All That I'm Living For

Disclaimer: Inuyasha is not mine, so these characters are not mine.

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Chapter Six

Rin opened her eyes and saw the backside of the demon; she was slung over his shoulder. Her throat burned where he'd hit her, and she gulped, grimacing. "Lord Sesshomaru," she whispered.

"Let her go!" Kagome said.

Kagome! Rin thought. If anyone could save her—besides her Lord—then it was the priestess.

"Now, why would I let my little prize go?" the demon said, chuckling.

Rin kicked the demon in the face with her heel.

He hissed and dropped her, covering his nose with his hands; blood poured from it.

She rolled and ran to Lord Sesshomaru, who was leaning on his elbows, relief etching his face when she threw herself against his body. He patted her head. "My Rin," he whispered.

"Lord Sesshomaru, you're hurt," she said, seeing the cracks in his armor.

"Inuyasha!" the demon said, still covering his nose. "Bring the girl to me!"

Inuyasha dragged his body up from the ground and walked to Rin and Sesshomaru.

"No!" Kagome said, dropping the arrow and putting her arms up to block Inuyasha. He stopped.

The demon clenched Inuyasha's heart, making the hanyou scream. "Do as I say!"

Inuyasha stepped forward. "Inuyasha, stop!" Kagome yelled. He stopped.

"I am your master, not this priestess; obey me!" Inuyasha screamed again as the demon crushed his heart.

Kagome put her arms around Inuyasha's body and offered her neck to him. He sniffed her and his demon aura lessened a little. He wrapped her in his arms and nuzzled her, growling low in his throat.

"Who are you?" the demon said, putting his hands down, dried blood encrusted around his mouth.

"His mate." Kagome glared at him.

"A demon and a priestess? Oh, now I've seen everything. Sesshomaru—the great dog demon—caring for a human child, and his brother mated to a priestess; dog's truly are man's best friend, aren't they?" The demon laughed.

Kagome pushed Inuyasha behind her and drew her bow string back, an arrow poised at the demon's head.

"Now, Inuyasha! The girl!"

Kagome gasped, dropping her weapon and turned around, seeing Inuyasha jump forward towards Sesshomaru and Rin. She thrust herself between him and Rin, catching the brunt of his attack; his claws sank into her flesh and she screamed. His eyes grew wide and he stepped back. "Sit boy," she said weakly, subduing him. She collapsed before Rin and Sesshomaru.

"Kagome!" Rin screamed, shaking the stunned priestess.

"Rin, the bow-" Kagome said, trying to stand.

Rin grabbed the bow and arrow and helped Kagome to her feet. Kagome stood, unsteady, but she stood. She drew the bow string back.

The demon called, "Inuyasha-"

"Sit," Kagome whispered. "Sit, sit, sit!" Tears streamed down her face as Inuyasha screamed, his body grinding into the ground.

"Get up!" the demon screamed, urging Inuyasha with his hands—as if the motions would help the hanyou stand.

"It ends here," Kagome said.

Rin saw Kikyo's silhouette as Kagome loosed her arrow, the dead priestess's hair flying back, a determined look on her face. The demon growled and threw up its hands, trying to protect itself, but the arrow pierced his barrier and blew apart his flesh. Inuyasha's heart went flying. Rin ran after it, clutching it to her chest.

The demon's head was still intact. It narrowed its eyes. "I am not-"

Sesshomaru's poison claw ripped through its head, turning its body to dust. Rin watched her Lord, amazed as he stood tall, blood dripping down his white hakama. Kagome still stood with her bow, looking at the place where the demon had been.

"Rin," Sesshomaru said, beckoning her to Inuyasha's body.

Rin gave the heart to her Lord and watched as he replaced it in his brother's body, using the Tenseiga to restore the heart to its former beat. Inuyasha sighed, his hair turning black again, his claws rounding into nails, and his dog ears receding into his hair.

Kagome collapsed, and groaned, leaning forward, her hands clutching her stomach.

"Kagome!" Rin said, running to her.

Kagome had jagged cuts down her stomach, some oozing blood. She was breathing hard and her pupils were dilated. Rin saw blood pool around her lower body. "My Lord! Something's wrong!"

Sesshomaru watched as Kagome continued to bleed. "There is nothing I can do."

"What do you mean? If she's dying, can't you-"

He shook his head. "The baby."

Tears slipped down Rin's cheeks as she held Kagome, rocking her as she began to sob. "I know, I know," she whispered, brushing Kagome's hair, "cry, let it all out." Rin remembered the joy in Kagome's face when she said she was pregnant—had envied Kagome's joy—and now it was all dashed to pieces.

Inuyasha groaned and sat up, shaking his head. "Kagome?" he said, seeing his mate clinging to Rin, tears streaming down her eyes and blood pooled around her body. "Are you hurt?" he said, getting up.

Rin got out of the way.

Kagome continued to sob, shaking her head. "The baby," she whispered.

"What?"

"The baby's gone!" she wailed, clinging to his hakama.

"What, how did this-" He grabbed her and held her tightly to his chest as she shook. She dug her nails into his skin.

"Let's go, Rin," Sesshomaru said, walking away.

Rin looked at her Lord, unsure. Kagome needed-

"There's nothing you can do; let them grieve," Sesshomaru said softly, taking her hand and leading her away.

"Yes, my Lord," she said mechanically, watching as the sun rose and Inuyasha changed back to a hanyou, clutching his grieving mate to his chest, tears streaming down his face.

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They walked for what seemed like an eternity to Rin. She trailed behind her Lord, crying, mourning Kagome and Inuyasha's loss. The gods were cruel and spiteful; how could they let that happen to them, after all they had been through? The rest of their lives should have been easy by comparison, but—she screamed, unable to keep her anger at bay anymore.

Sesshomaru whipped around, Tenseiga unsheathed. "Rin!"

She ran at him and beat his chest with her fists, her hands sustaining cuts from his armor. "Why couldn't you do anything? How could you just leave them there? Why didn't you come in time?"

Sesshomaru dropped Tenseiga and fell to his knees, letting her hit him. He tore his armor apart, giving her easier access to his body.

"Why didn't you come for me sooner? Why did you leave me to suffer without you? I hate you!" she screamed, and shoved him onto his back. She straddled him, her hands at his throat, squeezing.

"Rin," he gasped. He didn't stop her.

Tears poured down her cheeks. She could feel his blood as it pulsed through his veins, the unnatural heat of his skin. His eyes were dazed and his cheeks were wet; had he been crying? She blinked and jumped away from him, wringing her hands.

He sat up and looked at her. Tears were flowing down his cheeks.

"My Lord?" she whispered, afraid of the emotions that were forcing their way to the surface.

He hung his head, his tears dripping down into the ground, his face obscured by his hair. He growled low in his throat and came at her.

She flinched, expecting a blow, but he instead forced her body to the ground, nipping at the flesh of her neck, tasting her with his tongue, just as she had done a few nights ago. "I'm sorry," he said, and got up, taking her hands and lifting her up.

She stood, dazed, and watched as he walked away. She followed.

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Sesshomaru listened to her steps as she followed him. He had failed her, and yet she still followed him. She said she hated him, and yet she still followed him. She blamed him, and yet she still followed him. What was it about humans that gave them the capacity to keep going? Why did they persist, despite all the harm that could befall them? Why was she still following him?

His wounds had healed over the course of the day, slowly, but they had healed. He should have stopped a long time ago, given his body time to heal before journeying to his castle in the Western Lands. But he couldn't stop himself, couldn't let her angered gaze fall on him again, couldn't give himself time to weep and fall apart. All he had left was his pride, but he would discard it now if it would make her love him again.

She had seen him cry, had been the one to make him cry. It was an unreal experience for him; he never cried, not even when his father had died some hundred years ago. As she beat his body and cursed him, the tears had flowed, steady and sure, until the novelty of the experience forced her to stop, to look at him and see his shame.

When he lashed out at her he didn't know what to expect, hadn't thought he'd hurt her, but he couldn't stop himself, and he had forced her down, tasting her sweat and tears, feeling her ragged breath on his ear. He had whispered those words easily, without hesitation, words that he had uttered to no one. Who was this creature that could bring the great Lord Sesshomaru to his knees?

He heard a thud behind him and turned to find Rin unconscious. He picked her up carefully, and carried her until they reached a suitable campsite, her arms curled around his neck and her warm breath on his chest. She groaned when he put her down, but didn't wake. He made a fire and cooked a fresh kill, preparing a meal for her when she woke.

The stars shown through the leaves, and a slim waxing crescent peeked from behind a cloud. Cicada's resonated around them, and a night flower bloomed. His brother and the miko were probably on their way home now, both forcing themselves forward. He knew they had another pup, would take solace in their remaining pup's life. They would have other pups, but this one—the one they lost—would always haunt them. He really couldn't have done anything; the fetus wasn't viable yet, couldn't live beyond the womb, and he couldn't heal the miko's womb.

"My Lord?"

He didn't look at her, just continued to look up at the sky, his body stretched out over the grass. She curled up against his body. "Rin."

"I'm sorry," she said, sniffling. "I didn't mean it."

He said nothing.

"I was angry. I could never hate you, my Lord," she said, burying her face into his hair and inhaling his scent, "I love you too much."

His heart stopped. "Rin-"

"I know you can never love me, my Lord, but I will always love you, and I will never leave you again!" she sobbed, throwing herself onto his chest.

He looked down at the woman on his chest and gulped. She-

"Please forgive me, my Lord!" she pleaded, looking into his eyes.

He touched her face with his claw. "There is nothing to forgive, Rin; you did nothing wrong."

"But I left," she hiccupped, "and I almost had you killed. And the b-b-baby-"

His eyes hardened and he grabbed her shoulder and shook her. "The baby was not your fault; these things happen; that's why Kagome stayed back the first time."

"B-but-"

"No, even if you hadn't been there, Inuyasha still would have been hurt and she still would have gone after the demon, possibly still losing the baby in the process; it's not your fault." He hugged her, feeling her body shake. "If you hadn't been there," he said, his voice softer, "I would not have been able to bring him back."

She quieted a little and soon was asleep again, her torso still on his chest. Her heart beat against his own, and in time, his beat with hers. They slept.

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R & R.

BTW: In the 3rd movie, Sesshomaru uses the Tokijin and the Tenseiga for "Dragon Strike." I think Sesshomaru's attacks are based on his ability and not the swords abilities. Tokijin is broken when he battles with Moryomaru. This is post-Naraku, so he has no Tokijin.

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