Rin pulled herself upright as Uka transformed back into his watery form beside her. She felt bad that she was so weak but at least from here she wouldn't get in Lord Sesshomaru's way. She just wished she didn't feel so worried about

Him; would he be able to fight the Ice spirit?

"Don't worry….your man is strong," Uka stated easing her fear for Sesshomaru slightly before she mentally froze.

"My man?" she asked confused. Uka's watery form nodded to her, "You two….seem so closely bonded," was his only answer.

Rin held back any further questions as she turned to take in the castle since now she had time to actually look. It was made completely of ice from the inside as well as the outside. The walls had indents in them a foot a part, the ice was so thick thought that you couldn't see through it to the ocean. Her main concern wasn't the ocean though; it was to find the stone of the ice spirit.

"It has to be here somewhere," she stated before her eyes were met with a small table like thing sitting right in front of her. Around the table structure icicles climbed up until they curved to meet one another creating a cage-like thing. And inside was the treasure, the ice stone lay completely protected by the icicles. Rin tried squeezing her hand inside but just as her fingers poked through the icicles started to move closer together. She withdrew her hand quickly before they would've been smashed. The icicles moved so close together that she couldn't see the stone any longer.

"Now how am I going to get it?" she asked impatiently as Otaku came to hover over her.

"The ice spirit is the only one who can control what happens to her stone, the only way to get it would be for her to be too weak to keep the security up," he stated as Rin plopped down on the icy floor.

"So basically, it's all up to Lord Sesshomaru if we can get this stone or not…" Rin replied as Otaku hovered closer and fell into her lap. He didn't utter a word but she assumed she was right. She just hoped Lord Sesshomaru could defeat the ice spirit.

Sesshomaru had sprung out of the water and was flying with Rain's wings as he kept a close distance with the ice spirit. It was heading towards the town just a couple miles a head. He had to change its course somehow. Deciding only attacking would do anything at all he swooped down and grasped her icy form with his right claw cutting it straight down her side.

His lips pulled up in a sneer when she turned on him and sprang out of the water trying to grasp for him with her fangs. He flew out of the way as she fell back into the water with a loud splash made by her enormous body. Luckily she didn't turn around to go in her intended path but was swimming in the opposite way. At least now the town was safe of any harm.

"She must be heading towards her castle," Rain whispered in Sesshomaru's mind, Sesshomaru silently agreed since she was injured and only ice could heal her. Both were surprised when they saw her slither up onto a nearby island, it was small and full of rocks and sand. Hardly a place where she could heal herself. Suddenly the spirit rose up and opened her mouth as what looked like ice came shooting out of it onto the ground instantly freezing everything over.

Sesshomaru felt his lips pull up in a sneer as he caught onto what she was doing; she was going to use the whole island as her healing place.

"We have to melt it down," Rain ordered as Sesshomaru growled before flapping Rain's wings taking him closer to the island. He arrived in little over a minute as he landed but lost his footing due to the ice and fell on his belly. Ice really wasn't his thing when it came to landing smoothly.

"Can you defeat me on my own element when you can't even stand?" the spirit asked with glee in her voice. Sesshomaru growled in return and slowly tried to stand but again failed in his attempt.

"I'll take care of this," Tya stated triumphantly before shoot flames out as it licked at the ice melting away a patch near Sesshomaru's paws. He gratefully jumped in it and stood his ground.

The ice spirit only smirked at them before opening her mouth, sending icicles his way, they trapped his feet, they were completely iced over as Sesshomaru found he was stuck. What was worse was that he was getting tired, mainly of keeping Rain's form on him. He had no idea how long they could stay morphed together but it seemed it was coming down to the wire.

"Sesshomaru you must stay strong, she won't be defeated if we are separated," Rain whispered in hopes to keep his spirits high enough to keep him holding on. Tya stared up at the dog/swan demon to see looks of stress come over the dog's face. She could tell he was getting tired.

"Hold on," she instructed as she blew on the ice at Sesshomaru's feet to free him.

"Now fly and carry me," she stated as Sesshomaru did just that holding the deer in his gigantic paws as Rain's wings bought them in midair.

"Mika, you're plan as just been the end for you," Tya stated before letting flames fly out of her mouth near Mika. The spirit slithered quickly in the opposite direction but Tya against shot down flames; it cut off her means of escape that way. She turned to her right but Tya had already sent flames there. When she turned to her left, the exit was blocked as well.

A large ring of fire was around the ice spirit, the flames too strong and high for her to jump over without getting serious burned. Tya was making her way around the island as well melting all the ice that was left.

To Mika's horror the flames were making their way to her as she tried backing up but the flames opposite of her were licking at her tail. She felt her body start to melt; the sound of water hitting the only ice path left was heard. She huddled there in a ball feeling her powers weaken as the fire got closer and closer.

Rin gapped at the table structure when the icicles started to melt before her eyes. "Otaku! Look!" she cried as she stood up, Otaku in her right hand.

"Sesshomaru must be having luck weakening her, thought the icicles melting doesn't seem like a good sign….Quick Rin grab for the stone and give it to me," he ordered as Rin went wearily for it, in case the icicles tried to squash her hand again. Luckily it didn't, even the barrier wasn't there. The ice spirit must be really weak she thought as she grasped the stone and nearly gasped when she felt her hand beginning to freeze.

"Hurry Rin, before the stone becomes a part of you!" Otaku cried out as Rin shoved the stone into the last hole on Otaku's scabbard. Rin's hand began to warm as the four stones began to glow. It was done, all the stones were together.

Sesshomaru only stared at the sight he was seeing now; Mika was just about to be engulfed by the flames but was disappearing.

"She's not melting," Tya answered his unsaid question, "Rin must've gotten the stone into Otaku in time. She is safely secure for now, boy is she going to be a rough roommate," Tya sighed. Sesshomaru heard Rain chuckle lightly in his head, a moment later Sesshomaru was on the ground. In his human form, Rain was seated beside him with his wings bent and he looked rather pleased.

"It's nice to have my own body back," Rain stated before he too began to disappear.

"You must get back to Rin, we are all getting gathered together," Tya warned as Sesshomaru turned back into a dog demon and jumped into the water. Tya disappeared when Sesshomaru came up for air.

Rin fell on her butt stunned. All four stones, finally together, the light show ended as quickly as it started the fire stone the last to stop.

"We have done it," Otaku murmured.

"Yes," was Rin's only reply, what else was there to say?

They sat there in silence until Sesshomaru emerged in his dog form and stared down at Rin, waiting.

"Where do we go now?"