A/N: Thank you so much for the comments and follows, they are most rewarding... I feel pleased by the outcome, I hope you are equally pleased by how the story continues... please ENJOY!

Disclaimer: See chapter 1

CHAPTER 2

The Power I hold

.

Morning had been spent with her showing him her latest discoveries in matter of herbs, the new weapons she had constructed with the help of a demon slayer and the new tune she was able to play on the flute Kagome had given her, she was so agile with the thing she was capable of imitating the tune of several different birds and was proudly showing her lord what she had mastered as of late. After she ate lunch in his company they marched towards the river as usual but this time she wasn't running free, admiring the nature around her as if it were the first time she had seen such magnificence, no, instead this time she was walking beside him, slightly behind him with her eyes on the ground and a soft blush crossing her face in a lovely way.

She had changed so much it was surprising, he could clearly see the same child he had taken care of inside her big brown eyes and childish smile yet the rest belonged to someone else entirely. Her yukata no longer hanged loosely over her body, instead the sash was firmly tied around her narrow waist and the fabric showed in detail the roundness of her growing breasts and it clung seductively to the curves of her hips, her skin was slightly tan from living outdoors, her big brown eyes now would darken every time she blushed as if hinting of the thoughts crossing her young mind and her lips… he had been looking at them for long as she played her flute and talked and ate admiring the way the tan color of her skin melted into the soft pink of those luscious lips and she would wet them with her tongue and they would glisten like a jewel or a ripe fruit ready for the first bite. Oh… he had too much time on his hands, enough to ponder a hundred times on how would those lips taste; enough time to consider how he would like to taste them and he had caught himself right before he had moved in dreams from his lips to her long neck; she had become a temptress to any man willing… and even a very unwilling taiyoukai.

Because of course… she was a human, he was naturally unwilling.

"Sesshomaru-sama… next time we meet will be in summer, could you bring Ah-Un so we can play a little?"

An image of what games he would be willing to play with her crossed his mind in a flash yet he showed nothing as he directed his eyes at her.

"Rin" he called and she looked up at him from her place beside him "This Sesshomaru has heard you have been rejecting marriage proposals from the humans in your village and other villages"

She was taken aback by the answer to her question and when realization of the topic hit her she pouted and looked away. Again those reactions of her were tempting and Sesshomaru had to struggle to ignore the disturbing thoughts her lips provoked inside him to focus on the task at hand, it would do no good to please the girl and let her live her life the way she pleased.

"You will choose one by the time I visit again Rin, this Sesshomaru is not always here to care for you neither will you remain a child forever to be taken care of by the miko" His words came out empty of value from his lips, he knew well enough that for a human she was more than capable of taking care of herself in anyway and he knew he would come for her whenever she needed him… but the human woman now taking care of her had insisted it was for the best and she knew more of humans than he did.

"This Rin does not want to be married" she blurted out the moment they reached the river and Sesshomaru could not help his surprise move his eyebrows slightly up which didn't go unnoticed by the girl. "They do not interest me my lord, I would be most unhappy if I were to marry any of them"

He moved from the river bend to his customary tree were he sat down and motioned her with his hand to sit down beside him which she reluctantly did. Once she was at his left she looked down at her hands in her lap waiting for the order she was sure would follow.

"Did this Sesshomaru not order you to consider the proposals handed to you years ago?"

Anxious and uncomfortable, the girl answered still looking down at her hands. "Yes, my lord"

"Did you not tell this Sesshomaru about some of those humans you found… acceptable?" the word had to be pushed out of his lips and he felt extremely repulsed by the idea, as he had been to listen to her constant babbling about those kids a few years back when he had ordered her to do so.

"Yes" she answered again.

"Then, do you not find them acceptable anymore, Rin?" His tone showed something else that made her eyes look up at him and she shivered slightly before she answered him.

"Yes?" it was barely a whisper yet his keen ears picked the soft sound as it left her lips.

Lost in a small trance he remembered when he had had that talk with the human woman Kagome and she had asked of him to insist the girl talked to those boys and it had been his rejection of the feeling starting to come alive inside him that had made him demand of the child such a thing. He had regretted it time and time again whenever she would talk about those humans but with time it had become a moment more between them, they seem to held little importance in the life of his ward so he had come to find peace again in the sweet voice and the gentle rhythm of her tales. It had been after the death of her guardian Kaede that she had stopped talking about the damned humans completely and he had not given them a second thought. They were of no importance to her life after and all their lives had continued on easily as always, then again…. when life had been so easy to live when the human girl was involved?

Kagome had taken Rin under her wings without a second thought and it was after a year of mourning that his half brother's wife had decided to start pestering Sesshomaru again with her incessant demands of parenting advice for his ward. She insisted she was now officially of age and had to be wed soon or the proposals would stop under suspicion of her relationship with her guardian who religiously came to visit her, taking her away from the safeguard of the village to wonder together the depths of Inuyasha's forest.

"Is there someone you are interested in?" he asked in his usual monotone yet something powerful was upsetting the rhythm of his heart making his energy feel sort of edgy.

"I… well… that's not why" she looked shyly down at her hands over her lap.

"Answer me Rin" his voice was demanding and knowing better the girl hastily answered.

"There is someone I already like… but that's not why I rejected the others… I mean, he's not really… not directly the reason why…"

"Explain yourself" what in Kami-sama's named pushed him to ask he didn't know but it felt as if her answer had also the answer to his uneasiness around the girl.

"He does not love me back my lord…" her voice was now sad and something inside him told him that this knowledge affected her more than she let on, yet it was not the answer he had been expecting… although he wasn't sure what he had been expecting at all.

"Rin" he paused a moment as she turned her eyes to look at him "If you wish for this Sesshomaru to… persuade the object of your interest" again his words were coming against his will.

"Ooh… no Sesshomaru-sama, you do not have to trouble yourself with something so unimportant"

"It is of no inconvenience"

Why wouldn't he shut up?!

"Ah… well, I'm afraid it wouldn't help either way"

"And why is that?"

Hell

"If he does not love me back on his own… then I do not wish to be his wife"

Sesshomaru stared at the young human beside him wondering for a moment why this made him feel even more uncomfortable. When an epiphany came to his mind turning everything into an empty void… His time in the company of this girl was coming to an end.

"If you do not wish to marry then, what do you wish to do?"

"I want to travel with you again my lord… there's nothing I would love more than to be in your company as I used to be"

"Hn"

His answer didn't seem to please her but she decided to smile this time pushing the sadness in her eyes away for the rest of their time together that day, which was already coming to a conclusion.

"Sesshomaru-sama… next time you come will be this Rin's 16th birthday and Kagome-neesan said it is an important age for a girl and I was wondering if you could honor me with your presence at the celebration… just that time… just once"

Every year the miko celebrated Rin's birthday by throwing a banquet of sorts in the village they lived in and many of her friends who also fought against Naraku came to visit with presents for his ward, yet never had he participated in the event, he considered himself beyond such things and was most displeased by the way the event seemed to take away Rin's time with him every year. Not only it bothered him but also turned his next encounter with the child slightly more uncomfortable; she would always look at him with some kind of expectation, like hoping for something to happen, yet he would only command her to follow as they walked to their spot near the river and there he would present her with a gift.

Anything he had gotten for the girl. Jewelry, beautiful kimonos, shoes, haoris, expensive bathing items such as perfumes and herbal extracts, he prided himself in the quality of each and every one of his presents and he knew, despite the disappointment in the girls eyes, that she liked the presents as well, after all, he would usually found her wearing them whenever he "watched" her.

Looking at the expectant eyes of the girl he saw once again the hope in those beautiful orbs and this time was unable to deny her the answer she was expecting, so he nodded with a small movement of his head and sensing the colors around them were shifting slowly to darker shades he moved to stand in order to go back to the village where he would leave her.

This time thought they walked back in silence.

This time she was not smiling like she usually did.

Something in the back of his mind told him she already knew the reality of what was going to happen yet she was actively trying to hide her knowledge. He felt himself getting angrier by the minute. Then the lights of the village appeared in front of them in between the tall trees and he saw the unwavering figure of Rin's surrogate mother.

The girl turned around to face the youkai lord and smiled one of her sweetest smiles causing his eyes to darken only slightly.

"Sesshomaru-sama… this Rin will be waiting for your visit and will make sure to prepare everything to share your company on this Rin's birthday."

He merely stared at her and again moved his head in accent. So the girl skipped merrily towards the shadow that was patiently waiting for her and after the casual salutations they moved together towards their home. It was then that his half brother decided to jump beside him from a nearby tree.

"Still coming to visit brother?" he sneakered but earned no reply from the taiyoukai as he continued to look in the direction Rin had left.

"You know you could really take her if that's what you want" his tone of voice betrayed nothing and something inside Sesshomaru stirred painfully.

"She does not wish to marry and you are to indulge her"

Sesshomaru's answer did not please the other but surprised him since it wasn't expected and after a moment the elder heard him mock him with his classic "che". For some reason he continued to talk as if to explain himself even thought he considered he had no reason why to explain his actions or decision to a lowly hanyo.

"This Sesshomaru will not intervene any longer in matters such as those"

"Suit yourself… it is her life after all, if she doesn't want to marry I couldn't care less"

Sesshomaru could feel the untruth in his words but said nothing about it.

"You are to treat her well and take care of her until she no longer desires so from you"

This time Inuyasha had to breathe and repeat mantra-like between teeth the words Kagome had so annoyingly drilled into his head. The taiyoukai was everything and anything the half blood needed as an excused to draw the Tetsusaiga and enjoy a good fight, but he betted the little human had ordered the weakling to deliver the message in peace. Ridiculous creature his brother… totally laughable, if he ever laughed, but also convenient, the woman was his weakness so he would not fight him tonight.

"Do you plan to come back?" the question hanged in the air for what seemed like hours as the demon turned to leave the village and the heavy scent of humans that surrounded it.

Instead of answering Sesshomaru turned his head around to direct his eyes at Inuyasha expecting to drill his classical cold stare into Inuyasha's and thought to have done so as the hanyo placed a retreating step unconsciously while an expression of wariness and precaution slid over his face.

Then, the lord of the western lands left… and he never returned.

Back when his father was alive, Sesshomaru used to go patrolling with him on a monthly basis, to learn what would become his responsibility once the dog general left the world of the living. He had soaked up on every moment spent together, trying desperately to learn his father's ways and to absorb the knowledge he had on how to rule the lands and more importantly he had observed the taiyoukai during countless battles to discover the secrets of his power.

He thought he had learned it all.

He actually thought that the now Lord of the Western Lands; Sesshomaru had finally surpassed his father as he had been able to rule the lands while traveling further and further away from his palace without receiving any threats from other youkais. Not to mention defeating foes easier than his father ever did.

He was strong, the strongest among all youkais.

Or so he thought.

The witch of the eastern forest as many knew her was a human woman of around 700 years who his father fought back in Sesshomaru's younger years and was said to possess a power beyond imagination. He had accompanied his father through the heavy foliage and had to fight many different kinds of youkai, some came to strip the witch from her power or prove their strength against her and others came to destroy the witch for heresy or something around those lines. The powerful Inutaisho had other plans but he had visited the forest like the others none the less. He merely wished the bloodshed to stop and in the end entered the center of the forest and the witches dwelling place alone.

Sesshomaru remembered little of what happened in between but in the end his father came outside bearing the news of the witch's demise which the young youkai had believed.

Now Sesshomaru was traveling back to said forest after the Lord of the Eastern Lands had requested his aid in calming the wrath of the witch, who was, once again taking the lives of humans and youkais entering her domains with little importance of the reason they trespassed.

Flying through the dark night sky the great taiyoukai growled in annoyance. His father should have disposed of the witch when he had had the opportunity but instead left her to live enough to forget who had spared her life once, yet he was not to commit the same mistake and while he believed little of the claims about her 'extraordinary' powers he was most interested in the fact of her long life. He remembered she was already old for human standards when his father fought against her yet the description his father had given was that of a fair young maiden with long black hair and even darker eyes, he had mention she was pale as a ghost yet was pretty much alive. Humans didn't live that long so the taiyoukai was most interested in such a secret for a long and youthful life.

The reason why… the lord was ignoring effectively.

Again the face of a certain young and beautiful human girl came to his mind and his stoic expression wavered only slightly. In Sesshomaru's standards that was quite enough to be worried. The taiyoukai barely ever showed any change in his emotional façade yet there he was feeling uncomfortable with the knowledge of his dreams about the raven haired girl, especially now that the reminiscing had extended to his waking hours as well.

He missed her.

He could tell that was a fact. It was already 5 years since the last time he had seen her and was becoming restless with the way he was reminded of what he missed almost every night. He had been living without the presence of the girl for long enough to be without the necessity of the calm her voice produced, or the joy he felt hearing her laugh, or watching her dance…

NO! He screamed internally, he definitely didn't miss her one bit.

Yet again… those dreams.

The witch was a problem he had to deal tonight he decided, he had wanted to take a long trip for quite some time to take a breather from his duties at the palace so a visit to his brother might be what he needed, just to check if the girl was still alive and well. He had been almost a father figure for so long, his dreams could very well be a reminder of his responsibilities towards his human ward and he could fix that just by taking a peek at the girl through the forest where his half brother lived.

Course of action decided he returned his thoughts to the witch he had to deal with that night… although, not for long…

"Sesshomaru-sama… is this Rin weird?"

Said demon was resting against a tree with his eyes closed when he heard the quiet voice of his ward.

"Why do you ask such a question?"

The girl fidgeted in her place in front of him and he could feel the movement of the fabric and her breathing. She was angry.

"Some kids said this Rin was weird because this Rin talks funny and likes Sesshomaru-sama"

Honeyed eyes contemplated the kid of 9 years old and felt proud of how she was slowly becoming a strong, determined human.

"You are different Rin, humans often fear what they do not understand and so they reject it"

"Like Sesshomaru-sama's half brother, Inuyasha?"

This produced an uncomfortable feeling to bubble inside him yet he pushed it aside to consider the girl's approach.

"Yes, they fear hanyos because they do not understand them and so they despise them"

Rin's eyebrows moved forming a quite adorable frown and she pouted her lips in deep thought.

"But Sesshomaru-sama despises Inuyasha... but Sesshomaru-sama does not fear Inuyasha"

The meaning behind her first words angered the demon yet her final explanation of confusion pleased the taiyoukai even more, still… her confusion moved something else inside him… he also seemed to 'despise humans'.

"This Sesshomaru does not despise Inuyasha or humans Rin" he added as to make sure the girl understood what he meant "This Sesshomaru dislikes the half blood's and human's weaknesses"

Rin considered his words for sometime before looking up at him with hope on her eyes.

"Rin is different from humans, is Rin weak like humans?"

Sesshomaru didn't think his answer much before he answered.

"Do you fear hanyos, youkais or creatures that are unknown or seem dangerous to you?"

"Sometimes…"

"Why?"

"Because sometimes they are mean and wish to hurt this Rin, yet sometimes they are not… sometimes they are just afraid, or… different"

"Then you are not weak like humans"

Seemingly pleased with his answer she smiled and went back to playing with the two headed dragon resting beside the river with a flower crown on his head. The demon lord was left again to rest in peace under the shadow of the tree while his thoughts drifted along the lines behind the final understanding of their conversation.

This Sesshomaru does not despise Rin…

The forest was plagued with youkais and humans like before yet they did not seem as weak as he remembered them to be, they were tougher and it took him enough time to reach the center of the forest where the witch was suppose to dwell. There in the center, free of any tree he could see the moon shining above with strength and a dense fog was dropping from the night sky towards where he was standing.

"Witch, show yourself!"

Silence answered him and he grew annoyed.

"I've destroyed those in my way swiftly and almost painlessly, if you wish to be treated the same you will show yourself this instant!"

Again silence answered and he bared his fangs in anger withdrawing the Tokujin sword from his side to place in front of himself. The legend said the witch only presented herself to those who deserved receiving her power enough to fight for it against her and there he was, the most powerful taiyoukai standing the middle of the forest. Was he not powerful enough to deserve defeating her? Had he not surpassed his father?

Aah… the dog general's son… what a pleasure to meet you after so long, I was afraid you would never come.

Her words startled him only slightly before he noticed where it had come from, moving from where he was to swing his swords in a mortal hit to his left only to be met with nothing but the dead trees cut on their base.

Do not destroy my beautiful home young lord, it is not polite.

"You have disobeyed the order of my father to remain harmless inside this forest if you wished to remain here; I have come here to deliver you to hell"

Oh my… I'm afraid you have been misinformed on many accounts young lord, I am not able of leave this forest until my days are taken to the afterlife yet you are not the wilder of such wonderful news… I merely grew bored of waiting for you so I decided to take matters in to my own hands to call for you…

Sesshomaru-sama

Before he could notice the voice spoke against his ear calling his name in a voice he thought he recognized and he had to turn around quickly moving Tokujin to deliver a blow against the wilder of such an eerie voice yet again the edge of the sword touched nothing. In front of him, a few steps away was a human woman of black hair, even darker eyes and a pale white glowing skinl; the witch of the eastern forest.

I told you it is not your place to deliver those news, that's not the reason you've come to me, is it?

Sesshomaru's tense shoulders relaxed and he lowered Tokijin to rest by his side as a smirk grew in his face.

"You are most certainly right witch and wrong at the same time"

Ahh… How so?

"This Sesshomaru has not come only to kill you, yet, this Sesshomaru will kill you"

With that said he launched towards the witch at an incredibly speed moving his sword to point at her stopping at the last minute when he found himself contemplating instead of the dark black eyes of the witch a pair of sweet brown eyes looking at him.

Rin

His expression panicked only for a second before he sank his sword deep into her flesh making her face twist in pain and fall down to the ground in a heap. He smiled then looking at the defeated woman. She most definitely looked like Rin and he knew it had almost worked to deter him from his goal, yet what little discomfort he had felt towards the apparent death of his ward was quickly erased with the victory against the witch.

"So witch, what powers will you give this Sesshomaru, now that I have defeated you"

Sesshomaru-sama… the woman whimpered and Sesshomaru let go of the sword immediately.

That voice…

Sesshomaru-sama, why would you hurt this Rin? What have I done wrong?

The pain in her voice spoke volumes of the sword burning her flesh and insides, for a moment the pain and guilt were back against the youkai when a memory came to his mind and his expression turned cold.

"You are not Rin and even if you were, no one stands between this Sesshomaru and what he wants" her expression turned to one of fear and even greater pain the demon ignored "This Sesshomaru gave you life, this Sesshomaru can take it as well"

Without more he took the sword and pulled it out swiftly pulling more blood out at the same time, earning another pained expression on the woman's face and he smirked in victory… yet, before he could move again a blinding pain entered his head and soon consumed his body taking every color and form around him, leaving him in a blank space full of nothing but the burning torture he felt.

The pain continued like pulling chunks of skin from him, tearing it from his body and breaking every bone. A pain like no other he had felt before.

Your heart knows no love and your mind knows no compassion.

The pain increased in his hands making them feel as if they were burning to ashes from his nails to the insides of his bones.

Inu no Taisho was wrong to speak so highly of his successor since I've seen the ice in his heart and he will not possess my powers or the land that was spared for him.

Now the pain moved towards his stomach and he could feel his insides being burned and torn to pieces.

You have sealed not only your fate but those of others who loved and admired you and so they shall live in misery like me.

Her voice reached him seemingly from far away yet the message reminded him again of big brown eyes looking expectantly at him and her sweet voice came in the form of a whisper.

"I will be waiting for you… Sesshomaru-sama"

Had his search for power taken Rin's life again? Had he made the same mistake his mother had warned him about?

"You have to learn the value of life Sesshomaru and what means to lose someone you love"

Rin… the face of the girl flashed again in his mind and he felt the pain centering around his long forgotten heart.

Then it stopped.

As the pain subsided he found himself lying on the ground immobile, incapable of doing more than breathe in ragged and in sharp pained breaths.

I see… there is still hope for you young lord… she mentioned his title with disdain Since she seems to care for you I shall give you a chance and we will see if someone can very well love this beast you are and melt the ice around your heart… but do not mistake this mercy I show to you as lenience boy for I will give you only a year to succeed in proving yourself to me and in one year time if you have not succeeded I will collect the life I was promised.

And with that the woman disappeared living the taiyoukai alone and still panting over the wet ground.

When had the rain started? He didn't know

Why was he there? He had no clue

Where was he anyway?

Thoughts ran through his head wildly about what he was supposed to be doing and where he was supposed to be when he tried to move and felt how his tired muscles reacted slowly and painfully, managing to help him sort of sit when he noticed something unfamiliar about himself; something he had not noticed until now that he could feel the grass under him and the rain over him and see his limbs supporting him.

He was no longer a youkai, a hanyo or even human.