Chapter Twenty-Eight

Chaos ensued when the crowd of demons surrounded them. Sesshomaru had to growl his displeasure in order to command attention, though even that wasn't enough to keep his attendants and vassal from surrounding and assaulting him with questions. "My Lord, what has happened?" "Is she dead?" How long does she have, my Lord?" "Shall I prepare the rooms, Lord Sesshomaru?" "My Lord, Rin's body has been removed from the preservation baths and is being prepped."

Sesshomaru's ears caught every question, but he focused on the statement. "Any sign on life in her?" He turned to face the woman with the short dark hair who was holding a soft glowing lantern. "Is her body showing any sign of life?"

The dark haired woman returned his gaze with a hard look of her own. "Her condition has not changed…her flesh may appear as though she were only locked in sleep, but there is no movement to her chest to indicate she is breathing. Nor has she displayed any sign that she could stir."

"Ah-Un!" Sesshomaru did not stop to think.

The two headed dragon demon shuffled their way through the small gathering of demons and stopped just as Sesshomaru's right side. The great demon Lord set Miho's unconscious body down gently upon Ah-Un's back and stepped away, not even having to tell them where to take her. Sesshomaru fixed the muscles in his face, making him appear as though he was indifferent to the whole situation, but he was fooling no one. "Jaken, go with them. Do not leave her alone."

The dwarf like toad demon gazed up at Sesshomaru's expression, a whole barrage of questions lingering in the silence, but he remained mute. Jaken nodded after a few beats of time and turned quickly to follow Ah-Un into the castle gates.

Sesshomaru waited until they were out of sight to address the dark haired woman to his left. "Should this work…if Rin comes back, I am holding you responsible for her condition. There is no way of knowing what she will experience coming back to her body after so many years have passed."

The dark haired woman stared blankly at him until Sesshomaru fixed her with his notorious golden eyes. "So…it's true? She-she's really back?"

Sesshomaru nodded once.

The dark haired woman placed a hand on her chest and exhaled a heavy breath before she staggered backward as few paces and righted herself. Her dark eyes held a not so subtle sheen of tears, but there was a hidden meaning within them. "I-I-I will…do my best, my Lord." She turned on her toes and moved away from the crowd.

Sesshomaru wasn't finished. "Aya!" The dark haired woman turned to face him once more. "Has my brother arrived yet?"

Aya quirked an eyebrow. "Not that I have been made aware of, my Lord."

Sesshomaru nodded. "You are dismissed."

Aya stayed a moment longer. "Will you not be there for her, Sesshomaru?"

The great dog demon glared, but said nothing.

Aya shrugged. "I mean…did you not wish to be there for her awakening? Perhaps it is your face she would wish to see first rather than mine, or the Priestess?"

"My brother's mate has arrived?" He dodged the question without care.

"Priestess Kagome appeared only minutes before you. She was accompanied by Lady Ura and a human female that I did not recognize."

Sesshomaru breathed in a dose of much needed air and swallowed before tilting his head for Aya to dismiss herself.

Aya bowed deeply at the waist, understanding that she was being silently told to walk away before she witnessed Sesshomaru's anger once more. That was not a sight she longed to see ever again. It was funny, though. He never did truly answer her questions.

Sesshomaru pushed through the crowd of his servants and advisors, ignoring the avalanche of questions by his guard in regards to all of the unexpected visitors and what their orders were for the time being. There was nothing to say aloud. They already knew the protocol or such an event like this. There was no preparing them for what the future may hold for him, his family or his mate. What could he do but follow orders designed and expressed by the only woman at this point who held his resolve, clenched tightly within her cold, dead human hands. He had done his part. He had located Rin's soul, freed the woman who held it, protected them from harm on their way back to his castle and entrusted both Rin's and Miho's lives in the hands of his half brother's wife, Kagome. A human. A priestess. His only hope of getting Rin back.

He had no idea how he had made it to this place, but he made no move to leave it. Somehow, Sesshomaru had retreated into his mind and allowed his body to guide him to the one place that held some sort of comfort while he waited on bated breath for word about his soul mate's condition. Rin's first bedroom before she became his mate and wife. He had touched nothing in this room since their first encounter…except the wall he destroyed. That had been fixed while he had the other half of his home demolished and then rebuilt.

The door closed behind him and he was left in silence. Leaning against the adjacent wall, he finally allowed himself the one luxury that he had denied himself of expressing since after Rin's murder. Sesshomaru cried. Not uncontrollably. Not loudly or strongly. No…the tears he shed were minimal, but obvious as they slid down his pale left cheek. The reason in which he could not be present for Rin's reawakening was not because he was afraid of what she might do or say upon seeing him for the first time with her own eyes in decades. He did not wish to be there for the transference because he was afraid that her eyes might not open at all.

(Somewhere located beneath the castle)

Kagome pushed open the door that separated her from the body of one of her greatest friends and stepped inside. A fresh change of clothes brightened her complexion but nothing else. She wore soft robes of emerald and eggshell white material that trailed modestly behind her while her hair remained pulled back out of her face. Although her age was well known by those surrounding her, she appeared no older than twenty years. The only obvious tell that was being displayed in her features were the weary bags beneath her chocolate brown eyes. Sleep was a luxury no one these last few hours could afford.

Breathing deep, the priestess bit her bottom lip and blinked several times before her mind could see and understand the vision that was lying cold on a slab of stone in front of her. She had seen Rin's body before on several different occasions, but this visit was different. This visit was destined to be life changing, not just for her but for her family. If this didn't work, Kagome would be responsible for the death of two women instead of one. But unless they get started, two deaths would happen anyway unless she intervened. There really was no other way except to proceed as if she had performed this type of ceremony or ritual on a daily basis. Miho's life was coming to an end, and Rin's time was short if nonexistent.

Kagome growled in frustration at the situation then stomped her foot as if that would solve anything. "Damnit, Rin! Why couldn't you have just fought a little harder to live instead of dying like you had? Why!" She glared as the lifeless corpse as though it might jump up and start dancing. "WHY!" She shouted, half hoping that Rin really would awaken; half hoping that Miho was already dead so that she didn't have to feel like she failed them if Rin's transference didn't take.

Growling again, Kagome slapped herself at the thought of wishing that the women were already beyond her assistance. That was no way to stay positive. Just remain calm, Kagome. You can do this. Bring Rin back to her family and friends! You can do this!

"Too much blood loss and no one around to heal her is the reason she died so quickly, my Lady." Kagome jerked out of her inner monologue and snapped her head to the side just in time to catch a glimpse of three different creatures walking up from behind her. The voice who spoke belonged to a woman with short dark hair. "I must apologize. I did not mean to startle you."

Kagome shook her head quickly. "No apology necessary, Aya." She regarded the party of demons in the room with approval. The other two creatures were the two headed dragon demon and a tiny toad demon that Kagome had become quite fond of. "Has he arrived with her, Jaken?"

Ah-Un stepped up close to Kagome, and the priestess got a good look at their cargo. Miho's limp body was draped across Ah-Un's back, her arms splayed on either side and looking as though she might tilt too far to the right and crash into the floor if no one was pay attention. But Kagome knew the dragon demon well enough to know that with Rin's soul at stake, they would not allow any harm to fall on the woman harboring it.

Kagome stepped up and studied Miho's face. Her skin was deathly pale and covered in a thin sheen of sweat. The young woman's eyes were closed but the skin surrounding it was dark purple as though she had just been involved in a knock down drag out brawl and lost. "When I saw her last, she appeared very healthy and untouched by illness. Now she looks as though she has been beaten to within an inch of her life!" She placed a shaky hand on Miho's drenched forehead. "Her fever was barely noticeable back at the Geisha house. Now it's as though she has turned herself into a furnace."

Jaken could not remain silent. "May I offer a theory?"

Kagome nodded without looking at him.

"I fear that she will be dead in minutes if you do not act quickly. Rin's soul is eating away at this young woman's life, which I believe is the source of her fever. The human body can only tolerate so much in such a short time." The emphasis on the word 'human' did not fall on deaf ears. Kagome was well aware of human aliments, as well as demon…but this was almost beyond her understanding. "We must not gamble with time, Kagome."

Kagome nodded yet again and turned to face Aya, who was watching her curiously. "Aya, I need you to gather the roots, leaves and herbs on this scroll from the half demon called Jenenji. His home is located just outside the western woods not far from here." She handed the dark haired demon a crumpled up piece of paper and held the hand that took it close to her chest. "Time is not on our side. Do not stray and do not linger. Bring Jinenji if you must, but get these ingredients. Do you understand?"

Aya blinked stupidly. "Y-y-yes, my Lady. Of course!" Kagome released her hand and allowed her to flee the room, leaving Kagome alone with Jaken, Ah-Un, Miho and Rin.

Kagome rounded on the little toad. "Jaken, please fetch Ura and Inuyasha. I need their help creating a stone tub."

Jaken turned his head to the side in confusion. "Inuyasha has not arrived yet."

Kagome clenched her fingers into fists in frustration. "Fine! Find Sesshomaru! Get him down here! I need strong hands to carve into stone, and FAST! We don't have time to be picky or distant!" By this point, the priestess was nearly shouting. "If you want Rin to get out of this alive, I need people who are ready to fight for her!"

Jaken blinked stupidly at Kagome's outburst. "No need to bark at me, woman! I'm going!" With that the little toad demon ran from the room, a trail of his green robes billowing mutely behind him.

(Inside of a place unknown to the living)

Rin stared Kikyo down, unafraid to take on a priestess if she had to, to reach her main destination…home. 'Tell me what is happening to her? I demand to know, now!'

Kikyo refused to meet her eyes until she was finished with the task that was demanding her attention in her hands. Her bow had somehow ended up there as if from thin air and she was busy stringing it up as though she might shoot something, or someone. Deep dark brown eyes returned the look of frustration. 'You already know what is happening to her.'

'I know she is dying. But something has changed. How am I going to get out of her body? How will my soul return to mine?' Rin had a gut feeling that something like this had happened before, but it was not her that had endured a violent return to the world of the living. Deep down, a memory stirred of a conversation that Kagome and she had shared long ago about a certain priestess who was determined to bring a certain half demon to an early grave.

Kikyo knew exactly what that conversation was about, despite not knowing Rin's personal thoughts. 'If you are returned to your body, you will live as though you had not died. No doubt, Kagome will attempt to duplicate the herbal bath that was used once before on her to bring my soul back into my body. The only difference is that the body I was returned to was made of my ashes and graveyard soil. Yours is made of your original flesh and bone, preserved in a solution designed to keep your body from deteriorating over time. I died filled with rage so deeply rooted that when I was resurrected, I fed off of my hate to remain alive. I walked the earth a hollow shell until I was free to die in the arms of the man I loved. You died, also filled with rage…but you harbored love for Sesshomaru and wielded the power of that love as the last thought you possessed when your life ended.'

Rin nodded. 'Yes, that is true.'

Kikyo smiled sadly. 'You will return to the body that was damaged. If you live…if this works…you will awaken and feel everything you felt at the moment of your death. The pain of your physical wounds…as well as the emotional pain you experienced when your newly conceived child was killed first. I fear…Rin…you will not live long enough to break free of that pain and grief. The stress of it just might end you before you have a chance to start your life again.'

Rin stared at her for a long time before she gathered the courage to speak. '…I…will not…die like that again.' She blinked the sting of tears from her eyes as she stood her ground, hoping that she did not fall down and give up believing that she would soon be alive again. 'I…' The words felt like cement in her throat but there was no going back. 'I-I…I'm not you, Kikyo!' The sounds coming from her made it sound like she was choking, but really she was trying not to scream at the top of her lungs…but she failed. 'I. AM. NOT. YOU!' The energy it took to shout took everything she had left in her and she hit the ground hard with a deep resounding THUD.

Author's Note: I am very excited by my own enthusiasm and hope that you guys are as well. I must warn you that the events inside of my last few chapters may incite a riot, but please withhold your torches and pitchforks until then so that you can at least read them first before deciding if I am cruel and inhuman or both if the occasion calls for it.

As always, thank you for the encouraging words and theories from each and every one of you who have been kind enough to review. It is rather interesting to say the least to read what you guys have to say about what you think will happen next. Any other theories or ideas? Teehee!

OliviaAR