Chapter 9 A Friend Returns

Disclaimer: I never have, don't, never will, but wish I did own Inuyasha. I don't not never own Inuyasha! Hooray for me!

Hobo: you stole my nickel again.

Me: yes, but I flushed it down the toilet.

Hobo: oh, that's okay then.

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Sesshomaru followed the dead sent of the trail that he could barely see. He ran with all his speed, letting his anger steam out of him before he found his enemy. He was pissed at Inuyasha for letting them be taken and at himself for leaving them. He knew that there was no way of knowing what would have happened.

He had left to his far away castle two days journey from where he had been, to which he had not returned for many years. He had found it in perfect order. He had also found what he had been searching for. A small, wooden vile.

Jaken had arrived the next day with Ah' Un and told him of Rin and Gallaya's capture. It took him two more days to return, Jaken had showed him where they had been taken from. Sesshomaru remembered it was the last place he had camped with the group before he left. By this time it had rained and all sent had been washed away.

Sesshomaru's anger had grown when he learned that his half brother Inuyasha and his human mate had left Rin and Gallaya to go home.

Sesshomaru had found them and asked where they had been taken. The two left their children with Shippo and brought him to the last place they had seen them. They offered their help, but he did not reply and just walked away.

It had been eight days since he had first left them, eight days that they had been in capture, he thought it was unlikely for them to be alive. He sped across the trail, able to only pick up traces of a demon's sent. He hurried and rushed along. He found a large hill with a small opening at the base. He walked inside, having gotten his anger under control. He had not lost his cool since he had become a man, and even before it had been rare.

"Sesshomaru-sama?" Jaken asked hesitantly.

"What is it, Jaken?" he asked, monotone.

"I have a bad feeling."

Sesshomaru did not reply, he also felt the oppressive presence upon them. They traveled deep into the cave, hearing nothing, no movement or sound whatsoever. It did not sit well with him.

He entered a large cavern, from which a man sized hole led down to from the ceiling. He could see a bunch of small demons hovering near the back of the cave. In the center was a circular piece of raised ground, on which stood two demons. One was a human looking one with purple hair and long claws and one was a large recluse spider.

He turned to his left, he was Rin and Gallaya chained within a few meters from each other. Gallaya was hanging on her chaffed wrists, resting all her weight on them. Rin was standing and leaning her back on the wall, asleep. Gallaya did not look up as he entered.

"Well, well, well." Said the human looking demon, "It's about time, Sesshomaru." He smiled.

"Hisomine." Sesshomaru growled at him.

"I thought that you were just going to leave your companions in our care. I was beginning to grow rather bored at my games, too." His smile grew even more.

"Fight me." The dog demon said.

"No, I think I'll watch my brother fight for me instead." He stepped back, allowing the spider to come at Sesshomaru. Sesshomaru reached into his kimono and pulled out a small vile, from which he drank.

Sesshomaru then turned into his true from, roaring. He lunged at Hytamorramaru, who also lunged at him. Hytamorramaru tossed him to the ground. The spider stood above to dog in a gloating manner. The dog lunged at the spider and bit him on the side of his head, ripping off a large chunk.

Sesshomaru saw no more point in wasting his time on the demon, he promptly turned into his human form once more.

"Do you really think that that is going to stop me?" the spider asked, laughing. Suddenly he stopped and began screaming instead. He hissed and began to slam his head on the side of the cavern, causing some stalactite to fall, he killed many of his servant demons in the process. The spider stopped moving after turning over on its back, its legs curled up.

"What have you done to my brother!" the other demon cried, rushing to the fallen spider and found him dead beyond doubt, his head melted away. He turned to Sesshomaru, "how did you do this. My brother was immune to your poison."

Sesshomaru looked at him, "I created a potion that temporary causes my poison to become five times more potenent."

The man cried out, he stalked off to the raised ground, "Well, I have a surprise for you too." He said, seemingly no longer upset over his brother's death.

"Bring her!" he bellowed.

There was a scurrying as the small, hooded black demons moved to Gallaya. They unchained her and brought her to the foot of the pedestal. Hisomine walked forward and grabbed her by the collar of her very dirty dress.

He drug her forward with him, until he was standing only a meter and a half in front of Sesshomaru.

"Look at him!" he said to Gallaya. She did not obey him at first, "Look at him!" he commanded slapping Gallaya.

Gallaya slowly raised her head and looked at Sesshomaru. Sesshomaru took half a step back without realizing it. His anger boiling over at what he saw. Her eyes, while the same noticeable shade of blue, no longer held the fire that he had grown accustom to seeing. In her eyes he saw the pain that she had endured. He saw that she had been defeated. He saw her brokenness.

Hisomine laughed, "I thought you would enjoy that. It took forever. She really did last long. If only you had arrived a day or two ago, you might have been able to save her. I had a lot of fun out of her, the other one was boring. She did what ever she was told to do. But, this one, I enjoyed breaking." Hisomine grabbed her chin and pulled her up to meet his face, and brushed his lips across her cheeks.

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Gallaya shivered as the demon's lips made contact with her skin. She looked at Sesshomaru with sad eyes. She wanted him to save her, but did not think she was worthy. She had given up, she was defeated and was not worthy of saving.

Hisomine grinned even larger, knowing how desolate Gallaya was feeling. He leaned over and whispered quietly in her ear. Her eyes widened in fear of Sesshomaru's reaction.

"Remember you belong to me, do as I say." He told her a little bit louder.

She nodded slightly. Hisomine dropped her, she fell heavily to the ground.

"Unchain the other one and bring her here, I want her to see." He told his demons.

They rushed over to where Rin was chained and drug her forward.

"Lord Sesshomaru!" Rin cried out, trying to break free, "Lord Sesshomaru, I knew you would come!" she cried happily. She looked at Gallaya, "Gallaya, see he is here now! You can stop pretending." She told her.

Gallaya faced the ground and refused to look at Rin. She walked to the dog demon and wrapped her arms around his waist and armor, she looked up to his face over a foot above hers, his eyes were the same cold look, but this time there was something else that she saw in his eyes. For a second Gallaya absently thought that his icy stature was beginning to melt.

Tears clung to her eyes lashes, "I'm so sorry." She told him, right before digging her head into the fluffy part of his armor.

He stood there not knowing what she meant, then he saw Hisomine coming at him. Sesshomaru felt Gallaya hanging heavily on him, weighing him down. Sesshomaru knew what Hisomine was planning.

Hisomine had drawn his sword and was planning to run it through Gallaya and into Sesshomaru. Sesshomaru wrapped his right arm around Gallaya and moved quickly to his right, Hisomine barely missed him, but ripped part of his sleeve.

"Let go of me, woman!" Sesshomaru hissed, leaping to the left as Hisomine lunged once more.

"He'll kill me and Rin both. His minions are just waiting for the order." Gallaya whispered, "I'm so sorry."

"Jaken!" Sesshomaru hollered.

"Aye, Sesshomaru-sama." Jaken cried, running into the cavern.

"Save Rin while I kill Hisomine." He said.

Jaken rushed forward with the staff of two heads and attacked the small demons. Sesshomaru drew his sword and tried to fight Hisomine with his left hand, he wasn't perfect, but was able to defend himself and Gallaya more than sufficiently.

"Let go!" Sesshomaru told her.

She did not respond. Sesshomaru attacked Hisomine and managed to stab his left arm, causing the demon to roar in anger. Sesshomaru retreated.

"Milord!" Jaken hollered, "I've got her milord." Gallaya glanced around the dog demon's arm and saw Rin on the back of Ah' Un. Gallaya was happy that she was safe. She smiled slightly and then grimaced and cried out loudly, feeling a sharp pain in her left side.

Hisomine had attacked and managed to slice Gallaya with her sword, luckily he didn't hit any organs. Gallaya squeezed her eyes shut from the burning sensation that was creeping down her side from the spot on her hip where the sword had hit her, cutting through her skin and just scraping her bone.

At that moment, she let go of Sesshomaru, but he did not let go of her. She was surprised as he gripped her tightly around her shoulders and jumped back. He lay Gallaya down, gently on the ground. The small demons were all attacking Jaken, Ah' Un, and Rin and were not paying their masters fight any mind, so Gallaya would be safe to leave by herself for the time being.

"You didn't let me fall." She gasped, finding it hard to speak. "Why? It would be easier."

Sesshomaru did not answer, but stood once more and continued fighting Hisomine.

"Sesshomaru," the purple haired demon said, "it might just be me, but I think you have feelings for that girl." He laughed.

"I have feelings for no one." The dog demon said.

Without being noticed, Gallaya had pushed herself, despite her pain, onto her elbows. She struggled to her feet, and leaned against the wall to breath. She reached into the waist belt of her dress and pulled out a small dagger, which she unsheathed.

She walked against the wall for strength and passed the dissolved spider. She made her way around the pedestal, on which the two demons were now fighting. She struggled after letting go of the wall.

To her luck Hisomine was gloating. "I do believe that you are not strong enough to continue for much longer. It is a shame, you seemed to have weakened over the years. I guess I've just been wasting my time, planning this fight." He said, not seeing are even sensing Gallaya coming up behind him. Sesshomaru made no move or acknowledge that he saw her.

Gallaya reached Hisomine, he was to busy talking to notice her, and dug her weapon deep into his side, pulled it out and entered it half way again until he shoved her away from him. She flew back and her head hit the wall.

"You stupid human!" he screamed, loosing his cool. He went for her, completely disregarding Sesshomaru, much to his disadvantage, who promptly silenced of the demon's head. The head fell and rolled along the floor.

"How, how could you have defeated me?" the head asked in amazement before Sesshomaru stepped on it, and crushed it.

Gallaya stood from the place she had been thrown.

The demons that were still alive saw that their master was dead, and, in fear, they ran from that place.

Jaken saw this and cried out, "Milord we have defeated them! Milord?" he said.

Sesshomaru had not heard the imp say this, instead he sheathed his sword and walked to Gallaya, and upon reaching her, he wrapped his arms around hers, clutching her to him, and lay his head on her shoulder. His white hair covered both their shoulders like a large blanket.

Gallaya felt the heat of his body on her and smelt the sweet sent of his sweat. Her eyes clouded over with tears, she had expected him to hate her and to leave her behind, never, in all the daydreams she had had since her capture had she expected him to do this. He patted her head with his hand.

"I thought that I had lost you." He admitted, whispering into her ear. His breath on her ear caused shivers to run down her spine.

"I thought you had too." She told him, knowing that it probably only made sense to her, but it didn't mater.

She fainted.

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Thanks for baring with me here…

I didn't like this chapter all that much, but I guess I had to write it…

Don't worry in will be much happier in the next one…

Thanks for everything,

Isis