Chapter 3-12/18-11

A/N: Thank y'all for your reviews! It's so pleasant to read nice ones, not flames, and so many so quickly! I saw a couple of new reviews within half a day. That is a lot of 'em for me. I'm used to one or none a week. So thanks again!

I've decided that I'm going to start dating when I release the chapters, so future readers will know how long it took me to write a chapter. And I just absolutely LOVE dating stuff. I don't know why. I just don't like the thought that I won't remember something.

Disclaimer: The plot of the below story is completely fictitious and a work of my wishful thinking. All the characters belong to Rumiko Takashiko. Or something like that.

*Note: According to one of my reviewers (and hopefully a fan as well), Sesshomaru's mother name is Inukimi. So, I am going to call her that from now on. And occassionally Lady Mother. No more Delilah.

End A/N.

Last time, on Please Stay:

"What are you doing here?" Sesshomaru asked.

"I have come to bring Rin back to you," Lady Mother replied.

*collective gasp*

(...That was pretty much the whole chapter.)

Now:

Sesshomaru merely arched a brow at his mother's declaration. Internally, he was actually hoping what she said was possible. But on the outside, he seemed as cool as a cucumber.

Of course, Inukimi heard her son's heartbeat increase after her statement. She openly smirked at his reaction and the very faint-but-still-there hopeful shine in his eyes. She couldn't understand why the life of a human was worth so much to Sesshomaru, but then again, her son's father had felt the same, so maybe it was heredity.

Sighing at how the Great Dog General had thrown his life away for a human, Lady Mother said, "Don't seem too overjoyed or grateful, my son. The gods forbid you show some emotion, if not effusively." Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes at her sarcastic tone, but she simply sighed again and carried on in a melodramatic tone. "No no, I'm fine! I haven't been traveling for hours and tracking down my son! I do not wish to rest." Inukimi swatted at his arm. "Now take me to your 'castle'. You'd think the demon nanny I hired to raise you didn't teach you how to be a good host."

She caught the way his eyes flashed red for a moment, but ignored it for the time being. Sesshomaru whirled and began making his way to his manor. Lady Mother trailed behind her son, hidden behind his long shadow, therefore invisible to any passerbyers. When she caught the scent of a badger demon heading towards them, she was prepared for its attack.

Before Sesshomaru even fully registered what was happening, Inukimi slashed the attacking demon in half with her poison-filled claws. She made her way over to the slain demon and tapped at it with her foot. Sesshomaru roughly grabbed his mother's arm and walked at a hurried pace to his manor.

"Child, unhand me," Lady Mother commanded in an icy voice. It seemed her playful and sarcastic side was gone. She was outraged at the way her son was acting. As though she, Lady Inukimi were the child. And even worse, her demand to be released seemed to have fallen on deaf ears! "Why are you suddenly in such a hurry?"

Sesshomaru looked at her from the corner of his eyes, but retained his usual grace and didn't even stumble over the rocky path. "That pathetic, weak demon smelled our power. He came searching for it. Who knows what other demons might come? And how many? And although that it is highly improbably, there is the remote possibility we will be overcome." Inukimi felt almost touched at his concern for her well-being, but then he continued on with, "I cannot risk losing the knowledge of how to bring Rin back. So we must hurry to my manor." Lady Mother made a face at the unveilment of his motive, but stopped protesting at being dragged along.

When they reached Sesshomaru's property, Jaken came rushing out to greet his master. His eyes widened at seeing Inukimi, and he fell to his knees quicker than normal. "Lord Sesshomaru, Lady Mother. I am grateful for your safe return. Simply overjoyed. Exuberant. Ecstatic-"

"Jaken, stop with your blather. I am in no mood to hear your ass-kissing right now," Sesshomaru growled at the toad demon in a rough tone. He made his way past his servants and into the castle. As the two inu demons and Jaken entered the main room, Inukimi sniffed the air.

"What is that repugnent stench?" She delicately pinched her nose and looked to her son for an answer.

Jaken spoke up when it became apparent Sesshomaru was not going to answer. "M'lady, that is the smell of medicinces and, um, decay." He cut his eyes to the side in a glance at his lord before continuing. "You see, Rin has been de-". Sesshomaru growled before the word even fully left Jaken's mouth, and the toad hurried to correct his mistake. "-unwell since the sun was high in the sky. She passed before the sun set. And her, uh, body has been in her bed all this time. Plus, some of the servants were slai-punished by Lord Sesshomaru when Rin became, um, quiet. So there are the rotting remains of them as well."

Lady Mother didn't make any comments, correctly inferring to do so would result in her son's formidable wrath. Normally, such a threat would mean nothing. But considering how foul of a mood Sesshomaru was in, even she did not dare to take any chances.

After climbing the ridicuously lenghty stairs, the three finally reached the room where Rin's corpse laid. Sesshomaru gently opened the door and made his way over to the bedside. He dropped into the chair near the bed and wrapped Rin's cold hand in his. The inu demon turned his full attention on his lifeless mate, silently praying that his mother could bring her back. If she didn't, there was only one option. He didn't particularly relish the idea, but he didn't want to live the next several centuries waiting, hoping for the slim chance that Rin would be reincarnated in his lifetime. Even if that happened, the chance that he would find her was equally slim.

So, that left him one choice.

Suicide.

Bun bun bunnnnnnn...Yeah, I said it. Well, typed it. Actually, Sesshomaru thought it.

Alot doesn't happen in these chapters. But the next couple of chapters will have some kinda supernatural stuff in 'em, so there's that to look forward to. If you have watched InuYasha: Final Act (which can be watched with the English subtitles on ), you'll know what I'm talking about when they 'went to the demonic other dimension'. I'm not saying you have to watch the episodes (there's only 26, so it's not like it'll take a while to watch them!) to know what I'm gonna be talking about, but it would help a little bit. Not in a very noticeable way though. So whatever...

Also, if anyone can tell me what they called the underworld place, that would be awesome. Is it the otherworld? The underworld? Hell? What? 'Cause I have no clue. Thanks!