** Author's Note: I do not own Inuyasha.

Chapter Five – Rin's Discovery

Rin awoke to find herself propped against a tree stump with Sesshomaru's mokomoko still wrapped around her. She muttered something to herself as she gripped her head, which was pulsating with the worst headache she'd ever experienced. She looked about her in confusion, not understanding the new location or why she was covered in Sesshomaru's mokomoko…then slowly, the last moments before she fell unconscious came back to her.

"I was…attacked, by that demon," she mumbled.

Jaken's voice answered her unexpectedly from behind the tree stump which she lay against. "Yes, you stupid girl, you threw yourself in harms way and endangered the life of our great lord in the process! It's a good thing for us that Lord Sesshomaru would never allow his life to be taken at the hands of some lowly incarnation. Now hurry up and put on that kimono so we can alert our lord and be on our way."

Rin blinked hard, not understanding his request. "Kimono? But…" she realized then that she was completely naked, and even more alarming still, that her body's appearance had been greatly altered. She looked down at herself, allowing the soft fur of the mokomoko to slip away from her body, and observed the swell of two firm breasts. She screamed.

"Master Jaken! Lord Sesshomaru! What has happened to me?!" She shot up frantically, barely able to steady herself on her new lengthier legs, and stumbled helplessly about, balancing herself by holding onto the tree stump and edging her way over to where Jaken was sitting. "Master Jaken, please! Help me!"

Jaken gasped in embarrassment and turned away from her, covering his eyes with his sleeve. "Stupid girl, you're not even dressed! Put on some clothes before you come barreling at me like that!"

Rin lost her balance and fell to her knees. She bowed her head in a shame that she did not fully understand and began sobbing to herself, allowing the tears to fall off her cheeks and form little wet circles in the dirt beneath her. "I…I don't understand what's happened! I'm not dying, am I?"

A cold sensation swept over Rin as she felt the approach of Sesshomaru in the distance. The sound of his light footsteps approaching finally stopped about three feet behind her. The color drained from Rin's face as she realized that he had a full view of her from behind, naked and crying. She wanted to turn and face him, to hug him and beg for his comfort, but she knew that no solace would come from the indifferent demon lord; it never had in the past, why would he hold her now of all times, when she was a sobbing, miserable wreck? Instead she continued staring at the ground without blinking, biting her lip slightly as she waited for Sesshomaru's words.

"You are not dying," he said solemnly. "The demon that did this to you has already paid for his crime. You will have to learn to accept what you have become, and you must do so with haste. I don't have the time or patience for these crying spells." Rin gasped slightly as she felt the dingy cloth of the kimono fall over her shoulders. "Put this on. You still may be suffering side effects from that demon's spell. I am taking you to a human village to seek a Priestess. She may be able to reverse what has been done." Rin heard Sesshomaru retreat into the woods a ways before she gathered the nerve to turn around. She caught a glimpse of his silver hair as it disappeared behind a tree and then he was gone.

She blinked rapidly to free the last tears from her eyes and swallowed a hard lump that had developed in her throat. The thought of her demon master seeing her naked in this manner felt strange. She pulled the kimono around her body and clumsily slipped her arms through the sleeves. The kimono was a dull brown color with no obvious pattern to it, and it was far too big for her. It was obviously intended for an older, larger woman. She raised an over sized sleeve to her face to wipe the tears away. If Sesshomaru did not want her to cry, then she would not cry.

She tied the kimono and adjusted it as best as she could. The sleeves almost completely concealed her hands, and the top was so loose that it immediately fell to the side of her right shoulder. She slowly stood to her feet and regained her composure as best as she could. She was unsure of how this transformation took place, but she was positive that Sesshomaru would be able to find a way to reverse it.

Jaken, seeing that Rin was dressed, waddled towards her while keeping his eyes fixed on the woods where Sesshomaru had retreated. He couldn't be certain, but his lord seemed to wear an unfamiliar expression upon seeing her. "Could he be...?" Jaken's thoughts trailed off and he shook his head in disbelief. "No, no...in the time I have served him, Lord Sesshomaru has never shown interest in a female, and most certainly not a mortal. I must be imagining things."

Rin looked down at Jaken, who was now standing at her side and seemed lost in his own thoughts. "Master Jaken...is something the matter?"

Jaken shot an embarrassed glance at her and waved his hands around in an exaggerated 'Who? Me? No, not me!' manner. "No no, not at all! I'm merely wondering how Sesshomaru intends to turn you back to normal is all. It will require a very powerful Priestess, I would assume. These are the powers of Naraku at work, here! Who knows if the spell can be reversed?" Jaken sighed in relief after he finished spewing out his fake train of thought until he looked up at her and saw she was fighting back tears again.

The little toad demon's eyes bulged out of his head (moreso than usual) and he made a loud "guffaw!" sound as he realized that his cover story merely made things worse. He began hopping from one foot to the other rapidly as he tried to think of something else to distract Rin from her plight. Sesshomaru would not be pleased to know that he was responsible for making Rin dwell on her transformation.

"Err, didn't Lord Sesshomaru say we should get underway once you were dressed? Perhaps we should look for him!"

Rin nodded weakly in response. "Yes, I guess we should." She paused for a moment in contemplation before asking, "Is AhUn ready?"

Jaken glanced back at AhUn, who was not wearing his riding gear and was snoring softly next to a distant tree. Jaken threw his hands into the air and raced over to AhUn exasperated, then began prodding the animal nervously with a tiny toad-like finger to wake him. "Up now, AhUn! We have matters to attend to! Get up, you lazy beast!"

AhUn's eyes fluttered open to investigate the diminutive pokings. The head closest to Jaken raised slightly and sniffed the air. Upon seeing it was Jaken, he lowered his head and both pairs of eyes sealed shut again. Jaken kicked AhUn's foot out of frustration and yelped when he only succeeded in stubbing his toe.

Jaken shouted to Rin over his shoulder as he began readying AhUn's saddle. Asleep or not, the beast must be ready in time for Sesshomaru's return. "Rin, this would be far less time consuming if you came over here and helped me!"

But there was no response to Jaken's plea. Rin was already gone.