'Why did you speak to her?'

Hakai flung his question abrasively at Rin as soon as his mother was gone.

Stunned, Rin straightened from picking up the first piece of rubbish in order to get her work done as quickly as possible after such an encounter and shot Hakai a look of angry reproach.

'Do you think I really had a choice?'

'Please, no more fighting!' Jaken whined, holding his head with his hands as he walked to his room.

Hakai's chest was rising and falling quickly with some deep emotion as he glared at the human maid.

'You openly curse me to my own mother' he snarled so quietly that Rin barely caught his words. Hakai walked forward and roughly brushed Rin out of his way before exiting the room.

'Thank Kami they're gone!' Jaken re-emerged. 'Rin-san you don't want to get involved with that family!'

'Trust me, there is nothing I plan on doing less' Rin was also very relieved to finally see their backs – any interaction with Hakai or anyone related to him (apart from Jaken) so it seemed, was beyond emotionally draining. She was also glad to finally be alone with Jaken.

'I've wanted to meet you properly, however' Rin addressed the small demon as she continued to clean the apartment 'So you are only related to Hakai-san by your father?'

Jaken cleared his throat and thought it best to go with that story.

'Yes – that's right. Our mothers brought us up separately – we only met each other a couple of years ago'

Rin was struck by the similarities to herself and Shippo.

'Oh! I am surprised, because I also have a brother around your age, who I haven't met since I was seven. Was Hakai who you were expecting him to be?'

Jaken had to have a few seconds to think this one over; he thought back to when he met Sesshomaru and inwardly laughed. It was more like a filthy rat seeing a God of heaven for the first time and deciding to follow that vision – nothing like equals meeting as kin. To think himself anything similar to Sesshomaru was blasphemy indeed.

'He was – even more than I was expecting of a half-brother' Jaken smiled to himself.

'Oh?' Rin looked curiously at the boy, wondering how he could smile after witnessing such an intense temper match between Hakai and his mother.

'As his mother said, there is more than meets the eye' Jaken repeated cryptically.

'What do you both mean by that?'

She had been hoping to hear Jaken's tell her of his desperation to flee the mad house he was locked in, not a calm recounting of the beautiful lady's words. Rin had been ready to give Jaken a bed on her home couch that night if he'd needed it.

'Someone might seem bad, but people have many layers' he replied with another riddle.

Rin sighed 'well – are you happy living here?'

'Me?' Jaken looked surprised 'of course! I wouldn't be anywhere else!'

Rin thought darkly that some people actually enjoyed being walked over and it seemed Jaken was one of those cases.

'Well – that's good' Rin replied doubtfully 'but don't let anyone bully you!'

Jaken laughed. If only she knew what she talked about!

'I won't Rin-san' he promised. 'You are sure of your dislike of my brother, then?' he pried.

Rin blushed faintly 'I see no reason to hide it. The days I've known him for counted on two hands – he has been nothing but rude, harsh and conceited. His mother's questions towards me were very weird – I hardly knew how to respond.'

'She is not quite all there' Jaken enjoyed slandering the Demoness greatly now that she was out of ear shot, and he made a tapping motion against his temple to indicate 'crazy'.

'I am not surprised' Rin let out a small chuckle 'her son has inherited that attribute'

'You wouldn't believe me more than likely' Jaken sighed as he sat down on the couch and pulled out his phone 'but those two are like ice and fire in comparison'

'Are they?' she remarked with disinterest. The topic was getting on her nerves – she did not want to be so interested in the family.

Rin felt her phone buzz and she paused to look at it – it was from Kohaku. Rin gasped silently as an image loaded of Hakai – with herself under his arm. What the hell - ?

She would have to reply to it after her shift; for now, it had to wait. The reminder of how Hakai's protective arm had felt around her was a very unwelcome thought and Rin did not wish to think of it in the slightest. She was somewhat disturbed by Jaken's lack of awareness towards Hakai's casual abuse of him – did the child not know any different?
But he had presumably lived with his mother up until a few years ago…. Surely his mother was a lovely lady, by the way Jaken had turned out. If that was so, then it would follow the same woman would've raised her son to know the difference between a loving and an offensive person? Perhaps Jaken was too young, at the same time as blinded by the blood connection and was the sort to defend his family till the end.
It made her sad to see such a sweet boy caught in between divisive mother and son.
Her thoughts ran along this vein for most of her shift.

Sesshomaru had stormed out of the apartment complex wanting to kill; his usual default emotion.

Instead, he waited until late night for when Rin would finish her shift, intending to take out his pent-up rage on the creatures that appeared in her wake.

The clock struck 11:55pm, and the Demon watched as the small figure of Rin left for the night. Sure enough, the vermin began materialising after her and Sesshomaru set to work at slashing them all to pieces around the unaware mortal girl – a blur of white with a mane of silver hair leaving shreds of bodies behind him.

When Rin arrived home after another event-less walk home (seeing as she'd felt safe missing the bus the first time, she began walking home more regularly), the house was dark. Was Okasan out? Perhaps she had gone to bed early.

'Oka – san?'

'Rinny?' Came her mother's weakened voice from the room. She sounded so weak that Rin dropped her bag and ran to the room, turning on the kitchen light to provide some vision.

'What's wrong, Okasan?' Rin knelt by the bed in which her mother lay, holding her hand.

'It's nothing, dearest. I just have a bad migraine and I am all out of medicine.'

'Oh Okasan, I will go and get some right now'

'No! Rin, you just finished a long shift and it's too late – you'd have to go right in to town to the 24-hour pharmacy. It's too far, I will be ok'

'Yes, you will be ok once you have your medicine. I know how these are – you'll be in crippling pain for a week if I don't get it for you'

'Rinny – '

'It's ok, Okasan. It's Sunday tomorrow, I can sleep in'

'I am not happy about it, but if you're sure – please be safe! Thank you so much my dear. My purse is on the counter'

'I know' Rin smiled gently at her mother and kissed her forehead. 'You wait here until I return'

Mrs Urihara nodded, and listened to the sounds of her daughter rushing around before the front door shut behind her. The older lady thanked the gods for such a blessing as Rin and prayed that they would guard her at this time of night.
Unbeknownst to her – it was not a god but a Demon that protected her daughter from the shadows in the dark.

Rin almost felt the pain and exhaustion her mother was in – her dear face was so pale and sickly that Rin felt tears pricking at her eyes. Okasan was getting less and less lively as the years went by – even though she was only forty-five, but hard work took its toll on the poor.

She would make it to the pharmacy even though no buses ran at this time – and she'd get that medicine for her beloved Okasan.
Her mother's work worn hands, the small body and the lined face always hurt Rin when she looked on them; causing her to feel almost powerless as to what she could do to alleviate some of her mother's pains.
Okasan had not dropped any work time even since Rin had started working – perhaps when she gave her mother her first pay check Okasan might feel happier to reduce her work hours.
Rin couldn't keep standing by and watching the most loved person in her life deteriorate before her eyes. The pain Rin felt caused the tears standing in her eyes to fall and drop to the ground as she walked.

Sesshomaru had not expected Rin to exit her house so soon after entering – and it was just in time that he withdrew to the shadows before taking flight to avoid being seen by her; especially in his true form. His lava gold eyes watched Rin as she made her way in the opposite direction towards the main road. Where on earth could she be going at this time? On cue, the demon monsters began tracking her.

'Your sons character taints any value he may have for exterior worth'

His mother had no doubt reveled in hearing her powerful son so slighted by the mortals they both saw as infinitely inferior to themselves. The Demoness's outlook was very different from his own – but at least they could agree on that point.

He knew his mother had asked the human girl those questions to humiliate him – and it had worked to a certain extent. Sesshomaru had versed some of the most powerful demons in history and not flinched, but something about the cutting words of Rin got to a deep part inside of him.
Whether his mother had known that fact or not – he didn't know, but what he did know was the vile Demoness would feel his wrath as soon as this ridiculous trial was put to bed.

Being in his real form whilst he followed Rin gave him some sort of relief, to actually be himself with his true powers, and he was beginning to crave these times almost as much as he did bloodshed.
The fact he could receive satisfaction in both areas by tracking the mortal girl at night gave him some feelings of disgust; that anything associated to his feeling good would be connected to a dying lump of flesh.

Amid his casual slaying of the easy targets that pursued the human, Sesshomaru smelt something strange and salty with his hyper-sensitive nose. It was like the scent of the ocean, but sweeter; his glowing yellow eyes observed Rin far ahead of him, and he saw that her head was bent, and she was wiping at her face. Was the weak human crying? It was one thing Demon's could not do, and barely understood.
Bitter liquid falling from the eyes of the mortals had confused them for centuries – and they'd long observed that human's let loose this watery substance when they were under the stress of some extreme emotion.
Was Rin running away or escaping something? It was strange to see her going somewhere all alone at such a time. If he was not following her, she would've long been devoured by the creatures he so easily destroyed.

There must be a reason as to why she was the one the lowlife parasites followed; yet even in his full form with all his vast store of knowledge, he couldn't think of one possibility.
He was aggravated and at times enraged by her, but she was not evil. A human would have to be masters of wickedness to warrant the horde of creatures that stalked Rin.

She turned on to another road that crossed a field, and he dropped further back; the vermin still easily within reach of his whips. The night air was becoming tinged with a stinging cold and gusts of air blew across the open space as though through a wind tunnel.

Rin began to reach the other side of the long straight low-lying road on which lay a windy path towards the other half of the town where the local shops were, on a hill overlooking the ocean in the distance.

The demon parasites seemed to have multiplied exponentially while crossing the rice fields – as water was a strong conduit for such types of fiends.

Sesshomaru's eyes expertly took in about half a thousand rising from the waters to advance on the singular mortal and the Demon Prince had to make a very quick decision. Vested of his human form he could not risk Rin seeing him – there was a slight chance of recognition. Yet here lay before him three options, all of which would involve Rin seeing him. He chose his third option, as a display of some of his true ability was not supportable.

Stepping in to the thin air, his white hair billowing around him like a moonlit curtain, Sesshomaru flew forwards in a flash of light and scooped Rin up in his arms just as the army of demons began reaching their tendrils out to capture her.

Rin had been deep in thought, passing the quiet glades of rice fields as the chill crawled up her skin, when she felt a sudden on rush of air and before her next word was even a thought, she was being held tight against someone who was travelling at an unbelievable speed, defying even physics.

Rin let out an involuntary scream from the shock and squeezed her eyes shut, having absolutely no idea what was happening.
Was she being abducted by a UFO? Had she been hit by a car?
Had she died somehow and was going to heaven? She knew by the light piercing her eyelids that she was surrounded by an intense glow, and the arms that held her close were strong and warm; she felt as though an angel of heaven held her in its arms.
The speed at which they were travelling had Rin's stomach dropping to her feet, back up to her mouth again and she felt sickly with whiplash.
She didn't know when to open her eyes – if ever – praying that she hadn't died for she hadn't brought her mother the medicine - or seen her brother yet.

Sesshomaru had to know why she provoked such an attack of the ancient pests that stalked her every night – for he felt they were the clue to his escape from this earthly hell.
Looking down in his arms at the human, he observed her paleness and disheveled wavy dark brown hair whipped round her small face; he saw her eyes were closed tightly with fright.
His golden eyes widened slightly as her small white hands clutched as if for life on to the kimono that closed over his chest, her body moulding to his torso in comfort; and he wondered what would happen if he set her down and allowed her to look at him in his real form.
Would she be so relaxed then, seeing a great demon before her?

This human girl who so derided him and insulted him was now powerless in his arms – and she didn't even know it was a guy she openly hated that had saved her from an awful fate.
He fought within himself to gain some revenge and satisfaction; to show her just who he was and who she insisted on mocking – to question her harshly about the demon vermin that pursued her – to berate her, to put her in her place – to – yet, without thinking;

Sesshomaru, Lord of Dog Demons, warrior of over half a millennium, inclined his handsome face and placed a soft kiss on top of Rin's tousled head.

Immediately recovering, without knowing what had overcome him, the Demon stopped abruptly mid-flight looking with widened eyes in to Rin's face, his hair surrounding them both like a blanket.

What had he done?
What had just happened?
What was so wrong with the Great Dog Demon that he should stoop to caress a human girl who slighted him so openly?
It was just in the nick of time that his burning amber eyes saw Rin's eyelashes begin to flutter in opening and he knew he had to rid himself of her proximity immediately.
He did not desire anything but bloodshed and power.
Never had his desires calculated another living creature in to them – let alone a small human girl.
The very thought was a sickening degradation, a notion of utter shame and debasement.

Dropping at ninety degrees to the earth from mid-air flight, as soon as Sesshomaru touched the ground he placed Rin there and shot back up to get as far away from her as possible.
It was only when he was high in the atmosphere that he realised she quite literally could not be left alone by herself at night – so he warred within himself to return before his human form came back - and to keep the monsters at bay from the girl he hated – the girl he had just so gently kissed.

Rin had been clutching to whatever carried her surrounded in bright light, feeling such a sense of safety and ease that she melted in to the figure.
His torso was wide-shouldered and shielding – and Rin felt lips lay against her hair on top of her head in a caress so gentle it could have been her mother.
From the point at which the lips had touched her, Rin felt a tingling sensation course down throughout her body.
Surely, this was an angel!
Rin felt a strange sense of otherness, of never wanting to leave the embrace she was in – it was like a cocoon of utter serenity and a sense of complete safety that rested her very soul.
Yet not moments after the kiss, Rin screamed as she felt herself plummeting downwards, and she was deposited unceremoniously on the ground – opening her eyes just in time to see a very bright flash of light ascending at an impossible speed and angle next to her.

She was in a quiet back street on the far side of the other side of her town – still a fifteen-minute walk from the pharmacy.
Astounded and shaken from whatever it was that had just momentarily taken her, Rin had to remain exactly where it had left her for a good few moments to regather her sanity and settle her nausea at the very extreme drop to earth.

Had it been her guardian spirit or an ancestor who had appeared to give her comfort? Perhaps.
Rin looked up in to the night sky, and the celestial bodies betrayed nothing to her. It was as though she'd been spirited away and back all within a few minutes – and Rin cried at having experienced such safety and love that she hadn't felt in a very long while.

Willing herself to her feet, she had no idea the same creature who had taken her was still nearby, keeping a watchful eye so that she was not devoured by the shadow creatures that seemed resolved to destroy her.

Rin did make it home unscathed that night, and she was so touched at her experience that it sat like a holy grail in her soul – to only be spoken about at just the right time, to very select people. She gave her mother the medicine and watched until her Okasan had fallen in to a deep rest; Rin herself fell asleep half sitting, half lying over her mother's mattress, wishing sorely to be in those strong arms again.