Hi! It's been a while since I've written! Life has happened...got married and had a kid and it's just been a whirlwind ever since. I decided to write a new story because I cannot remember where I was going with the last one (Guardians). It was supposed to be epic but I ended up suffering a serious case of writer's block and maybe a little PPD as well. One day I might finish that story but for now my focus is this one. Hope you enjoy!

Shikon University and the Bone Eater Forest

It was August in Forest Hill, a small hill side town neighboring a huge forest called the Bone Eater Forest. Most residents tended to steer clear of it due to legends of demons and witches haunting the forest. However, deep in its woods, a secret university for the gifted existed. It was not known to the public and only very few government officials knew of the school's existence. Dense, towering trees and rugged mountain terrain made it easy to hide. The remote location was off limits to the public; but the brave who dared to venture into the territory would always end up wishing they hadn't. Classes are now back in session at Shikon University.

Rin frantically ran around looking for her left boot while simultaneously trying to brush her unruly, long, black, wavy hair. She kept muttering about cutting it but never could bring herself to do so. After finally finding her boot and giving up on brushing her hair, she darted to her little makeshift kitchen to turn off her whistling teapot. The 18 year old young woman lived in a small, wooden log cabin she built herself in the woods of Forest Hill. The cabin was actually well built for a DIY job. It was modest with only the basic necessities inside. She had a living area, small kitchen with a little fridge, microwave and stove and a little nest area covered by a hanging quilt for sleeping. She had a bathroom area with some storage, a mirror and a bucket. She spent a lot of time in that little bathroom because of her meticulous skincare routine to keep her alabaster skin smooth, moisturized and healthy looking. She lacked a shower because she was unable to figure out how to run water to her cabin. She only had electricity because she purchased a small generator that was able to power the entirety of her little cabin. She also put solar panels on the roof to collect and store power just in case the generator went out.

Rin built her cabin close enough to a creek to collect water and purify it for cooking, bathing or brushing her teeth. Most people would scoff at the way she lived or maybe even pity her but Rin would not have it any other way. She enjoyed living off the grid and being immersed in everything that nature had to offer. The lush greenery, the snowcapped mountains, the tall, majestic trees swaying in the wind, the constantly running creek, the birds' beautiful morning songs and even the chorus of various animal sounds at night; Rin loved it all. It was much better than living in the city with its polluted air, traffic noise and rude people. She would take the solitude over city living any day. And besides, she really could not afford to live anywhere else so it was a good thing she was content with her living situation.

A dark green toad hopped around behind Rin as she hurried through her morning routine. The little amphibian seemed very annoyed at her antics.

"Rin! Slow down! You are going to spill the hot water again and I'm not cleaning it up." The toad yelled.

"But Jaken, I don't want to be late for my first class. I have to hurry!" Rin whined while she slipped a t-shirt over her head while holding her tea mug in one hand.

Ever since she could remember, Rin was able to talk to animals. She could understand them and they her. She thought it was normal when she was a child but when her parents discovered her gift they told her to never speak of it to anyone so she never did.

Rin met Jaken shortly after moving into the forest a few months ago and somehow the two opposite personalities became inseparable. Jaken watched over Rin as a father figure. He worried for her the day he first noticed her building her cabin near his creek. He wondered why a young, petite, female human would be out in the Bone Eater Forest building a cabin all by herself. Did she not know how dangerous this place was or what lurked in these woods? And where was her family?

He remembered watching her wander over to the creek to fetch some water. He decided to approach her while grumbling about stupid humans and how they liked to encroach upon animal territory. He didn't expect her to respond to his complaining but when she did, it gave him the shock of his life.

Memory

Jaken nearly fell from the rock he was sitting on.

"You can understand me!?" He asked with disbelief.

"Yes and I don't appreciate you calling humans stupid. Maybe not all humans but I at least respect nature." The black haired, petite girl retorted.

"How can you speak to me!? How can you understand me? Are you a witch?" The little green toad asked.

Rin paused seemingly contemplating his question. "I don't think I am a witch. I don't know how I can speak to animals but I've been able to since I can remember. My parents never explained it. They just told me not to tell anyone."

Jaken noticed she looked sad for a moment. He cleared his throat.

"So, what are you doing out here? A young girl like you should not be in the forest all alone."

"I- I don't have anywhere else to go. I can't even afford to live in the town near here." She looked down and then looked up with a beaming smile on her face as if she just thought of something wonderful. "But I will be attending Shikon University in the fall!"

Jaken knew of Shikon University. It was a secret school for extraordinary beings, one had to have a quirk to get in...and well this girl definitely had a quirk, being that she could speak to animals. The university was located in a clearing in the forest. Rin built her cabin not too far from it. He decided he would allow the girl to stay near his creek but she was going to have to know who was boss here.

"Well, if you are going to be living near MY creek, I have a few rules you need to follow..." Jaken began as Rin sat down with bright eyes listening intently.

And that was the beginning of an unlikely friendship.

End memory

As Rin ran out the door with her tea mug and shoulder bag, Jaken called out to her.

"Have a good day at school and don't get into any trouble!"

"I won't!" Rin called back as she hurriedly made her way toward the university. She had an 8 o'clock class that she did not want to be late to. Rin scheduled all her classes in the morning so she could return back to her cabin by the afternoon. She did not want to walk in the forest late in the evening or at night...it was too dangerous according to Jaken. Rin did not know much about the area being that she was not from here but she decided it was best to heed Jaken's warnings.

The raven haired young woman smiled when the university came into view. It was a beautiful campus with dark gray buildings, manicured green areas and even a large pond. Besides the buildings that housed the class rooms, there were also amenities such as the café, dining hall, university store, gym, pool, auditorium, ballroom and clubhouses. There were also dorms that Rin would've probably stayed in if they were covered by her scholarship. She had barely made it into the university due to her average grades and inability to explain the origin of her quirk. She had to go through a series of tests to prove she could speak to animals. Still she was only awarded the most basic scholarship, just enough to cover courses. She hoped by studying here, she would be able to learn more about herself. Rin only knew about this school because of her parents. She was not sure how they knew about the secret university though...

Having a few minutes to spare, Rin quickly made her way to the café to grab a banana nut muffin.

"Good morning!" Rin beamed.

"Good morning. Someone seems to be excited about the first day of classes." A tall, slim young man smiled at her from behind the counter. He had auburn colored hair tied up into a ponytail, stunning jade green eyes and tanned skin from spending most of his time outdoors.

His friendly smile immediately made Rin feel comfortable and it didn't hurt that he was cute. "Yes I am but a little nervous as well." Rin admitted.

"It'll be fine. Keep that pretty smile on your face and you won't have any problems." The guy winked.

Rin blushed. "Thanks..." She said quietly.

"So what would you like?" The young man asked leaning over the counter.

Rin couldn't help but notice the way his toned biceps bulged in his sleeveless shirt as he leaned over staring at her. Momentarily loss for words, she quickly averted her eyes and pointed at the food item she wanted.

"That'll be one banana nut muffin, on the house for you." He said as he went to grab it.

"Oh no, I can pay!" Rin yelled searching through her bag for her wallet.

"Don't worry about it. Think of it as a 'have a good first day' gift from me to you." He smiled.

"But I insist." Rin said finally finding her wallet. "You don't have to do that for a stranger."

"I'm hoping we won't be strangers for too long." He said.

Rin had no idea how to reply to that. He was obviously flirting with her but she was terrible at flirting.

"The name is Shippo and you better get to class, it's almost 8." He said pointing at his watch.

Rin looked at her watch as well. "Oh crap! I have to go." She turned around and was about to sprint away but stopped, turning back.

"My name is Rin and I'm going to pay you for this muffin when I get back!" Then she took off running toward her first class of the day.

Shippo simply smiled at her retreating form. What a cutie, he thought.

Rin was happy she went to orientation week before classes started; she knew exactly where her first course was located. She made it into the classroom with just one minute to spare. The class was made up of tables with two chairs at each table. She found a table close to a window and sat there wondering if anyone was going to sit next to her. Rin could easily talk to animals but interacting with people was a totally different thing. She had always kept a cheerful disposition but no one ever seemed interested in being friends with her. She could smile and try to be friendly but actually holding a conversation without feeling unsure of herself was impossible. She was too scared she would reveal the gift she had that her parents told her not to speak of. Her anxiety was noticeable and made kids stay away. Because of it, Rin had no friends and spent most of her time alone with her books in high school.

Rin hoped this year at this university would be different because this was a school for people with gifts, quirks and abnormalities. She didn't have to keep her gift a secret here. Without the anxiety of revealing her secret, she felt she would be able to make friends this year; at least she hoped so.

More students began trickling in. Rin guessed they didn't really care about being on time like she did. But apparently the professor did not care either because he or she was nowhere to be found. Rin sat at the table looking out the window day dreaming to pass time when a rather noisy group walked in.

"Keep your mangy wolf hands off my woman!"

"Shut up dog breath!"

"Guys!"

SLAP!

"Pervert!"

"But baby!"

Rin looked over to the lively group currently yelling at each other with awe. How are they so bold? They are bringing so much attention to themselves! But honestly, they'd probably capture the attention of everyone in the room even if they were quiet. The whole group was crazy attractive and noticeably fit like they all worked out every day. She thought.

The one that stood out the most had long, unruly silver-whitish hair and dog ears perched at the top of his head. He had ivory colored skin and striking amber colored eyes. He must be a demon, Rin thought as she watched him flex his claws while yelling at what appeared to be another demon. The other guy yelling back had tanned skin and long black hair tied into a ponytail. His stormy blue eyes were staring angrily as his brown tail swished back and forth behind him. There was a beautiful, slender yet curvaceous girl in between the guys trying desperately to keep them apart. She had dark hair reaching just under her shoulders and rosy skin. Her melted chocolate colored eyes showed annoyance with both guys.

The couple behind them was also arguing. A toned girl with fair skin and dark brown hair and eyes had just turned around and slapped the guy that was behind her. He had short black hair, fair skin and indigo colored eyes. He was holding his face where she smacked him but instead of grimacing he was grinning. Why would he be smiling after getting slapped, Rin wondered.

Rin noticed the group was making their way toward her table. Are they going to sit over here? She immediately became nervous. She sat up a little straighter in her chair and looked the other way hoping they didn't notice her observing them.

The first to approach was the girl who the demons were seemingly fighting over. She huffed and stormed away from them straight to Rin's table.

"You mind if I sit here?" She asked with a small smile.

"Please do." Rin replied smiling back. She kind of felt sorry for the girl in the middle of all that drama.

The girl took the seat next to Rin and glared daggers at the two guys approaching.

"What the hell Kagome? You know we sit together!" The silver hair guy yelled.

"Or you could've sat with me for a change." The blue eyed one said smoothly.

And with that, they were back in each other's faces.

"I am not sitting with either of you idiots embarrassing me on the first day back to classes! Grow up!" She yelled.

"BUT KAGOME!" Both guys yelled.

She sighed. "Koga, I will never be your woman." She said for the thousandth time. "I'm with Inuyasha. And Inuyasha, you could be a little nicer to Koga. He is our friend."

The amber eyed guy gloated and the blue eyed guy frowned while walking over to the table behind them. Surprisingly, they sat next to each other at the table but both glared at each other before turning their heads the opposite direction.

The other couple sat at the table next to Rin's table. The guy was still grinning while the girl appeared really pissed.

What an animated group, Rin thought.

The girl next to her and the other one at the table next to them chatted for a little before she turned toward Rin.

"Hi, I'm sorry about all of the commotion. My name is Kagome by the way." She smiled.

"No problem, I'm Rin."

"Nice to meet you Rin! Why don't I introduce you to the noisy group I came in with?" Kagome said as she began pointing. "This is Sango."

Sango smiled and waved.

"Next to her is her boyfriend, Miroku."

Miroku winked and smiled.

"Behind us is Koga."

"Hi." He said staring at her curiously with his ice blue eyes, making Rin feel a little self-conscious.

"And next to him is Inuyasha, my boneheaded boyfriend." Kagome whispered the last part.

"I heard that." Inuyasha waved but still had a grumpy look on his face.

Kagome rolled her eyes. "So anyways, I didn't see you here last year. Is this your first year?" She asked turning to Rin and ignoring Inuyasha.

"Yes, I'm majoring in Mystic Science." Rin said excitedly.

"Oh wow, that's a complex one and I guess that why you're also in this Magic Healing class. I'm majoring in Holy Arts with a focus on healing." Kagome said eagerly. "So if you don't mind me asking, what's your quirk?"

Rin hesitated. She had never told anyone before outside of her parents but everyone here had a special gift or were different from the human race so it wasn't a big deal right? Her heart raced. Why is this so difficult? She remembered her parents' panicked faces when she told them and how sternly they told her to never speak of it.

"It's okay; you don't have to tell me just yet." Kagome said with a smile, sensing Rin's discomfort.

"But I..." Before Rin could finish her sentence it suddenly felt as if the air pressure in the classroom became dense. It was almost hard to breathe. Her eyes shifted to the source of the intense energy that caused the pressure in the classroom to drop.

Oh...

"Something has obviously pissed off the ice prick." Rin heard Inuyasha say. "Yo, can you lay off the dark energy and relax? You're smothering the damn class." He yelled.

A tall, well-built man...no demon, had to be a demon, had just walked in the class heading for his desk. His shoulders tensed upon hearing Inuyasha's words as if he became annoyed. Nonetheless, abruptly the air pressure returned to normal and it was easier to breathe again.

He was their professor? He looked to be only in his early twenties. He had porcelain like skin, striking amber colored eyes and very long silver whitish hair the same color as Inuyasha's but his hair flowed like silk. Rin thought the group she was currently sitting with was attractive but this demon was more than simply handsome, he was unearthly beautiful.

Rin noticed the magenta lines running across his well-defined jawbone and the purple crescent moon in the middle of his forehead. What interesting markings, she thought as she attentively observed him.

Rin's heart skipped a beat when he suddenly made eye contact with her; she was so startled by his stony gaze. She quickly averted her eyes after being caught staring and took a deep breath.

"Are you okay? You look nervous." Kagome asked.

"Yes, I'm fine!" Rin said too quickly.

Kagome giggled. "Don't worry about him. He always looks callous like that and this is his first time teaching this year. He's not very happy about it because he was kind of forced into it."

"Who is he? You and Inuyasha seem to know him." Rin asked.

"He's Inuyasha's older brother, Sesshomaru. Or I guess we are going to have to call him Professor Taisho this year." Kagome casually wondered out loud.

"Sesshomaru..." Rin said, barely a whisper.

What a nice name, she thought. It fit him.

Author's Note:

It's been so long since I've written! I'm so happy!