A/N: Enjoy!

"I was not designed to be forced. I will breathe after my own fashion. Let us see who is the strongest." -Henry David Thoreau

Sesshomaru glared at the female before him. She was withering, her mouth open in a silent scream and her eyes rolled back. She was close to death, he could hear the sound of her heart fluttering desperately to continue its function.

She had refused to submit, and if there was one thing that annoyed Sesshomaru to no end was defiance.

He could have killed her, he knew that more than anyone. The law was on his side as well, since there was some physical evidence that she had revealed the forbidden ability to purify demons. And by the look of the injury she had inflicted she was quite powerful.

But she refused to display them once more, instead she flashed him a smile and declined him. Sesshomaru pinched the bridge of his nose when she began to scream, what seemed like endless hours before her voice cracked and she was silent.

Sesshomaru grabbed another needle and filled it up with a purple liquid. He grabbed her wrist and injected her with it. For a few moments she squirmed but then her body colapsed onto the examination table with a thud.

He knew she was alive, he could hear her shallow breaths stabalize and her heart beat had steadied as well. Her eyes were closed but her expression was still pain-stricken. Once again he was left with a choice, should he exectute her?

To kill or not to kill, Sesshomaru heaved a sigh and continued to stare at her, his face as impassive as ever.

She was a great danger to society, her ability was rare enough, but the fact that it was so powerful had intrigued him. On the other hand she could live and continue to live a worthless life and waste the air around him. Sesshomaru frowned, he had decided.

She shall live.

Sesshomaru grabbed the tablet off his table and began to document his examinations, he left her status as 'undetermined.' She was a rarity in ability yes, but in spirit she was something fierce.

She had defied him in a way that no demon even dared to think. She had fought for her life, knowing well enough that she probably stood no chance against two full-fledged demons - ogres to be exact.

He pulled up her file, her awkward smiling picture flashed before him. She had common features; midnight black hair and dark brown eyes. She was brittle with little to no shape, and her weight was below average.

He looked at her bio, it listed her blood type, no allergies...but that's when his gaze turned to her name. Rin? The Dai Youkai pondered, such a simple name. She gasped and he turned to her.

Her eyes were wide, but when she turned to him her face lost its color. Her lips parted, but no words would form. Sesshomaru snorted at the human female before continuing to search through her file.

She came from a poor family, her father had been taken and executed since he displayed the ability as well. Sesshomaru then gazed at the panting female, her body twitched and trembled and her eyes were dull but wide in fear.

"W-Why?" The human croaked and Sesshomaru turned to her once more. Was she asking why he had allowed her to live? Why he had tortured her? Why had he saved her? Sesshomaru smirked.

"You are fascinating." Sesshomaru turned to the examination table and observed the green liquid on the table. Yes, his own creation. He had called it Tenseiga, it was a unique liquid that's purpose was to revive the dead. Sesshomaru prided himself that science had prevailed once again in society- he would become a god if this proved successful.

The last patient he slaughtered and injected with Tenseiga had perished no doubt. But this human...Rin was stronger in both in mind and spirit. She had rejected all kinds of tests that had easily conquored many others before her. Sesshomaru approached the woman- the vile and needle in hand. The woman narrowed her eyes at Sesshomaru - that one look that angered Sesshomaru to no ends.

The door opened, revealing a demoness. Sesshomaru bit back a growl of annoyance before slipping the vile in his pocket and setting the needle down. He turned to the woman with ruby eyes.

"What is it Kagura?" Sesshomaru grumbled and the woman peered behind him, most likely at the human on the table.

"Don't you think it's getting late Sesshomaru?" The woman replied no doubt pitying the human. Sesshomaru looked back and saw Rin glaring at him. "Hn." Sesshomaru replied before begrudgingly pressing the button to free her.

"See to it that she returns safely." Sesshomaru ordered Kagura as he walked by the wind demoness and out the door. The demon lord behind his mask was ecstatic, he had finally found the one. The strongest human to test Tenseiga on.

White Noise

"I'll join you."

Kikyo looked up at me in shock but that quickly evaporated into content. "I see, it will be a pleasure to have you join our cause." Kikyo offered her a small smile and I returned it with a grin of my own.

Being in the spirit world was relaxing, there was no pain or anything, just a bunch of orbs floating around me. I was free to talk about whatever and do whatever, this felt raw yet I found myself enjoying the feeling.

"I want to know how I got here." I turned to the elder Miko and she nodded. "It is not an easy task, it could days, weeks, months even. Do not get impatient if it isn't immediate." Kikyo warned and I still nodded.

Kikyo crossed her legs and I mimicked her position. "Close your eyes, and take a deep breath."

I did as I was told and I felt my muscles and joints relaxing. All tension had disappeared and all I did was focus on the sounds around us. "Now think back until you hit that wall." Kikyo said coolly and I did as instructed.

I thought back to when I first met Kaede and Kikyo, then back to my first picture. The more I dug, the blurrier those images began to be, I walked myself back down that hallway those demons had taken me and found myself back into the white room where I first opened my eyes.

When I tried to think back on it I hit the wall, nothing would come up. "Now you will need to flare your power." I opened an eye and shot Kikyo a questionable looked to which she rolled her eyes.

"Build up your power, and imagine it is your worst enemy and strike." Kikyo simplified and I nodded.

I closed her eyes and thought about Dr. Taishou, I stood before him and in my hand I held a purple orb. The warmth filled my entire being and I scowled, mentally blasting the stoic demon with my power and something within me shattered.

For a moment, things were filled with darkness. That silence was soon filled with gibberish, voices choired along with that one voice. I tried to decifer what they were saying but everything was so jumbled up I couldn't even understand the language.

Shut up! I screamed but the voices just got louder instead. I cringed and soon my own ears began to pulse. The voices were relentless, shouting while others were whispering, eventually my screams filled the room as well.

Madness, that's what this whole thing was, madness.

Another noise filled the room that sounded much more clearer, puzzled, I focused on that noise and soon enough my eyes flung open. I was relieved to be awake again, but that feeling was washed away when demons spilled into the room.

The girls were screaming while others were sobbing as demons violently ripped them off their beds. "Get up and report to the cafeteria now!" They shouted. I leaped off my bed and gasped when Kaede was being dragged by the hair from a beaten Kikyo.

"Leave them alone!" I cried and lunged at the demon. The demon growled and easily knocked me off her balance. Before I could even register that I was on the ground a fist slammed into my face.

Kaede screamed and Kikyo cursed, my eyes fluttered and my gaze blurred. "Enough Takuto! These are Taishou's orders!" Another voice growled. The demon gazed down at me and humphed before stalking towards another.

Tears streamed down my cheeks and my eye stung, I squeezed my right eye shut and instead gazed up at the whimpering Kaede. "L-Let's go." Kikyo helped me up and the I almost found myself tumbling back onto the ground.

When I looked around, Kaede had disappeared. I sent Kikyo a questioning look, but before I could even ask Kikyo's eyes darted to the bed, when I looked over Kaede's thumb poked out from under.

Oh I get it, Kikyo hid Kaede. We walked in silence to the cafeteria, I was alerted when Kikyo began to shake. What is she scared of? As we entered, all the tables had been pushed to the side and another demon stood upon a podium. By his side was Dr. Taishou and the woman who had escorted me back to the dorms. along with a couple others.

Immediately the doors shut with a thunderous boom, guards blocked all exits, they all seemed giddy and immediately a bad feeling washed over me.

"As you all know, meetings like these are not normal, and I am certain the last time we had one of these, a few of you...disappeared." The man smirked, I looked over at Kikyo and sure enough the woman was trembling, fury evident in her eyes.

"I am a very busy man." The dark-haired demon replied, his crimson eyes circling around the room. "So let's make this quick and simple, which one of you is it?" The crowd grew silent with his words and someone gasped.

The man looked around impatiently, and I was confused. "Must I repeat myself?" Everyone around the room bowed their heads, most growing paler by the moment. "Who is the miko? Come on, we've been feeling pulses for weeks."

No one muttered a word, and the speaker frowned. His eyes scanned over the crowd and when his eyes stopped at mine my body tensed up. His glare was not as terrifying as Dr. Taishou's, but it was just as creepy.

His eyes narrowed, "You." With that, vines shot out from behind him and I didn't react quick enough as the limbs flew past me, ruffling my gown and hair. A shriek erupted behind me and a girl was brought to the front, her torso and arms surrounded by vines.

I immediately recognized her as the girl who caused my to spill my milk when she walked by me. She struggled and flailed but it was obvious that the vines overwhelmed her strength. "Yuri!"

"Five."

People around my shuffled, I clenched my fist. Yea she made me spill my milk but she didn't deserve to die! "Don't." Kikyo muttered and I looked at her, shocked that she would even think about letting her die because of me.

"But-"

"It's one life, you could save millions. I'm sorry but we have to think about what's best." My mouth hung open, how could Kikyo even think about her life like that?

"Two,"

The girl's eyes widened and she franticly clawed at the vines, tears slipped down her cheeks and she began to sob. "Oh Kami, someone please just admit it!" Another voice sobbed and I felt guilty.

"One."

I looked up and the girl's eyes widened, blood spilled from her body as a vine prodded out from her chest. Her mouth opened and closed like a fish out of water before she went limp. The crowd erupted into chaos and screams surrounded us.

Kikyo and I linked hands and around us demons began to attack. My body collapsed onto the ground, and I gasped Kikyo! I looked up but she had disappeared.

My eyes darted across the room, amidst the darkness I saw many bodies crumble to the ground. Blood flew across the room and all I could hear was my rapid breathing, finally I saw Kikyo on the ground. A demon was hovering over her, grinning maliciously at her wrinkled form.

I scrambled towards her, bodies hitting me from all sides caused me to stumble over my feet. I ran faster and faster, the screams were deafening and the sound of bones breaking made bile rise up my throat.

I finally reached her and that's when I saw the demon claws launch towards her. My body reacted before I could process it. I leaped and covered Kikyo's body with mine, squeezing my eyes shut and screaming.

For a couple moments, I was sure I was dead. But that's when I realized, that there was no pain. I opened my eyes and gingerly looked up.

He stood there.

The demon had long vanished and his lips were tugged downwards in some form of displeasure. Why did he save me? Kikyo squirmed under me and I lifted my body off hers only to hear her groan.

"Come." His voice demanded, my mouth went dry. What would happen? But another moan from Kikyo left decided for me. I have to save her, I nodded and got up. I placed Kikyo's arm over my neck and proceeded after him. Surprisingly, no one looked towards us. It was as if we didn't even exist, my eyes wandered over to Kikyo and my breath caught in my throat.

She was hurt, badly, and I couldn't help but feel some sort of relief. That could have been me.

I'm super sorry for this late chapter! My charger broke and I ordered one and it came this afternoon and I will also update another chapter tomorrow. Please leave a review :)

NekoxUsa