Chapter 11

They were only a day's walk from Inuyasha and Kagome's home.

Rin kept pace with Sesshomaru and gritted her teeth when Kitsune once more rubbed her breasts suggestively against his arm. What hurt the most was Sesshomaru's reaction. He practically encouraged it. Rin bit her lip and kept telling herself he had no idea it was Kitsune, in his mind it was Rin. But she couldn't help the trickle of betrayal that grew within her heart. She had expected him to discover the truth. She had had such faith in him. Especially after that night when she had touched his face and he had looked directly at her incorporeal form. She had thought something in him had sensed her. She had tried to touch him as much as she could again and again but he never reacted after that first time. She had tried crying to him, whispering to him, even screaming into his ear but he could not hear her. Or he didn't want to hear her.

Rin quickly squashed that thought. Sesshomaru would never tolerate this type of deception if he knew. He would save her. She had to believe he would save her. He was becoming too comfortable around Kitsune and Rin feared her words would come true. Kitsune had promised to have her fun with Sesshomaru, and when his guard was down she would kill him. Rin had no way to stop it or even warn him.

Jacken had been sent ahead with A-Un to announce their arrival. Rin bit her lip and stayed as close to Sesshomaru as she could. She knew no matter what she did she couldn't interact with anything, but she kept hoping against hope he would sense her if she just tried hard enough, or if she stayed close to him. They were approaching a grove of trees when Kitsune suddenly stopped.

Sesshomaru paced a few steps ahead before he stopped and glanced back towards Kitsune. "Rin?" He asked.

Rin stared at Kitsune suspiciously.

"Do you hear that?" Kitsune said as she cocked her head to the side.

Sesshomaru scanned the area ahead of them and to the back. "There is no one for miles." Sesshomaru stated confidently.

Kitsune smiled a saucy smile and stepped closer to him and rested her hand against his chest. "I'm sure you're right." She said with a grin before she continued into the thicket of trees. Sesshomaru slowly followed her.

Rin didn't like the extra twitch to her hips Kitsune threw into her walk. They walked a few more paces into the trees before Kitsune exclaimed sharply and fell to her knees.

Sesshomaru quickly rushed forward and knelt before Kitsune. "Rin, what's wrong?" He asked with concern.

Kitsune raised tear-filled eyes to Sesshomaru and Rin snorted in disgust. Sesshomaru turned sharply to his right where Rin stood. She gasped in surprise and held her breath as his eyes locked to hers. Did he hear her again?

"Sesshomaru! Please hear me!" Rin begged loudly. Sesshomaru's ears twitched then suddenly Kitsune reached out and cupped his cheek in her hand as she turned him to face her. "I seem to have twisted my ankle."

Sesshomaru bent to examine her ankle and Kitsune smiled in the general direction of where Rin stood. Did she know Rin stood there?

Kitsune raised her hand and boldly allowed it to run through Sesshomaru's hair. His head snapped up and he stared into Kitsune's eyes. Their faces were mere inches from one another and Kitsune bit her lip as was Rin's habit before she leaned forward and placed her lips against his.

Rin couldn't tear her eyes away. Sesshomaru's eyes widened before he closed them and kissed Kitsune back. He wrapped his arms around her body and pulled her close to his. Kitsune moaned and laid back onto the ground, dragging Sesshomaru above her. Kitsune raised one leg to the outside of Sesshomaru's hip and kissed him fiercely. Sesshomaru's eyes snapped open again and he tore his mouth away to stare at her in confusion. Kitsune pressed her advantage and moved her lower body sensuously against his. Sesshomaru growled low in his throat and buried his face into her neck. She arched her neck to give him better access and looked towards the general area Rin was standing.

Kitsune smiled triumphantly and pushed Sesshomaru onto his back as she straddled him. He gripped her hips as she nipped at his lower lip and he grabbed the front of her kimono and ripped it open, exposing her breasts. Kitsune gasped in delight when Sesshomaru covered her breasts with his hands.

Rin felt her heart stop in her chest as she fell to her knees in despair. She gripped her chest tightly and rocked back and forth with her eyes shut tightly to the sight before her. She could hardly breathe as agony ripped through her. Rin covered her ears with both her hands but she could still hear Kitsune's sighs of pleasure. Unable to take the agony any longer Rin rose and ran in the opposite direction.

Tears blurred as she ran from everything. From the agony, from the loss, from the betrayal…and from the anger. All of her emotions spiraled before her as her misery mixed with her growing resentment. How could Sesshomaru not realize it wasn't her he was making love to? How could he not see through Kitsune's deception?

Suddenly Rin stumbled as a different kind of pain shot through her. Her limbs lost all feeling and she fell face first into the dirt before her. Rin struggled to breathe as she slowly turned over to stare at the sky through the swaying tree top leaves above her. Her heart slammed painfully against her chest in fear. What was happening to her?

Rin felt her blood turning into ice in her veins and her organs bubbling as they boiled. Rin's eyes widened in fear as she remembered Kitsune's words when she first banished her to this realm. Kitsune had warned her to not stray too far from her side. The further away she was from Kitsune the more likely she was to die a very painful and slow death. Rin had not even realized Kitsune's words had been true, but as she thought of it she had never strayed too far from Kitsune's side in the past few days. She had remained close to Sesshomaru's side and Kitsune had stayed with him as well.

When Rin had seen Sesshomaru in Kitsune's embrace she had forgotten everything. She had just needed to get away. As far away as she could. And now she was dying.

Rin turned over and crawled slowly forward, reaching out and digging her nails into the dirt as she dragged herself forward, back towards Kitsune. Rin felt fire burn through her stomach and liquefy everything in its path. She screamed in agony and hunched into herself, trying desperately to stop the pain as she curled into a ball. Rin screamed again as her whole body turned against her and she began to spasm against the ground.

Sesshomaru felt a wrenching pain rip through him and pushed Kitsune away. He looked sharply to his left and felt something tugging him in that direction. Kitsune continued to kiss his chest and moved lower down his body. The wind blew towards him and he heard a faint, agonized scream that had him baring his fangs. He shoved Kitsune away from him and stood. He quickly donned his clothes and strode quickly forward, looking for the source of that agonized scream. He heard Kitsune quickly dress behind him and race after him.

He continually scanned the area but could find nothing ahead of him. Kitsune called to him and tried to get him to stop but he couldn't. Something within him was demanding he continue forward.

Rin shook and was drenched in sweat. She no longer had the strength to even scream. She cried out weakly when the pain intensified and closed her eyes, wishing for the agony to end, wishing for death to take her, anything to escape the torment she suffered. Rin actually felt her bones break as the next spasm shook her and she mercifully fainted.

Sesshomaru felt deep loss slide through him and he put on a burst of speed, his image blurring as he raced forward. He suddenly felt as if a part of him was dying. As quickly as he ran he suddenly stopped. He was going the wrong way. He didn't know how he knew that be he did. He glanced backward and took a few steps in that direction before something forced him to stop. This clearing was where he needed to be. He looked around him and found nothing. He could sense no one close. Was he losing his mind?

Kitsune finally reached him and glared at his back. What the hell was his problem? She finally had him exactly where she wanted him and he had not only stopped but raced from her.

"What is it Sesshomaru?" She asked his back.

Sesshomaru ignored her and set her teeth on edge.

Rin slowly awoke and felt the pain she had lived in recede. She slowly breathed in and out and moved her body, testing. Her body was sore but the pain was fading. Her ribs were sore and she couldn't take deep breaths. She imagined her ribs were broken. Her arm hung at an odd angle and her leg was twisted beneath her. Rin attempted to stretch it out but she couldn't feel her leg. She was pretty sure it was broken as well. She slowly raised her head and looked around. What happened? Why was she suddenly okay?

Rin looked up and found Sesshomaru standing a few steps ahead of her, looking around, scanning the trees and ground deep in concentration. There was a puzzle he was trying to figure out, she could tell. Behind him stood Kitsune who glared at him with anger. Rin smiled with little mirth. So, Kitsune was in her vicinity again and that's why the pain receded. Rin gingerly stood and wondered at how she could have broken anything when she was little more than a ghost. Rin glanced at Sesshomaru once more before she lowered her head. She couldn't look at him. Not after what she had witnessed. Her heart was beyond broken, it had shattered into a million pieces she feared would never mend again.

Sesshomaru sniffed, taking in all the information the air could give him. He still sensed nothing but the sense of loss he had felt had faded as quickly as it had struck. He looked back at Kitsune who was now glaring at him openly. Surprisingly he felt no need to explain himself to her. After what they had shared, he at the very least owed her an explanation but he felt no need. Concerned, he turned to face her fully. His emotions were just not there. He had thought with his growing attachment to her, the sharing of their bodies would have cemented something between them. However, all he felt was the need to continue on their journey. It had been a physical release, nothing more.

Sesshomaru wondered at the disappointment he felt.

"We should continue on our path." He said with finality before he turned and continued towards Inuyasha and Kagome's house, uncaring if she followed him or not. Which was another concern for him. He always placed Rin's safety above his own, it was not like him to be so dismissive of her. He frowned to himself as he continued forward. It made no sense to him.

Rin limped after Sesshomaru and Kitsune. Kitsune was grumbling under her breath and Sesshomaru was acting very strangely. Any other time she would've been worried about him but she just couldn't summon the strength to care.