but he told her it was for his own good. When she learned that his new half breed pup was given the sword of ultimate power she felt just as betrayed as when she found him in bed with his human lover. She could not look at him the same way after that dreadful night. She didn't even yell or cry, she just turned her head and told him to get out of her sight. He didn't even have the decency to tell her goodbye. He just left with Izayoi and the two started their happy family together. It made her sick.
It also made her deeply wounded that she was not good enough for him. Her dearest son, oh how he tried to cheer her up because though she remained flat faced in front of all he could see past that. There was nothing he could do though. The hurt she felt was not going to mend so easily. Now in her golden years, at least considered so for a demon, she was finding herself thinking about it all over again. So many times she wished she could have been enough for him but after a long time that ache went away. Now the sting of it was back. That mortal woman gave him a son he seemed to love far more than the one she birthed him. However, she was starting to see that maybe that wasn't true.
Still, she believed that she loved him more than his father. She loved him more than the stars in the black velvety night sky and more than all the air in the world. He was her greatest gift and she adored every silver hair on his head in her own special way. He tried not to ask himself who he loved more, Rin or his mother. It was two different types of love and two different types of people. If one died he would feel crushed but if Rin died he'd never recover. So in that perhaps he loved her just a bit more. Lady Tsuki was applying her light sheen of gloss to her lips in the mirror, staring at her reflection. Her son favored her vastly and she was glad of that. Not that he didn't look like his father, he had his same handsome eyes but Sesshomaru's were more full of disdain. Though lately they were softening up and that disdain was dissolving like sugar into water.
She wasn't sure why but she was traveling down the road of her memories and the fondest one she could think of was when Sesshomaru was just born. She could remember it like it was yesterday despite being well over 200 years ago. He was born on the night of the crescent moon, so was she and so was Inutaisho, that was why they were blessed with the crescent marking on their forehead. She brushed back his little bangs and looked into his eyes. He would do great things, he would shake the world by its core, he would leave bodies in his wake, and he would rule as she did. Her lineage would go strong within him, her blood flowed through his veins and so did her way of thinking. He would achieve far more than his predecessor ever dreamed of, of this she was absolutely sure. As the day went on she continued to think about her son until it was that she felt his presence nearing. The afternoons' golden glow was outlining him and making him appear even more unearthly than usual. She had not been expecting to see him today but she was glad of any time he decided to visit, which wasn't often enough. The tiniest freckle of a smile graced her face, nothing smug as before but this time it seemed she was happy to see him.
"My son, why have you come today? Surely not just to visit your dear mother."
She knew better. She knew how he was, he only came to her when he wanted something which was typical of children who had grown up and thought they knew everything now. Until of course they all the sudden come crawling back asking for help again and for her son that was not an easy task. He so rarely asked anyone for assistance in anything, he was above all that. He could handle it himself. This time he let his slight arrogant nature be swept away in order to get him what he needed most, Rin's safety. Nothing mattered more. In these dire times Rin needed somewhere safe to go and to him nowhere was safer than here, high up above the world with his mother who was one of the strongest women he knew of. If worst came to worst and Rin was found to be here he knew his mother could defend her. Trouble was…would she?
"No I have not come to socialize. Rin is in trouble and she needs you…I need you."
"What is it this time?" She questioned, sincerely curious about his situation. She had never heard desperation in his voice but there were notes of it in there now. It must be serious if he was coming to her first.
"Lady Fuyumi has lost her mind and has threatened to destroy us both."
"That is nothing for you to worry about. She is a weakling, I know you can take her on your own."
"I know that as well but she's gathering an army."
"Are you trying to say you can't handle a small army?"
"Not at all. I just want Rin here while I battle them. Can you do this?"
"Ah I thought for a moment you were asking me to join you in the fight. You don't need me at all. Fuyumi's forces are barely worth the time it takes to kill them. Still… something must have happened to drive her to go this far. What did you do to her?"
"It is what I said not did. She wanted to become my mate."
"You refused?"
He nodded his head at her. Now things were getting interesting. She knew her son did not at all like Fuyumi and to be frank neither did she. That woman was a snake, or more like a worm for how lowly she was. It was sheer luck she became the lady of the court and not her sister. In Tsukiakari's eyes she felt Lady Akino deserved it more but she refused the title and decided to live a simple life. She was the eldest and it should have went to her but it didn't and now because of her decision the aggressor known as Fuyumi was allowed to wreak havoc. Lady Akino regretted her decision often enough but now that their parents were dead she'd have to challenge her sister if she wanted the role back. She did not want to rule but if only to see her tyranny stop she would take it. Regardless of all these facts there had to be something more at play here because although madness would certainly take over Fuyumi if she was denied this level of insanity could only be accomplished if more was present, like her being upstaged.
"Why?" She asked simply, though she felt she knew the answer.
Sesshomaru could easily lie though he did not lie to anyone but himself. Still he chose to tell the hard, unflinching truth. "I've already chosen a mate. I've chosen Rin."
The silence was thick and heavy like lead and just as hard to slice through. One could have heard the feather of a bird drop in this silence. For a moment Lady Tsuki's eyes opened wide at what she heard and they seemed stuck that way. At first, she wasn't sure how to feel or what to say. Her mouth was very slightly parted but not a word came out. Then a sudden calmness flowed over her and realization made a nest in her mind. This is exactly what she assumed might happen given everything the two had went through and the Blood Moon. The Blood Moon was certainly the time for new lovers to be found and there was no escaping it. Just how Sesshomaru was unaffected for so long was above her and what made even less sense was it only really affected men. It just made no sense but if she had to guess it was just his personality type, his strength, his unromantic nature. All of this and more combined had stopped him from being affected but now that Rin was in the picture he no longer had that luxury. So it appeared that he had true affection for her which was more of a surprise to Tsukiakari than his choosing of her based on lust during a bloody full moon.
"I see," was all she said, blinking slowly at him.
"I don't think it matters what I've decided. All that matters is that she have somewhere to go during the battle. If you won't do it then that is your decision."
"You would understand my apprehension given everything that has gone on in my lifetime. However," she interrupted, "I will do as you wish. If you were curious why it is because on the whole I do not loathe this Rin girl and you so clearly care for her, even love her. It's different for you to feel such a way especially for someone not of your own breed but that is not my concern. If you are truly earnestly happy with her then as a mother what more can I want than for your eternal happiness? Of course I want you gain power, prowess, prestige. You have all that and more already and I couldn't be prouder. Despite the nature of your mate she obviously makes you smile. I can feel something warmer about you, gentler than before. You're still you but something has changed and maybe…it's for the better."
Sesshomaru spoke not a word to her but agreed that Rin's change in him was something he needed. He had gone so long being cold and heartless with no feelings for anyone and now his life was full of light given to him by his cherished Rin. It didn't seem like the right fit for him given how positive, upbeat, and extremely sweet she was but it turned out that all of those traits were perfect for him. She soothed him in ways he didn't know were possible. He had no idea how he had lived so long without her love and cheer. When she touched him, when she sang, when she talked, when she smiled, it all made his soul calm. He nodded his head to his mother as a way of bowing to her, showing that he was thankful for her doing this.
She didn't need to do this but she did and he appreciated it deeper than she would ever understand. With her history and background she had every right to deny him and send him on his way with nary a nice word said to him but she did the opposite. If she hadn't explained he would not have understood why she made her decision but she did give him an explanation, one that made him realize his mother was a lot more than just beauty and ferocity. She was accepting of him no matter what or in this case who he chose. He wasn't sure what exactly she felt for Rin but as long as she was willing to watch over her while the war ensued then he didn't mind what she felt so long as it wasn't hatred. Sesshomaru made it back to his palace, relieved that all was going according to plan. Now Rin would be somewhere safe and he could have that off of his mind. He went inside the castle searching for Rin and found her being protectively watched over by Lady Akino as she had said and Jaken too. Rin tilted her head up hearing him coming and went straight to holding him tightly as soon as he entered the place, unashamed of herself, of her actions, or of her love for him.
Sesshomaru, instead of usually reacting like his usual distant self, allowed himself to be more loving too and held her within one arm, surprising Jaken entirely. He had never seen his lord hold anybody like that before or look so calm and full of adoration for the mortal before him. It was shocking but it only confirmed the facts, his lord was certainly with Rin and far more than just for intimate reasons. He truly had affection for her that ran deep and could not be broken. Jaken was just as proud as his master at times and thought himself of high rank because of the staff he was given and his long time traveling by Sesshomaru's side. He too thought humans were a bit lowly but as he spent more time around Rin he got accustomed to them and thought of their rank less and less as he grew from putting up with her to actually caring. Now put in the face of this strange new relationship between his mighty lordship and this human woman Jaken was not disgusted or angry or even upset however he wasn't sure how to feel about this. All he knew was he had better watch over Rin a lot closer now for she meant far more to Sesshomaru than before.
"Rin," Sesshomaru calmly spoke, stroking over her hair, "there is to be a battle here and you have to leave me again."
"Where will I go?"
"To my mother's palace and there you will stay no matter how long this battle takes. You are not to return until I and only I come back to get you. If it is anyone else, even if they speak for me, do not trust them. The enemy will use any tactic to try to get to you if they find out where you are so be on your toes."
"Yes of course. I will do as you say and stay there without fail but what of you? Are you going to fight all on your own?"
"Of course he isn't," Lady Akino replied, getting up from her spot and coming closer to Rin. "You need not worry, Lady Rin. I will be by his side, fighting to the death if I must."
"But your children…if you die they will be without a mother! No you cannot possibly put yourself in harm's way like that, you have too much to risk!" Rin passionately cried out at the injustice of it all, little tears forming in the corner of her soft brown eyes at the thought of her friends dead body and the small kits mourning over it.
"It is already settled, your ladyship. I know it will be a tragedy if I do die but I owe this man my life. He has protected my family for years. I have already done my weeping for my children's sake but they will not be left alone in this world. If I am to pass on into the next life, I will leave them in the care of the old grey fox, Chikako, and they will always have you. Because of your connection to his Lordship, I will always see you as important but because of your time with me and my own I have come to feel you are family too and will be glad to have you take care of my children," she announced with a bow to her.
"And I too will be by his side Rin," Jaken uttered, standing too to seem taller than he was for he felt for a moment overshadowed by this kitsune. "I will fight valiantly as well, to the bitter end. To fight by his side once more will be an honor and to die even more so. You should only worry about yourself Rin, not of us. I have faith in our abilities, remember we have gotten out of worse things than this and back then my lord only had one arm. Now he has both, a sword of unspeakable power, and one more to the team. We got by before, this time will be no different. Please, Rin, for his sake, just do as he says without fussing or upsetting yourself. You have nothing to fear, we will all make it out okay as we always have."
"Jaken….," Rin whispered gently then went to him and hugged him tight, tears coming from her eyes. She hugged him so tight his own eyes bulged a bit and he choked from her embrace. Rin kissed his cheek before she let go which one would think might make Sesshomaru jealous but he was level headed about it all. He knew she loved Jaken of course but not in the same way she loved him. "I'm sorry…you are right. I have to have faith that everything will end well. I know you both well enough to know you have faced adversity and come out just fine. I believe in you, all of you." She turned to Sesshomaru and smiled that sweet smile that made his heart melt for her. "I'm ready to go now."
Sesshomaru put his hand on her cheek and looked into her eyes deeply. He could see that she was ready to do this and she could see that he was ready to take on as many people as possible to keep his land and her safe. He wanted to kiss her and instead of being abashed at his feelings he let them be and did not care who was standing present to witness this. He lifted up her face to his and kissed her with all the passion he could ever give her in that moment. Jaken blushed and turned away from it all, trying not to look at the display of love in front of him. He had never seen Sesshomaru do that or act that way and it flustered him a bit. Rin gathered up her things after and traveled with him to Lady Tsuki's home. Her ladyship was there waiting for her and placed her hand on Rin's shoulder when she arrived. She looked at her son, he was still a bit worried about her safety, his mother could tell that just by looking at him.
"Do not worry, Sesshomaru. I will treat her with decency. I cannot claim to be kind but I will do her no harm, make sure she is fed, and while she is here I will teach her about our regal lineage. By the time you return you will have a dignified princess at your side."
Sesshomaru could have argued she already was one in his mind and in his heart but he did no such thing, he only nodded to her then gazed at Rin one last time. He did not say goodbye, for this was not the last time he would see her, he would make sure of it. He told her he would come back for her as soon as possible and then he was off into the distance. He did not like being without her and he felt lonesome already but he would deal with it, for her it was the same. Lady Tsukiakari took her by the upper back, turned her around and led her to her new quarters and from there the two went into the study. They had a lot of things to talk about and Rin was keen to hear it all as much as her ladyship was keen to talk about it and teach. When Sesshomaru came back Lady Akino was still there, she said she would stay as long as she could at the castle but would check in with her children every day. Still, she would stay on site in case she was needed in the great battle.
She longed to fight her sister and even if she would never get the chance to go at her one on one it was enough to take down her army and her kingdom. Once she was defeated Lady Akino would gladly take the crown but continue living in the forest, leaving the icy domain frozen in time without an owner to sit on its crystalized throne. She preferred the simple family life and would stay where she had made her family if she could. She would wait and see what was made to happen to her and the kingdom of the north. Days rolled by without a sign, without a word of Fuyumi then it turned to weeks and still not a trace of her. If Sesshomaru was a lesser man he might have put his guard down and thought he was in the clear and that Fuyumi merely was speaking through gritted teeth in anger, barking like a wild dog at a bigger threat with no sense of actually attacking. He did not for one moment think that was the case, he knew Lady Fuyumi well enough and knew she meant what she said and would set out to do it in due time.
The weeks passed on slowly without Rin in his presence and the quietness without her was noticeable. Sesshomaru was a little irritated that Fuyumi was taking so long for the longer she took the longer Rin was out of his arms. He trusted his mother to do what was right and not lay a claw on her but he wondered just how things were going there and if Rin was given the luxuries she deserved or at the very least given the care she required. Rin's life without Sesshomaru went on for longer than she thought it might, first one month passed then another then another but she did have things to entertain herself with during all this time. Lady Tsukiakari taught her how to be a real lady, how to walk like one, pour tea like one, talk like one and taught her about the ancient ways, the traditions she was raised on, and demon lore. Rin was fascinated about it all and made sure she did her studies with due diligence, not wanting to fail the queen of the western skies. Rin would be walking down the halls with her ladyship, dressed in finery, and talking to her as if she was another noble. A-Un was also there, getting taken care of by the staff but he was irritable because he had not been allowed to fly or be ridden in a long time.
This was because Lady Tsuki was smart, she felt that if Rin flew off somewhere or her two-headed dragon then they would be spotted and someone would know she was here and come after her. Rin understood and tried to tell A-Un, to pet him and make him understand, but even if he did know what she was saying he was still sour about it all, he, like her, was a free bird and longed to stretch his wings at least once more. More days passed, then more weeks, until everything became a blur of studies, words, phrases, poems, stories, and practice for Rin. Her shamisen playing had much improved as had her dancing but all her activities did not keep her so busy that she did not have time to think about and pine for her beloved. She yearned for him daily and he for her. Now that they were a mated pair for Sesshomaru it was torture to be without her but he must endure. He stood outside of his domain, waiting as he always did for the war to begin and nothing had changed for a long time until today. After another month had passed he finally sensed a change in the air, a scent he recalled and did not like at all was wafting his way and with it came the horns and drums of battle. Over the hill in front of him, riding in her carriage, was Lady Fuyumi and a sizable army at either side of her. They paraded all the way until they were in front of him and once they were Fuyumi sat there still in her carriage, not seeming like she was about to waste energy actually fighting herself but was going to let her lackeys do it. Sesshomaru recognized some of the demons that were in the army. How could he not? They had worked for him and clearly turned coat as soon as they saw he had gotten with a human.
"I will give you one last chance Sesshomaru," Fuyumi declared, her eyes like black daggers shooting into his but he was not phased by her look at all, nor was anyone present. "I am not unmerciful and I will grant you a choice. You can choose to make me your queen or be slaughtered where you stand."
Sesshomaru didn't answer her at all, she didn't deserve the dignity of an answer. She didn't deserve anything. He pulled his trusted sword out of its sheath slowly and pointed it at her, narrowing his eyes. That was his answer if he was going to give her one. She sneered at him.
"Very well. Bring me his head."
Her minions rushed toward him, armed to the teeth but she did nothing but sit there with an arrogant smirk on her face as if she knew he was about to be defeated right then and there without her moving a muscle. Sesshomaru went in, sword drawn, and slashed through five enemies at once without getting a single drop of blood on him but he knew that would not stay the case with how many she had on her side. He continued to swing his blade around with finesse and grace, killing as he used to do back then, with a cold hard face and unwavering in his pursuit. Jaken was also putting up a good fight, burning those that came towards him or his lord or smacking them and beating them bluntly with his staff until he cracked their skulls. Lady Akino was doing her part, she had a long dagger and claws which aided her well in battle. She was rusty at this to say the least, having not fought in in ages, before her children were born and her husband still alive to fight with her. She held her own in battle, stabbing and clawing at enemies, gouging their eyes out when she could. She did not hold back once or flinch. She was trying to fight through the crowd to get to her sister so she may end her life herself. She wasn't sure if Sesshomaru would care or not who destroyed the wench but Lady Akino would delight in doing it herself for numerous reasons, one of which was because it was her sister who had killed her husband in battle.
Sesshomaru was doing the same, making his way through every body to get to Fuyumi and he didn't care who he stepped on to get to her or who he had to kill as long as the woman was dead. If she died then this would all end, her army would lose their leader and scurry away scared because they knew they were doomed without her. They were doomed with her too, some of them knew this, but they still went head on into the fray without thinking about it because their hatred for him and his decision ran so deep that it blinded them to anything else. Another person seemed to join them in their war, Mozukai. He held a sickle in one hand and used it to his advantage to get at the enemies in front of him. It was all he had that was sharp enough and large enough to count as a weapon. He had not said to Sesshomaru that he was joining the fight and indeed he wasn't sure if he was going to, but at the last second he decided to join the fight in order to protect his mistresses life.
Sesshomaru had dispatched his staff long ago so they could also be safe. He didn't care about them half as much as he did Rin but he knew she did not want them to get hurt so he sent them away out of respect for her sentiments. It seemed, though, that some of them did not heed his warnings and decided to combat anyways. So with the four of them working through the army they were able to make a large dent, bodies were piling up on the ground and less and less members of her army were present. Lady Fuyumi was noticing this and starting to get scared at her chances of getting away from this with her life. Sneakily she tried to get her carriage to turn around and leave while she still could but Lady Akino saw this and was able to throw her dagger with such precision that it cut the line holding the creature pulling the carriage from the vessel itself. Now Fuyumi had nothing to do but run and she could not run very fast or get very far even in her full demon animal form. Sesshomaru noticed what had transpired and saw an opening for him to get her while she was vulnerable and out in the open without the safety of thousands surrounding her. Quick as a flash Sesshomaru split the army in two, parting them like the red sea, and made his way to Fuyumi with lightning speed, ready once and for all to end this. He caught her as she tried to run away and pinned her to the ground with his foot. Being as weak as she was she was struggling to get up from under his weight but instead of looking truly frightened as she might have been she looked smug and then she did something unthinkable, she started to laugh which gave Sesshomaru pause in his pursuit to pierce through her heart.
"Go on and kill me if you wish but I will die with a smile on my face. I have taken away that which you hold dear and relish in your misery. You think this was my whole army? Ha! The rest of them are at your mother's castle as we speak and if they have done their job right then that girl you cherish oh so much should be dead by now."
Sesshomaru's pupils got smaller and he shook all over. He grimaced, clenching his teeth tightly together as he stared down at the villain beneath him. The image of his Rin's dead body flittered into his head and with it grief and rage flowed through him in equal parts causing him to let out the loudest scream that anyone had ever heard him make. It was blood curdling and fierce as his eyes turned red and his fangs enlarged. He lifted his sword high in the air, it glimmered maliciously in the light, and then he plunged it right into her chest going so far down with force that the very top of the hilt was all that was standing out of her. Blood gushed out of her body drenching him in it, covering the silver hairs of his and his mokomoko was dyed red. He breathed shakily and roughly as he stood there contemplating what was just said to him. He was still shaking with the sword tightly grasped in his hand, so tight in fact that his knuckles were turning white. Everyone turned to him seeing that Fuyumi was now dead but as soon as her army was about to disperse it appeared that they would not be spared. Sesshomaru in his mad delirium, eyes still burning red, chased after each and every one of them and murdered them in cold blood.
Jaken saw this madness go on with an open mouth, stunned at the violence on display that he had never seen before. Lady Akino, however, was not about to let this continue. It was one thing to kill them in the heat of battle but there was no reason to attack them now, Sesshomaru knew that much and in his right mind he wouldn't have done this but he had lost his mind after hearing that news and could not think straight. Lady Akino rushed over to Sesshomaru while he was continuing his onslaught and she tried to stop him. In the haze of insanity fueled by sorrow such as no one could fathom he could not differentiate between friend and foe and when she got in the way he stabbed her right through the shoulder. It did not kill her thankfully but she did suffer a terrible wound because of it. Yet she stood there as if she was not in any sort of pain and attempted to put him at ease.
"Please listen to me! You are wasting your time here! Rin could be in trouble right now and she needs you! Perhaps it is not too late to save her! You must listen to me for if you don't Rin will surely die and you will have done nothing to help."
Sesshomaru stopped his murdering spree and dropped his sword. It seemed it was finally satiated as it had its fill of blood and so had he. His eyes returned to normal and so did his fangs as well as his breathing. He saw in front of him his comrade was wounded and he had done it. He did not like to kill like this and he did not take any pleasure in hurting those who were here to fight for Rin. He was no longer the pitiless man he once was and now that he heard those words he was brought out of his stupor he saw the massacre before him. What had he done? He looked at his hands, dripping with blood, his fingernails looked almost painted with it. He closed his eyes, breathed in, and steadied himself, then wiped off his sword on the grass before picking it up and placing it back where it belonged. He looked at Lady Akino and did not know how to apologize to her, for he had never done anything like this before to someone he trusted. It seemed she understood and bowed to him.
"It is alright, it will heal but you must go and go now to Rin before time has run out."
He didn't need to hear anything else. He was concerned about his bloodied appearance but now was not the time to care about such trivial matters. Now he took to the skies with Jaken in tow who had since gotten over his shock and grasped tightly onto Sesshomaru so he would not get left behind this time. Sesshomaru had never gone faster in his entire life and as he flew he prayed for the first time, he prayed to whatever gods there were that Rin was still alive for if she wasn't more killing would come about and another life would be taken without mercy… his own and he would be the one to take it.
