REVAMPED

Okay then here's the next chapter and I really do apologize for taking so long to update. First it was because of Fanfiction's recent difficulties and later because I just had to start my other story before I lost my idea. I have yet another story to type but that can come later.

Okay then.

Thanks to: New Fan, anhimals, Tejas (nice to meet you) and Galandria the Vampire queen (another special thanks to you as well).

Disclaimer: I own nothink, I came up with nothink, and I'm a penniless nothink so don't sue or you'll get nothink.

(Stupid? I know but that's the way it goes.)

A HEADS UP: This chapter might be a little confusing but rest assured, all questions will be answered by the end of this fic. I know you might have a few questions so I'll answer a couple for you here.

Are Souta, Kikyou, and Kagome related? And why is that?

- Yes, they are all siblings by blood with Souta being the youngest and Kikyou being the oldest. I made changes to the relationships because you can't really have Kikyou without her having some sort of deep connection to Kagome. In accord with the title and theme of the story I've decided to give them a "tie" via blood relations.

What is up with Kikyo?

-I didn't want an evil Kikyou who's evil for no reason, as a lot of AU's tend to portray her. No, she is not schizophrenic. No, she wasn't always what she is in this particular part of my fic. And yes, I will eventually explain what is going on with her.

Another note:

When Sesshoumaru or anyone else is thinking I will use regular italics such as the example 'La-dee-da'. When it is his or someone else's youki its going to be in bold-italics such as this 'La-dee-da'. I am treating his youki (youkai energy) as that little voice that people so often use to, either, reason with themselves or bring up truths that he/she would rather deny. Sesshy isn't Schitzo either. And yes, s

Ties of Blood

Chapter 4

Property

'Fire is so beautiful,' Kikyou thought as she walked through the inferno.

The twisted way in which the flames rose, almost as if they were dancing, fascinated her. A small frightened part of her mind told her that a miko, such as herself, had no business enjoying such destruction - such glorious, beautiful destruction.

It was most definitely the doing of a youkai, more than likely the same one whose presence had called her to this side a town. It was also likely that the blaze was in retaliation to the acquisition of her newest pet. The oh-so-beautiful Taiyoukai, that she would enjoy breaking. She licked her lips in sweet anticipation. And again that small part of her mind warned her that this pleasure she derived from the thought of torturing and killing another living thing – even a youkai – was not right. It was impure.

She was tainted.

As she hesitated amidst the flames, a memory surfaced from the gaping hole where her past resided.

"I can't wait until we get back home. Mother and father will be so happy once we've completed out training," Kagome turned and gave her a warm smile, "What do you want to do when we get back?"

'Kagome,' she thought that name and felt the darkness rooted deep inside of her body retreat for a moment.

Slowly she turned, a look of confusion on her face as she mentally repeated her fellow miko's name. East was the direction she needed to take, not west. Not towards home. Home wasn't where she wanted to be. No, home was a place she never wanted to return to, but she did want to see Kagome. She did want to see her little Kagome. She took a step towards the Daimyo's residence and paused, turning that name over and over again in her head.

'Kagome… Kagome, Kagome, Kagome… Who is Kagome? Kagome is my sister. My little, little sister who looks up to me. And I left her alone to watch a youkai.' She felt a brief surge of panic and took another step forward, but the darkness was there. It clawed its way around her insides and twined itself about her heart…and she could feel her.

The Kikyou who wasn't Kikyou.

The person who had been conceived by the taint in her power.

That other Kikyou was screaming at her, telling her to forget her sister. To forget her family and enjoy the destruction she could bring because of the increase in her powers.

It took effort, so much effort, to push the voice down and continue on towards the Daimyo's home. She had been so distracted by the presence of the free-roaming youkai who started the fire, that she hadn't noticed the return of a fair amount of her power. And not just any power, no, it was power that she had specifically used to seal a certain taiyoukai in a cage. It could only mean that her prize had found some way to escape and was now on the loose. Her sister would not be safe.

Full lips pressed themselves into a tight line and she called power to herself, sighing at the pleasure it brought and wincing as more of the "taint" flowed into her body along with the power. Manipulating the energy so that it strengthened her limbs, she put on a burst of speed and began to run far faster than any human could without her particular gifts.

She needed to make it back in time to help Kagome before her personality was absorbed into the darkness within her once more.

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"Jaken-Sama, our lord approaches bearing one other," the youkai, a minor fox, said. Jaken nodded before waving his Staff of Heads and causing fire to spew from the man's mouth.

"That is good news, Shouhei," he replied, "I'll finish up here. You take the rest and head back."

"Yes," the fox squeaked out before scampering off.

The toad youkai was beyond angry with the humans in this city for humiliating his lord and master. He wanted to make sure that every one of them - whether man, woman, or child - felt his burning anger at them. The youkai knew his lord well enough to know that it was what he would want as well for having his pride slighted by these lesser beings.

'Annoying worms. Worthless trash,' he thought, his almost non-existent lips tightening. He was more than ready for his lord to wipe them out of existence.

His ears picked up the sounds of someone moving his way and he paused in his destruction - knowing who it was thanks to the fox youkai. Ceasing the stream of fire from his staff for a moment, he took a sniff of the air and frowned. His master was returning, which was good, but he came with a…a human, which was bad – very bad. He swiveled his head about, searching for his master with his large yellow eyes and wondering what his lord could possibly be thinking to bring yet another human with him.

Never would he forget that day, two years ago, when Sesshoumaru-Sama strode into his castle with a disheveled human man in tow. Being the loyal servant that he was, Jaken hadn't questioned the human's presence but he didn't like it, not one bit. Bringing a human into a youkai dwelling was unheard of – well almost unheard of – and he had shuddered to think of Sesshoumaru facing the same troubles that his father had. Touga - the previous Inutaisho and Sesshoumaru's father had created a host of problems by bringing his human wife to stay in his home. And many a servant had whispered behind closed doors that Sesshoumaru was following in his father's footsteps by letting the human live in his home. They weren't lovers, of course, but there had been unpleasant rumors circulating around nonetheless.

It had gotten so bad that Jaken wondered if the day would come when Sesshoumaru's retainers would brand him as hypocrite and rebel. He shuddered, closing his large eyes in apprehension. Naturally, he planned to remain loyal to his lord to the end but he did not relish the thought of his master repeating his mistake. And what else could it have been – his bringing that Souta-creature to the palace – but a mistake? Just look where it had landed him. Captured and paraded about town in a cage – he knew because he'd watched it all from afar, atop a hill – because his pet human had decided that it would be good for Sesshoumaru to meet his family.

Deep down, though he refused to admit it, he was more bothered by the thought that the human might have replaced him as Sesshoumaru's confidante. Jaken had known the taiyoukai for more than half of two hundred years (the inu-youkai's age, not his) and he hated the thought of anyone seeking to usurp his position as advisor. He was the young master's family and he personally felt that the taiyoukai didn't need any more than what he could provide. To this day, it still rankled when he remembered the human's words to him when he'd confronted the man about corrupting his lord.

"I can no more corrupt your lord than you can tell him what to do. I do not know what youkai consider as normal, but I know loneliness when I see it. It would take more than you and I to make him happy," the human had said, his brown eyes wise.

It wouldn't have been so bad if the toad youkai hadn't known, in some part of his being, that the human was right. His lord needed something that he couldn't provide and he had been trying to figure out what it was ever since that fateful conversation. 'Ah, Sesshoumaru-Sama, what am I to do?' he mused to himself as soft footfalls sounded behind him.

He turned, knowing that his lord had sniffed him out at last, and bowed deeply.

"Welcome back, Sesshoumaru-Sama," he said, not yet daring to meet his master's eye.

Instead of his lord responding, a small squeak of shock reached his ears - a female squeak - and he hastily looked up. A girl – a human girl - was sitting there on the ground in front of Sesshoumaru-Sama's feet, having obviously been dumped there unceremoniously. Her brown eyes flashed as she scrambled to her feet, one tiny hand going to her injured derriere.

To the toad's horror, she marched herself up to his lord and hissed out angrily, "What was that for you jerk?!"

Jaken was hard pressed to contain his consternation at: (1) seeing his master arriving with this obviously uncouth human child and (2) the youkai prince's nonchalance about being called names. At second glance, though, he did notice the slight tightening around Sesshoumaru-Sama's mouth. This impertinent little human was playing with fire.

His yellow eye went back and forth between the two, who simply stared at each other, ignoring him completely and he found him horror transforming into annoyance. Why hadn't they at least acknowledged his presence yet?

Deciding to speak up, he fixed baleful eyes on the girl as he addressed Sesshoumaru, "My lord, what is this beast doing here in your presence? Do you wish me to remove her?" Naturally, he was curious as to why his lord hadn't reacted to her insult but he was more than ready to avenge the slight against him if need be.

He was taken aback completely when the girl whirled on him and stomped her way in his direction, her face fixed in a terrifying expression of anger.

"Beast? BEAST?! Do not put me in the same category as a toad like yourself," the bedraggled girl spat, her eyes burning with a fury that reminded him, oddly enough, of his lord when he was in one of his moods.

Shaking off his initial shock, he drew himself up to his full two and a half feet and squeaked out, "I'm quite proud to be a toad. Better a toad than a filthy, lying human."

Her eyes narrowed and she drew her foot back in a clear warning as she hissed, "Do you wish to settle this with a fight, toad?"

"Foolish girl," he growled, yellow eyes flashing murder and he shifted his grip on the staff, preparing it to incinerate this idiot child for daring to talk to him like this.

No one was more shocked than he - except for the girl, perhaps – when his lord's deep voice broke into their heated exchange with a threat, "Do that, Jaken and I will kill you where you stand." The toad youkai turned to stare at his lord, his tiny mouth agape.

"My…my lord," he sputtered out, "surely you jest?"

Golden eyes narrowed and the tightness around Sesshoumaru's mouth returned as he replied with a low, dangerous growl, "Since when have I been the sort to make jokes, Jaken?"

Logic kicked in and he realize that he was treading on very dangerous ground. The tiny youkai reprimanded himself mentally for getting upset over a silly child at his age. He turned his back contemptuously on the girl and did obeisance to Sesshoumaru as he said mildly, "I beg your forgiveness, my lord, this Jaken did not intend to offend you. Punish me as you see fit."

"I will allow it to pass this time. For now I want you to guide this girl to the forest, about three miles to the west. I will join you shortly."

Sesshoumaru-Sama wanted to leave him with this girl? This violent, uncouth girl? He felt a surge of panic and he couldn't stop the words from coming out, "B…But Sesshoumaru-Sama, where will you go? This Jaken has been awaiting your return for some time and now you will leave him again?"

"Do you question me?" the words were soft but the threat was obvious and Jaken shuddered before bowing low yet again.

"Of course not, Sesshoumaru-Sama. Your humble servant merely wished to gain some idea of how long he would be waiting for your return this time."

The taiyoukai merely gave him a look – as if he knew that there was more to his question than that. However, his eyes left the toad and drifted over to catch those of the girl before he spoke his next words.

"If you truly desire to know how long I will be gone, Jaken," he didn't take his eyes off of her as he made his reply, "perhaps I can satisfy you in this. I will be gone for as long as it takes to teach the humans in this paltry town a lesson."

The look in his lord's eyes promised death to any and everything that breathed in this town and he was glad that he wasn't in their shoes. The toad looked over at the girl and noted that – while her face was still set in a stubborn expression – her skin had paled. He smiled at that. 'Good, the little wench should be scared. She obviously needs to learn what it means to fear the greatest youkai ever born.'

"As you wish my lord," was what he said out loud.

"Excuse me, but don't I get a say in what happens to me?" the girl broke in. Her voice wasn't quite as strong as it had been before but it was obvious that she was stubborn. Even Jaken would never think to push his lord so far.

"I do not like this toad – I don't even know him," she continued, "- and I have to see if my family is well…"

"If they have not died from Jaken's fire, there is still little point in you searching for them," Sesshoumaru cut her off,"Your brother thrust you upon me without fully repaying his debt. You belong to me until it is paid."

"Debt?! What debt? And who are you to stake any sort of claim on me when I risked my life to set you free?"

"Oh? As I recall you came to set your brother free and you would have left me if he hadn't insisted that I be freed first. Do not twist the situation, Rin," her name sounded mocking on his tongue.

"Besides, your brother was my property as far as I am concerned because I allowed him to live when I would have ended his existence. He swore his life to me and I had every right to kill him for leading me into a trap – whether, he knew of it or not. I and all that I stand for have been mocked and I was fully prepared to take his life once I was free but he entrusted you to me. Perhaps he did not intend you to be his replacement but that matters not to me. You are here and he is not. By all rights I should end your short, miserable, human life in his stead but…"

"But…?" she repeated, her voice hushed.

"But, you are…interesting. You are different from most of your kind and I gave my word to keep you safe until I left this town. I am inclined to be lenient, even after we leave, provided you learn your place."

"My place?" it was obvious that she dreaded what that statement meant.

"Yes, your place. You belong to me in your brother's stead and it will remain so until I either grow bored of you or your brother returns."

"And what will happen if you tire of me?"

"You die," he replied simply and she shivered.

"And, if my brother should return."

"He dies."

"You would be so cruel, Sesshoumaru-Sama?" she asked, just a spark of her original fire in her tone.

"Youkai are cruel. It is a lesson that you must learn if you want to live long. I am your lord and master, child, it is a position that carries a weight of its own. You will obey me if you value your worthless life. Or would you prefer to stay and face my ire when I reap vengeance upon this city?"

"No," she bent her head and dropped her voice a few octaves," I would rather live."

"Look at me when you speak, girl."

Sesshoumaru could smell the girl's scent as it spiked in anger. "It's Rin," she muttered.

His eyes narrowed into slits, "Your name is unimportant."

Her eyes head snapped up and she glared at him, "Then I will not obey. We've gone over this before. I know that you can kill me but I've spent six years pretending to be someone else - just to please my father. You said that you would indulge me in this, but it would seem that, perhaps, you cannot keep your word as well as you thought. Why should I listen to someone who cannot remember who I am, only what I am?"

"My possessions do not need names."

"You didn't answer the question."

A low growl escaped his lips and he said quietly," Because you are weak, weak and inferior."

"And what determines that?"

"Our blood does."

"Blood is unimportant."

A second passed in which they stared at each other, the light from the fire illuminating eyes that were so very similar in their determination not to give in to the other.

"I should kill you," he muttered darkly at long last.

"I would really appreciate it if you wouldn't," she replied, her face serious. Her eyes, however, were very much alive with a plethora of emotions – foremost of which was a silent imploration that he give way in this one thing.

For whatever reason, Sesshoumaru remembered her brother speaking to him about her. About, how Rin was the best thing that had ever happened to him. How Rin was very loyal to the people she liked. How Rin could give him a smile that would make him feel as if all was well with the world. His curiosity was piqued.

What would it be like to be on the receiving end of one of those smiles?

What would it be like to have her loyalty?

What would it be like to have her trust?

The thoughts kept turning themselves around again and again in his head until he snorted and turned his back on her, dismissing the urge to punish her for her insubordination.

"What foolishness," he said.

He supposed that since there really wasn't much to lose by using her name, he would stick to his original decision and indulge her. It most definitely wasn't because the use of her name was obviously important to her. No, not at all.

'You lose to her this time,' his youki snickered - it had always taken a perverse delight in seeing him flustered.

'I will teach her who is master,' he told the voice.

'Liar,' came the reply.

He refused to glance back before moving into the embrace of the flames. There was work for him to do.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

'That was interesting,' Rin thought as she followed Jaken. They wove their way through the burning buildings and she did her very best to ignore the irritated glances he threw her way whenever she stumbled over a non-existent rock and nearly fell.

She hadn't meant to make Sesshoumaru angry with her but it was burning her up inside - just like these flames consumed the buildings around her - to have him acknowledge her. It hurt to think that such a strong, beautiful, and proud creature like him hated her for no other reason than because she was a human.

BuT…who was this Rin, really? Where was this fountain of strength coming from? It made her feel like a caterpillar that had morphed, just within the past few hours into a butterfly. Or perhaps she had simply been waiting since Souta nii-san left to be herself.

Whatever the reason, she was glad that Sesshoumaru hadn't killed her for being stubborn – it said something very positive about his character. In fact, she anticipated seeing him again because he was unlike anything or anyone she'd ever encountered. 'What surprise does he have in store for me next,' she mused to herself.

A distant roar brought her out of her thought and she felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand up. Stopping, she craned her neck to look in the direction of the sound and shuddered at what she saw. Something large and white was standing where the blaze met the darkness of the night sky.

Looking down, her wide eyes met those of the toad youkai and the grin he gave her was equal parts smug and vicious.

"Does it frighten you, human?" he said in his squeaky voice. Just to be perverse - because it rankled for him to see her fear - she compressed her lips and shook her head.

"Well, it should. Look long and look hard human, because that being up there is none other than Sesshoumaru-Sama, your new lord"

"Wh…what?!" her eyes snapped back to the figure. She had the eerie feeling that the beast, no. Sesshoumaru was looking at her. And gathering up her courage, she held her head high and stared back, even though she wasn't sure of the exact location of his eyes.

A loud bark sounded before the massive figure took to the air and disappeared into the distance, leaving the two of them to stare after it. The tiny youkai and the human girl exchanged a look before turning and heading towards the western town gate.

Maybe it was just Rin's imagination but she could have sworn that the inu-youkai had just laughed at her.

'As if,' she thought. She'd be well in her grave before the stoic youkai cracked a smile, let alone laughed.

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Well here we go. I hope I did set a little more tone this time. As always, please read and review.