Author's Notes: And here is the third part. It definitely worked out better than I thought it would and I'm pretty pleased at how this thing as a whole turned out! Just want to say thanks to midnightwaters, Elvin BlueEyes, and Charles Watford as well as everyone who has read this. It was a fun little piece to write!

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha.

Prey

The big white dog is stretched out, bathing in the moonlight. He's lying on his left side, so that the missing limb isn't immediately noticeable and Sesshoumaru wants it that way. It isn't often that he allows himself the luxury of ignoring emotions and this is a pretty big break for him.

It's just that he's tired of a lot of things and when he's in this ridiculous dog form most of that gets shifted to the back of his mind. Sesshoumaru's been realizing why his father loved this form so much. The thing about dogs is, they're pretty good at focusing on their immediate surroundings and conveniently not remembering things that happened half an hour ago, much less a couple hundred years or so ago.

His mouth open, Sesshoumaru's panting pretty hard, but taking a thousand laps or so around his territory is prone to a slight need of more oxygen. Truth be told, Sesshoumaru was pretty surprised at how the missing left foreleg wasn't a problem at all. Three legs were just as easy to balance on as four, and the challenge it provided was almost something he relished, even if he wouldn't let on.

Anyway, Sesshoumaru's never letting Inuyasha know it was practically a favor after all, because that's just not something he would do. As he's trying not to think of things, his nose twitches with the more and more familiar scent of human. There's certainly been changes to his lifestyle, but Sesshoumaru's not fighting 'em. Still, the ever increasing taking over of his lands by humans aren't something he particularly cares for, so with no effort, the taiyoukai heaves himself up and ambles off.

With his nose as his guide, Sesshoumaru follows the tiny scent, wondering what one person is doing out at this time of night, walking around in the woods. The moon takes cover behind the clouds and Sesshoumaru doesn't even notice his eyes accommodate against the sudden blackness.

With a flash against the forest, Sesshoumaru continues on, looking like the human he's about to confront. The distinctly feminine scent makes him wary, and he briefly wonders if a this'll be worth it or just cause needless pandemonium against himself. As he approaches what must be a clearing, Sesshoumaru holds himself back a moment, peering through the trees.

The moon appears again, causing the whole place to glow. A child appears, her black hair waving behind her as she dances through the clearing, her feet bare against the long grass. Something strikes Sesshoumaru deep within himself, and he refuses to acknowledge it but he still watches, transfixed. He steps forward, following, and his foot catches on something. It's a toy, a tiny replica of a human. Sesshoumaru picks it up, disgusted with humans and what they give children to play with. As of on cue, the child turns and looks up at him, breathlessly pausing as she stares at him.

The silver glow against her face instantly takes his mind back and Sesshoumaru can't stop it, he's powerless as he always was against this sort of thing that he can't physically fight. It's so easy to confuse this girl, this creature who also has long dark hair and dark eyes that stare up at him with no large amount of fear with that other one, the one who he refuses to name anymore. She doesn't move and Sesshoumaru doesn't either, because he can't, caught up in his own mind. He feels her looking at him and then stare at his hand and some of this world comes back to him as he feels himself holding the toy she dropped.

It's weird for him, standing there facing this child underneath the ethereal glow, as everything he's kept inside for so long still struggles to get out. He's looking down at himself looking at her, and the silence he hears is deafening, and all he can really see is Rin, the one he didn't want to name anymore, who he didn't want to follow him but then he didn't want to leave.

She shivers slightly, and this movement is all it takes for him to rush inside himself again, and slightly dizzy he feels something he once heard his father talking about, regret, and then he looks at this girl again, and he knows it's not Rin and he feels ridiculous for his silly behavior. All he knows is this girl shouldn't be out now, it's much too late and too dangerous, since there are still a few youkai left in the world. So he walks towards her, pretending not to notice how she shrinks back.

She doesn't run away, and as he stands over her he marvels at how small she seems, and realizes it has been a long time since he's looked down at a figure at his side. Before he realizes it, his resolve breaks and he reaches for her, plucks her right up and holds her close to himself. She stays limp and he knows she doing what she can for survival and he wonders what she knows about youkai and what Rin knew about youkai, and then he wonders why he never once held Rin and then he wonders what the hell is wrong with him.

He gives up thinking and hands her the toy and holds her closer and then to his surprise she snuggles up next to him. He thinks maybe Rin wouldn't have left if he had shown her more care, but then he knows Rin knew he cared, otherwise she wouldn't have asked him if it was alright with him if she left. Sesshoumaru worries himself with this dangerous line of thought and instead decides to end it.

"Where?" he growls out, surprised at how difficult talking seems. She points sleepily, and closes her eyes. Sesshoumaru begins walking, finding her village by its filthy smell, and wonders what's happening. As the moon has hidden again, Sesshoumaru looks freely down at this girl, noting the many differences there really are. Then he wonders why he cares. Then he wonders if this is what his father felt like, so long ago. Sesshoumaru had something to protect, but it outgrew his protection, something he hadn't foreseen. Were all humans this way? Had his father known this?

His quick paces cover the distance shortly, and he shakes her slightly, causing her to open her eyes. At the forest's edge he kneels to let her go - Sesshoumaru won't set foot in a village. He sets her free from himself and feels her watching him. He waits as she starts to run off, but the hairs on the back of his neck rise when she pauses. Warily Sesshoumaru watches her turn and approach him, and then she launches herself at him, her small arms encircling him in what he recognizes as a hug. This is even less a surprise as she releases him and grazes her lips across his cheek. He stays frozen, unsure of what is expected of him as she takes a step back but keeps her hand on his.

"Are you real?" comes her whispered tone and Sesshoumaru finds the question odd but nods all the same. She looks satisfied then, and turns away again. Sesshoumaru watches her head back into the village and when she's almost there she turns back, checking to see if he's still there. The moon chooses now to appear and Sesshoumaru sees her transform into an older woman, heading into the village that adopted her, and then she's gone.

He immediately transforms to release himself from these images, and heads to the other side of the village. Sesshoumaru bares his teeth at the lone night watcher, who panics at the unexpected youkai. Then fading back into the night Sesshoumaru bounds off, resolving to keep distance between himself and all villages. This sort of thing is unacceptable. The dog recognizes the emotions within himself, and suddenly he sits back, throws his head up, and lets loose a long, heartbreaking howl.

Sesshoumaru says goodbye to two girls that way, and decides his father was as messed up as he always thought he was, only now it seems it's genetic, and he's just as screwed up himself. He howls again, thankful that he's got a way to express himself when he never accepted it before.