Hiya! Yipeee, another chapter is up and I hope you guys like it.

Ok, and can you guys tell me what you want to know more of when Rin is living in the village? Cause I am always talking about what she thinks and how she is feeling but never about stuff like her village and the people there. Basically tell me if you want more action and stuff. Send in suggestions ok?

A note on why Sess thought 4 years wasn't long. Cause dai-youkais live for thousands of years, to him, 4 years is like 4 days.

MANY MANY MANY thanks to (in no order):

Ashley, for the great reviews

Darth Squishy for the funny comments

MyDearSesshy for the new ideas

DCoD for the feedback

Yun Miyo Yuku for the positive advice

Lisa for the support

DRD for the "future prediction" hmmms. Oh, and to comment on your review: Perhaps... haha, but I wont make the sacrifice Sesshie cause the story would be too cliche. I've though of another way for them to meet. Your guess was close htough ;).

Thanks ALOT guys!

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Glint

The moment her victim's back caught the light of the moon, Rin's sensitive and keen eyes caught the long strands of beautiful silver hair in her memory. The fur which covered the back of the Inu-Youkai glistened under the rays which the moon reflected. The shadows from the thick undergrowth also caused an illusion that the length of the tail of Rin's victim was exaggerated. Rin stopped for a moment to admire the beauty of the Inu-Youkai. Although it was a few meters away, Rin could see that its size was incomparable to hers. The Youkai basked under the delicate rays of the moon and stretched its long and muscular limbs which were covered in a thick layer of ghostly white hair. The nature of the Youkai was so majestic and captivating that for a moment, Rin thought that it was a lost phantom roaming under the vast night sky. The beauty of the creature- its hair… It reminded her so much of-

"Do not attach yourself to your victim"

Rin's muscles tensed and her grip on her Naginata tightened. All of a sudden she felt this deep clenching feeling within the depths of her body and her heart felt as if it was being clamped by a great iron fist. Rin struggled to stifle a cough. This feeling had not come to her in a long time. Although it was an unusual visitor, the emotion was nevertheless familiar and struck a deep and longing memory within Rin's mind. She struggled and struggled to forgot her emotions and focus on her victim which she had spent so much of her time for to track down. She struggled…

---

Rin awoke with a sudden jolt which earned her a hard and cruel twist of a neck muscle. She yelped and kneaded the stinging spot on her nape. She found that her palms were wet with perspiration and her futon was drenched with the smell of perspiration and her monthly blood. Rin scowled and shook her head, an annoyed expression took hold of her face.

"The dream has come back to haunt me!" She cried exasperated. Rin shuddered and the hairs on her arm and back rose; giving her an unnatural feeling of warmth. She hugged herself. It was the third time that month where she dreamt of her victim for The Ordeal. Her turn to become a real assassin was only in autumn and it was nearing mid-summer. Rin had always desired to sacrifice a bird Youkai. They were renowned for being the hardest to capture and the most emotionally burdening to sacrifice. Bird Youkai were known for their great and magnificent beauty. Thus, it was typical for a foolish would-be assassin to choose a bird Youkai to sacrifice because a time, the bird Youkai "connected" with its murderer and the would-be assassin would break down and refuse to kill it. Rin saw it happen very often. So far, only one assassin had succeeded in sacrificing a bird Youkai and the assassin's future was sealed as the highest in social ranks amongst all assassins. However, it was a he who had sacrificed a male bird Youkai, he was also known for being very diplomatic and emotionally-detached; he was also a Youkai. Humans unlike Youkai were proven to have a greater ability to feel for their victims. Thus, human assassins were generally weaker then others. The assassin who had managed to sacrifice the bird Youkai was Yuragu.

Rin had openly declared that she was a feminist. Female assassins her age were flamboyant and wild. They were continuously in the company of males either assassins or outsiders as Rin had observed. She especially enjoyed observing their behavior around Yuragu and Endan. Other female assassins who were fifteen wore highly revealing clothes claiming that it helped to give them more flexibility and comfort during raids. Rin scowled at their lame excuse. It really was a stupid excuse to be covering one's body to the bare minimum. Rin never failed to pity or feel embarrassed for another assassin who was acting flirtatious and coy around Yuragu. Firstly, Yuragu would ignore their efforts and even roughly shove them aside if they became too touchy and secondly, they were a disgustingly and disturbingly identical mimic to the stray dogs which she used to observe when she was young. A group of scrawny and rabies-stricken bitches with tails wagging trailing a pitiful male dog with the faint hope of bearing his young: It was disgusting because none of them seemed fit enough for the job.

Rin shuddered yet again when she remembered another incident…

Cool water. I love water especially when it runs against my feet. The feeling is so unexplainable and the rationale for dipping my grimy feet into the stream is simple. My Naginata provides me with fitting company whenever I allow myself simple indulgences of time and a stream. My training is so goddamned hectic that I never get to rest by the side of the road and observe the rat race in which many of us pathetically call life. I love to ponder out loud when I am alone, it is easier to clear my thoughts. Recently, many of the male Youkai had been giving me this odd, unnatural, abnormal, unnerving, unsettling, intimidating and perverted look and I am desperate to know why. I had consulted Yuragu, one of the only demons in this warped village who I can faithfully rely on to give me trustworthy advice. Everyone else takes me for a joke because even at my age of fifteen (I turned 15 last spring), I appear naïve and decent. I am NOT naïve! I cry out loud to Yuragu all the time. He merely replies with a faint nod and "I know".

Anyway, Yuragu says that it comes from the complicated fact that I am fifteen which is the age where normal woman get married. It took me a mere minute or so to grasp what he was trying to tell me and the idea disgusted me. It really did! Once I unearthed the detestable justification of the male youkai's filthy and nauseating habits, I felt sick to the stomach. In fact, I was so disgusted so much so that I avoided all the males in the village for a week or two. I would never sell my body to another male, Youkai or human. NEVER! I will NEVER belong to another person. I had been a possession to a dai-youkai before… his name, I refuse to remember. I felt chained to him. I will NEVER be chained to anybody. I belong to nobody but Meidou.

It was coincidental that I was pondering on this issue because at that moment, a rowdy team of five youkais, rookie assassins, appearing two years my senior approached me in my deep thoughts. I gave them my deepest and most sincere scowl because I had made it clear to my fellow assassins that I hated people to approach me whenever I was in thinking. All of a sudden, the calm a stillness which the stream radiated turned into a sickening barrage of shouts and joking. I felt nauseated in their presence. The team that approached me was from this small team of youkais skilled in espionage. No wonder I did not sense the fools…Anyway, they were a bunch of rogues renowned for their bawdy and rowdy behavior. I knew that long ago and they were a group I paid extra attention to avoiding. Of course, the training in the village of assassins is superb… what was I thinking; of course they would find me.

I get up to leave…

"Rin-Chan- No, Rin-sama (whoops and laughter), we had the privilege to be assigned to this raid where we had to inspect a rich shoguns house…" one of the fools started.

I paid no attention and silently prayed to kami to smite them on the spot, if not, I would carry out his deadly will upon this offensive assembly of trouble-makers.

"—and", one of them bravely continued. I swore silently for allowing myself to undergo persecution.

Luckily for them, I continue to ignore their pathetic attempts until-

"-We saw that your Gi and Yukata are old and tattered so um… we stole some for you…" one of them managed to stutter.

I sensed something was amidst.

Before I could reply, they hurtled a paper package at me.

I picked it up.

It seemed innocent enough because it was merely brown paper wrapped by a string.

"Go on… Open it!" One dared to prod at me. I sensed a hint of amusement and I felt like defying his concealed-command. However, my morbid curiosity took hold of me and I opened the package, haltingly; unwittingly putting making myself the center of a bawdy joke.

I half expected a snake to uncurl from the darkness within the package…

The tightly wrapped crumpled paper wrapping gave way when I grew impatient and used my Naginata to hack it apart. I did not care for what was within the package as I had half the mind to throw its contents back at them. I was in for a shock.

After shaking the package hard enough, I found that there was nothing within it. Their crude and earthy joke had clearly stumped me for a while. I stared at packaging which was supposed to contain a Gi and Yukata stolen for me for approximately a minute and unable to register the horror and meaning of the not-so-practical prank they were playing on me.

The IMBECILES! My cheeks flamed to an unhealthy red color and I remember the heat of their stares piercing into my back. They hooted in laughter and swore crudely. Since I was unused to being fooled, I thus was unable to react properly. As unusual, I stood there shell-shocked and unable to repel the joke like the other female assassins would do. I even admit that I lacked social skills: Thus, I did what I swore I would never do after my thirteenth birthday. I dropped my Naginata and crumpled over. I cried.

Sesshomaru's POV

The forests, for once in my life seem to last forever. I pad restlessly through the deciduous floor and leave no imprint on the ground. Damn that Jaken. He has slowed me down for 4 years! He is a feeble Youkai! I think of him to be even more disgraceful compared to the lesser-Youkai. He claims to be a dai-youkai but he can barely travel at speeds equivalent to one! No- even Rin runs faster than him! She even knows when to offer her opinion and when to remain silent. Why did I not just kill Jaken and resurrect Rin only? I am nearing the frayed edges of my wits with this dreaded toad-Youkai and I am tempted to kill him. I swear, my ego has taken a pathetic drop since the century where I had slaughtered the Bake Mono that was seizing Jaken's empire. Alas I cannot murder him for my current situation does not allow me to fulfill such a rewarding act. Jaken holds the staff of humans and after I find Rin, Jaken will look after her if I decide to seek solace alone for a few days and leave them alone. I am willing to keep Rin as a travel companion- No, as a possession. However, Jaken is a different case. I force Jaken's pitifully green and ugly image out of my head.

Now, I must focus my attentions to searching for my fragile possession who I had "misplaced" in a village four damned years ago. I mentally berate myself for not demanding that Jaken had to follow her.

"Why on this damned earth am I persisting in searching for my long lost possession?"

Damn. My damned conscience is telling me to give up my search on her,

Again.

Why? My mind continued to prod; do you insist that I give up on her? Why? Sesshomaru do you persist in searching for something that is already lost? Something that you are unsure is alive or not? Are you not supposed to conquer new land for your empire?

I paused at the last thought. It was a new thought. My sudden halt and the silence that followed were rudely disrupted when Jaken crashed through the underbrush yelling my name in broken syllables. My ears were greatly pained and I was forced to utter his name to make him cease his continuous assault on them.

"Hai! Sesshomaru-sama!"

I did not reply to him. Instead, I stood for the longest time to consider the newest reason from my mind to stop my long and desperate search for her. I looked at the darkening sky and admired the long streaks of wispy clouds. They reminded me of the long silver hairs that covered my mane when I was in True Form. My mane… it was a long time since I had last transformed. I desired to change. Heck, if I was a damned three-legged dog-Youkai. I was still powerful and potent in that form and I was still capable of instilling fear within the hearts of even the largest Youkai. Changing made me relax and appreciate myself more; probably because it stirs a certain sleeping beast within my soul that takes control of me when I am in that form. The beast makes all irrational actions rational and it makes all sin sound just. It is the feral side of me that is suppressed when I am in this form. The metamorphosis always brought me an unnamed pleasure and I hated to hide my true form again. Why was this Sesshomaru forced to hide himself?

Hide himself in the form alike to that of a human.

A deep, yet impractical yearning to change stirred from within. It had pushed me hard enough to force me to emit the rare, random sigh- or wheeze. I was bored and flicked my hair. I was bored of looking for Rin with no results. There was talk of young girls named Rin who were found. However, not one of them was credible.

Why should I hide? My mind inquires, why am I hiding myself from the reality?

What I am doing now? Existing in this fake form.

The reality: I am an Inu-Youkai.

The reason: I can wield a sword and I have my abilities which exceed the power of that when I have transformed.

What will I do now? I will transform to answer the calling rising deep from within my loins which begs me to morph. It begs me to be real again. I usually am not that generous… But I have yearned for this moment.

What am I doing now? Searching for Rin?

The reality: I am forced to admit, I don't know.

Why are you continuing? This time, for the first time in centuries, I felt hopeless again. This was something even I, Sesshomaru could not answer.

What will I do now? I will morph into my real form. I do not wish to think of an answer for once.

There was a sudden urgency in the wind and the trees. Everything seemed restless. How fitting, I thought. Now my surroundings are urging me to transform.

All right, I shall give them the fortune of witnessing this beautifully majestic phenomenon.

I thrust my memories and burdens over my shoulder and willed my body to change. Heck, in the middle of the forest, no one would bother about a rampaging Inu-Youkai. I snigger sardonically. I was literally exuding copious amounts of Youki and the grass which my feet were upon shriveled, Apparently Jaken sensed the tremendous increase of Youki rising and shuddered. The coward, he has seen me change before.

I know that I have grown considerably stronger since I had last foolishly changed and had my left arm hacked of by a pathetic hanyou… My Youki had thus grown immensely stronger through the years. After defeating the pathetic Naraku who depended on the Shikon No Tama for power, Tokijin had absorbed a fraction of Naraku's Youki. I was therefore unsurprised when I felt slightly overwhelmed with the sudden outburst and increase of Youki. It felt good, it felt intoxicating; it felt Wild. My backbone extended; stretched and the sensation was pure ecstasy as I could feel every vertebrae expand and grow larger. I buckled forward as my back formed a faultless curvature which accented the strong Youkai-muscles in my back. I had to stretch my back and feel the tension in the muscles, the muscles which rippled under my skin from the strain of changing. I felt fur sprouting from my skin which gave a prickling and itchy sensation. I refused to scratch myself like a common dog. I bare a smile with my elongated fangs and catch sight of my extending muzzle. The velvet and coarse hairs which lined my nose and snout had a shiny luster under the pale light of this night's moon. My wild and feral fangs! I ran my tongue over the sharp tips and a low and deep hum resounded from deep within my throat signaling my pleasure and excitement. My arm and legs elongated. Muscles I had long forgotten started developing in the calves. I flexed the assets and admired them with pride under the light of the moon. My hands and feet further grew into large an appendage with deadly claws. I am capable of ripping a forest to shreds with them. I could if I want to, rip humans and other insignificant Youkai…

This Sesshomaru would allow himself to be reckless for once; for once only before I retire to conquering new lands.

I would allow myself the luxury of behaving like a wild animal for once. For once I will allow myself to satisfy the inner beast which I had suppressed all the time when Rin was around. Rin- the name had suddenly halted my change. The change brought on a sudden pain as the developing bones came to a crunching halt. I scowl in detest at the stop. I could feel the mutated bones grinding and churning into each other; screaming and beseeching me to continue their growth. Why would her name halt me? Was it because I had never once showed her my true form? I scowl. Why would I care if I frighten the girl?

Once again I will the change and this time I take on my full form. I sense Jaken slumped against a tree and laugh inwardly. Does he dare insult me? I am capable of devouring him in this form and he dares close an eye to my majestic appearance. I contemplate eating him but was repelled when my heightened sense of smell picked up Jaken's sour stench from my distance above the ground. My eyes are glowing a crimson red and the dai-youkai blood coursing through my veins sung in all its glory. I felt alive and real again and the newer and higher level of Youki I had suppressed earlier was intoxicating. I was easily towering over most of the trees. I stretched my three limbs and I had to admit that with three legs, it was challenging to remain in balance. Heck, I would grasp it soon. A last whiff of Jaken drove me to glide away and appreciate the feeling of the moon's rays gracing my back in a clearing which could accommodate my superior size. I was reluctant to think of stately matters as well as Rin- Rin! I'm wasting time…

Damn my double conscience. Why am I encouraging a double personality…?

One should restring his bows or snap. I am re-stringing my bows today. I think I will hunt cattle. I desire the taste of blood and entrails once again. I refused to mar my outwardly appearance in my other form. In this form, I was free.

I arch my back and howl to the moon with a feeling of adrenaline rushing through my entire being. It felt good. It felt very good.

Rin's POV

I think existing in this village is the most tiresome and arduous task. All that fills the hours of a rookie assassin is training and tutorials about physical geography, keeping away unwanted attention and struggling to maintain an acceptable social status in the village. Right now, I am appreciating the quiet and peace which the night brings before my team leader Musashi calls us in to retire for the day. I always feel calm and at ease under the night sky for some odd reason. Under the night, I feel that I can be… I'm lost as for what to say I can be under the night sky. Innocent? I am confused as to what I am trying to be in this village. In front of other assassins who are supposed to be fellow friends, I put up a brave and detached front. I have no idea why I do this. I know, I am meant to be something else. Perhaps a free spirit meant to soar through the night sky on the back of a majestic Youkai? I allowed myself to act prissy and meek for once when I am alone and emitted a string of childish giggles. I amaze myself sometimes. I think I should be called "Rin-of-a-thousand-faces". I giggle yet again. I feel happy to be under the great and majestic sky which everyone on this earth is under, great Youkai or weak human. We all share the same sky, just as how we all share the same fate of embracing death in the end.

It is on nights like these when my anger and grudge against…

"Sesshomaru-sama", I whisper and hug myself. At first I was stunned at the reaction which made me look as if I needed a companion and I mentally berated myself for acting pitiful. Alas, the night sky humbled my ego and I once again allowed myself to think of my master. I wonder what he would be doing at this present moment. I admit that I am a strange person with mixed feelings towards my old master. Sometimes in the midst of training, I picture his stoic expression and merciless culling and I boil in fury. Yet, sometimes when I am alone and thinking of him, I picture the same stoic expression and merciless killing and, appreciate its beauty. I see the beauty which lies in his stoic expression within the symbols which mark his face and the intensity and fury which his golden eyes hide. I appreciate the poignancy of his merciless culling because I realize the mental strength and resilience which he possesses to take a life away just like that. As if life was a possession… At the last thought, my emotions fired up and I cursed him for his indifference towards other people's lives: to put it simply. Because he never told me anything about his emotions or how he felt whenever he confiscated a life permanently and his stoic and unfeeling expression even hinting detest, I was always forced to assume that he thought that life was a material to be dealt without thought. Sometimes I wonder if he is still searching for me.

I emit the rare sigh (although my current feelings could allow me to release a thousand others). I doubt he would still be. Maybe it was because he always said I could leave him and his apparent indifference to whether I live (maybe even Jaken-sama) or not. I muse silently for a few minutes.

The moon today was larger than usual and there was this apparent stir in the forest beyond. I was sitting on the windy top of a hill which was located in proximity to my hut. The grass beneath me was wispy and I lay down my aching back to observe the sky again. This time in silence without any pondering. I rarely had the time for such an indulgence. The sky was littered with stars in random clusters and there was a sudden increase of Youki somewhere in the South-west direction. I could sense it because my Naginata was emitting pulsating vibrations and there was this stirring of the trees in that direction. The moon, it reminded me of him… I silently admitted, as much as I hated him, I had a small yearning that my master still continued to remember me.

"Sesshomaru-sama?"

"What?"

"If Rin were to die, will you promise that you won't forget me?"

-Hesitation-

"That's a foolish question."

-You will!-

"All right! Everybody back in NOW!"

I scrambled up and took a last longing glance to the south-west. My dark hair was picked up by the wind coming in that direction. I look towards the sky once again and something deep and unexplainable stirred from within the bowels of my soul. I had no inkling of what it was. I was yearning, longing and desiring for something and I felt in tatters. I did not know what I was missing. Wait- I don't think I was missing anything! I MISS NOTHING!

She lay under the night sky with no shadows of her past haunting her. She lay there observing the sky, as if longing and lusting for something. To him, she was just thinking about a deep matter. All women do that, he pondered. She got up and moved off after the damned Musashi called everyone back. His loud and low-tone voice broke the stillness which the scene radiated. It was a picture of beauty upon beauty to the silent observer. He waited in the shadows until Rin was away. And then he got up and moved off too.

Wow! That was quick! Ok, I hope you guys enjoyed reading this. It's longer than the previous ones and I hope all of you are satisfied with the length. Don't forget to review ok? Another thing, please tell me if you want to hear more about Rin's training/Sesshomaru's life E.T.C in your reviews. I think I write too much about their opinions so the story basically has no background- aaargh, you know what I mean. Just comment ok?

Thanks guys!

Jaa Ne!