BOOM!
Rin dove out of the hut she'd been asleep in beforehand just as it exploded, sending the little girl rolling into a nearby firewood pile. Rin gasped as the pain ripped through her hip. She looked up to see snake demons tearing through the village, spitting either fireballs or poison. What was going on? She had just been asleep when she had awoken to screaming and loud crashing sounds.
"RIN!"
She looked up to see Kagome crouch over her and shoot a sacred arrow into a small group of snake demons, purifying them.
"Get out of here, Rin! Find Sesshomaru!"
The little girl didn't understand but she didn't question Kagome's command. She took off, dodging the screaming villagers and flying wood.
"DADDY!"
Rin darted between two huts and just as she left the small alleyway, the hut on her left exploded into flames. The little girl screamed as she felt the left side of her face burn and she fell to the ground. Rin laid there, gasping, and touched her throbbing cheek. That just made it sting a whole lot worse. She saw a pair of feet enter her vision and she looked up to see who it was. It was a snake demon in his human form. He smiled wickidly.
"Well, isn't it a little girl? Useless scum."
He raised his sword and brought it down, aiming for Rin's chest. She rolled out of the way. The demon growled in frustration and just turned the direction of his blade toward Rin once again.
"SESSHOMARU," she screamed. "DADDY!"
The second she screamed his name, he was there. He blocked the sword with his own, his eyes turning a bit red.
"How dare you try to kill my pup?"
His voice was filled with venom and a coldness that made even Rin shiver in terror. He shoved the demon back harshly and cut into the demon's chest with one little movement of his sword, ending the demon's life.
"Daddy! What's going on?"
He opened his mouth as if to answer when a small group of snake demons charged at him. He raised his sword to block their attacks but still looked back at her.
"Rin, get to Hoshi, now!"
Rin was panicked and took off yet again, this time for the woods. She couldn't disobey her father. But what was going on? No one had answered her! She saw demons battling her friends in the fields surrounding the village, trying to avoid having them get into the village. Well, they had failed a bit. Rin didn't notice the blur of red and white streak for her and she yelped as her feet left the ground.
"DADDY!"
Sesshomaru didn't even respond. He just kept running, swinging his sword whenever an unfortunate snake demon was in the way. Rin held on tight to her father. Suddenly, he slammed to a stop in the center of the field and turned to kill a few demon's following him. Rin leaped out of his arms and continued running. He didn't even protest it and fought the demons who tried to get past him to get to her. She could see Kagome and Sango standing back to back, Inuyasha taking out the demons with his "wind scar," and Miroku swinging his staff around. The villagers were also in the battle, using their field tools and knifes.
'Get to Hoshi,' Rin thought trying to avoid the battles.
Suddenly, a blazing pain erupted in Rin's ankle. She gasped as she slammed into the ground. She looked down to see her ankle tangled up in a root and she frantically began to tug at it. Her ankle was screaming in pain, she could definitely feel it was twisted badly.
"Helpless whelp, die!"
Rin looked up to see a snake demon leap at her, his fangs dripping with poison. Rin did the only thing she could think of. She screamed. Everyone turned to look at her scream and all that knew her screamed her name. Sesshomaru immediately tried to run to Rin's aid, but it was useless. He was too far away. Rin could see that and screamed the one person's name that was her only hope.
"HOSHI!"
Rin cringed down into the ground and waited for the death blow. But it never came. Instead she heard a thud and a choking sound. Rin looked up and stared. Hoshi.
A few minutes before
Hoshi crouched down to gather more of the flowers for Rin when she smelled the air and stilled. She didn't just smell the flowers, she smelt.. smoke? She looked up to see a large cloud of smoke rising into the sky.
'Something must be burning, like a field,' she thought bored.
She was about to return to her business she noticed it was coming from the north.. Rin's village. Hoshi dropped the flowers in horror.
"RIN!"
She began to run like her life depended on it. As she got closer, she heard screams and the sounds of battle. Her pup was in danger! Hoshi leaped out of the trees and stared for a second. Rin's village was on fire! The fields were destroyed and she saw villagers and demons running about in battle. That didn't matter right now. She had to find Rin! She raced down into the fields and began to search.
"DADDY!"
She heard Rin's voice and immediately headed in the direction she heard her pup. Just as she turned the corner of a hut she saw Rin laying on the ground tugging at some root. She looked panicked. Hoshi darted forward just as she saw a snake demon leap at her pup.
"Helpless whelp, die!"
Anger ran into Hoshi's veins. She watched as Rin cringed into the ground and screamed in her fear.
"HOSHI!"
Hoshi leaped in front of her pup, her eyes bleeding into her demon eyes, and caught the snake demon by the throat. The snake demon choked and she felt Rin's eyes on her in surprise. Hoshi squeezed the snake demon's throat tightly, snapping his neck. She dropped the body and turned to help her pup. She slashed the roots away with her talons.
"Momma."
Rin couldn't believe it. Hoshi had come for her! Rin leaped into her mothers arms in relief and just cried in joy. Hoshi picked her up and moved Rin to her back, where her pup immediately clung to. Hoshi leaped up as two snake demon's charged her and she darted behind them before killing them with a stroke of her talons at the base of the head. Rin just buried her face into Hoshi's throat. She didn't want to see this. Hoshi darted for the forest. But they didn't get far before they were attacked again. Rin didn't watch as Hoshi just grabbed their faces and slammed them together, breaking their skulls. Hoshi was much stronger than she appeared, apparently.
"Move!"
Hoshi ducked just as Sesshomaru appeared by her side, beheading the person behind her. Rin looked up at her father in relief.
"Hoshi, get Rin out of here."
Hoshi nodded and ran out of the village, with Sesshomaru tailing them to protect them. They had just reached the edge of the village when a dagger came out of nowhere and slammed into Hoshi's already wounded leg. Hoshi gasped in pain. The dagger tore open some of the old wounds as well as making a new one, and Sesshomaru saw what was going to happen. He sped up and grabbed Rin off Hoshi's back just as the demoness went into a rolling tumble and slammed into a nearby tree. Rin freaked out.
"MOMMA!"
To her relief, Hoshi heaved herself into a crouched position and nodded at Sesshomaru. Rin could see the blood dripping down the wounded leg. A snake demon leaped at Hoshi from behind and she whirled around, killing it with the dagger hanging at her belt. Sesshomaru ran to the demoness's side and dropped Rin by Hoshi's side as the demoness stood up fully.
"Momma you okay?"
"I'm fine."
Hoshi picked up Rin and slung her across her back again. Rin hung on as the demoness and demon once again darted for the woods but Rin felt Hoshi was limping somewhat. Hoshi threw ice daggers at some nearby snake demons, tearing their chests apart. Rin was somewhat amazed and relieved that Hoshi was on their side. Sesshomaru darted in front of them to cut down a enemy and Hoshi leaped forward to slash apart his companion.
"Go momma!"
Hoshi had to laugh lightly. Her pup was so cute sometimes. Sesshomaru even chuckled lightly as well. The last of the snake demons seemed to realize they weren't going to win and began to run from the village in a panic. Hoshi groaned in pain as she felt her wound tear open even more, making it harder to stand. The snake demon's smelled her blood and immediately began to target her wounded leg, seeing as it was her weakness. Hoshi hissed each time it was stabbed and hit, but she kept moving so Rin wouldn't be hurt. Finally, the snake demons fully retreated and disappeared into the woods.
"You did it, momma, daddy! You beat the crap out of them!"
The two demons chucked lightly. Hoshi began to make her way back to the village when her leg gave way and she fell to her knees. Immediately, Sesshomaru was by her side examining her leg. Rin climbed off Hoshi's back watching what was going on.
"The wound has been torn open again. Luckily, it didn't break though."
Hoshi just nodded, clenching her jaw. Sesshomaru could see the old pain was back, along with the new, and just picked her up bridal style. Just as he did, the others came running up. Rin noted it was Kagome, Inuyasha, Shippo, Miroku, and Sango.
"Sesshomaru, Rin, you are well?"
"Indeed."
Suddenly they seemed to see the demoness in Sesshomaru's arms. They just stared for a moment before Sango spoke up.
"Rin, is this..?"
She looked up at Hoshi, who nodded her head in permission.
"Yes. This is my adopted demoness mother, Hoshi."
"Can we trust her?"
Everyone looked at Inuyasha, who was glaring at Hoshi suspiciously. Rin suddenly got very angry.
"Of course we can trust her, dog breath! She saved my life, helped protect the village, and saved Sango's life too!"
Everyone was startled. They had never seen or heard Rin bark back at someone. Sesshomaru wanted to laugh at the expression on their faces.
"Then why did the snake demon's attack the village? Was she the reason," he yelled.
"No, she wasn't. If she was the reason they would have attacked her at her cave!"
But Inuyasha didn't listen. He leaped forward and got into Hoshi's face.
"What do you got to say for yourself, wench?"
He tugged on Hoshi's wounded leg. Hard. Hoshi howled in pain and Sesshomaru felt his inner demon roar in anger.
'HE DARES HURT OUR MATE!'
Sesshomaru didn't even think about his next move. He grabbed Inuyasha by the throat and threw him away a good fifty feet. Inuyasha got back to his feet and snarled at Sesshomaru from that distance. Sesshomaru growled in response, holding Hoshi against him. Everyone was staring in shock. They had never seen Sesshomaru act like this before.
'He is protecting her,' Kagome thought in wonder. 'He is acting like.. He only acts like that when Rin is in danger…'
Suddenly, Kagome understood. Sesshomaru loved her. He was protecting her, just like he would with Rin.
"Inuyasha, stop!"
Inuyasha looked at his mate in disbelief.
"What!"
"Hoshi is no threat! Rin was right, please stop! Plus, Hoshi is hurt can't you see that?"
There was some kind of code in that, he heard it. Inuyasha stared at Hoshi and Sesshomaru for a moment before he also got it. He quickly straightened as his mate ran to his side and hugged him.
"Are you okay?"
"I'm fine."
Sesshomaru slowly straightened as well, ensuring no one else would try to hurt Hoshi. She didn't say a word.
"Sesshomaru, would you please take Hoshi to my hut? I'd like to attend to that wound on her leg, if she will allow me to do so."
He looked down at Hoshi, who nodded her consent. Sesshomaru also nodded before he darted away after picking up his pup. The others just looked at each other for a moment, wondering what was going on between Hoshi and Sesshomaru, before heading out for Kagome's hut.
I honestly hate this chapter but I hope you all enjoyed it. Battle scenes are hard XP The others finally meet Hoshi! If you all are wondering about the snake demon's, they attacked for food or something I don't really have a reason lol. Ooooh everyone can see the love between Sesshomaru and Hoshi. When will they see it though? Hmm, suspense! Please review and enjoy!