Through the well and back again

Disclaimer: I still don't own Inuyasha...

Author's note: Thank you all so much for the kind reviews. :) They make my day and it's so encouraging to see them there. :D Also, Rin will confess soon, just not yet. Gotta get the rest of the plot line down first, haha. :) And, speaking of which... it seems like they do know how to write in the feudal era, at least the scholars and some monks... so I hope it doesn't seem too weird that Rin already knows how to, but it helps with this plot line, so please just bear with me. :)

Chapter 4:

Dear diary... Today is my first day back in my world and there's so much to think about and do, I have no idea where to even start. It's maddening, really. I want to ask Lord Sesshoumaru to come with me but I have no idea how to manage that. Not only that, but I have so many studies to catch up on before possibly going back to Kagome's world, I don't know how I could even begin to finish all of them in just a week. To make matters worse, what Kagome said was true. I love him but he can't know. The sad thing about all of this is, I have a feeling I'll become an old woman and pass on before or even if anything is mentioned. I wish I could tell him, I really do...

Rereading her entry, as Kagome called them, made her sigh before closing it, somewhat roughly, and put it away along with her new favorite pen. Then, she dove under the warm water, soaking her hair and just lingered for a moment, still lost in thought. She only came up when she was completely out of air and had to. She put a fair amount of the shampoo into her hand and began massaging it into her hair, just as Kagome taught her. When she was done bathing, she got back into her kimono and wondered if he was waiting for her, wondering why she hadn't come back right away.

As it turned out, he was. His expression was like stone and she gulped. She knew she was in trouble.

"Rin?"

"Yes, my lord?" She winced, not liking that she could hear the fear in her voice.

Okay, she had never once been scared of him as a small child, why did that have to change now? 'It doesn't.' She reminded herself. With this in mind, she got herself together as much as possible. 'I need to ask him now. If I don't, I'll lose my nerve and I don't want to fail him or Kagome.'

"Do not take off like that again." She knew that was coming but, there was something odd about the way he said it. She bowed, thinking quickly. She didn't want to make it seem like she was arguing with him.

"Um, my lord? I promise to never wander off like that again but... will you come with me? I mean, there's something I must do and I... need your help."

Jaken rushed up to her, just like in the old days, with his staff raised in the air and ready to lecture her. "How dare you! You should be grateful that he didn't kill you for disobeying him!"

A long time ago, Rin had learned to ignore the petty threats and lose promises Jaken shouted at her. Of course, she did care about him but she learned not to let his words hurt her feelings, as they used to do so long ago. She remembered that when she was a child still, she stayed away for a whole day while he tried getting Inuyasha's sword away from him in order to prove a point to a question she had asked him. It hadn't worked but in the end, she felt as if it had brought her closer to the toad demon, although why she wanted to be, she had no idea... Maybe it was because, at the time, she had no other friends.

Realizing a second too late that her lord was still staring at her, looking for and wanting answers, she blushed and bowed again, trying to hide her embarrassment. 'This isn't working.' She thought, glumly to herself. 'Might as well get it over with.'

"You went through the well. I cannot. If you chose to continue with this, you will be on your own."

She winced. How was she going to convince him? 'Can I convince him?' "Forgive me my lord but... your brother, Inuyasha can go through the well... maybe that means you can, too?" She was treading dangerous territory, she knew but she also knew that she had to try.

It happened in a flash. He had her pinned up against the nearest tree, his strong hand around her throat. No, he had never attacked her before and even now, she didn't feel like this was an attempt to kill her. Just to frighten her but... why? Why did he loath his younger brother so much? Besides the fact that he was a half demon? She kept her gaze steady and looked him straight in the eyes.

"I am not going through that well and you would be wise not to compare me to that half breed again, girl." He didn't snarl, but it was close enough. His lips were pressed up against her ear, whispering harshly. Just as quickly as it all happened, he was letting her go and walking away, Jaken following him. 'Which is a good thing, because I don't think I could stand his stupid lectures just now.' She thought, shakily to herself.

Later that day, with her lord perfectly out of sight, she let herself cry her frustrations out for the first time. She wasn't crying because of what happened with him earlier. She was crying because of how impossible everything seemed to be. Earlier on, she found a clearing and lay her books out in front of her, trying to copy down everything that Kagome said would be on the test. She had explained to her that if she copied it down in lines, it would help her memorize things better. So far, she was having no such luck. Some of it was coming to her okay but the other stuff was just giving her a headache. To make matters worse, it didn't help that she couldn't get her demon lord off her mind. Yes, he had said no and had done his best to prove his point but, the question was, could she find a way to get him to come with her? She hadn't been lying earlier, about needing his help.

Being a teenager was indeed strange. 'Where the heck did that thought come from?' She wondered to herself, eyebrow slightly raised. 'You know exactly how I came to be. Stop trying to kid yourself.' Ugh! She pulled idly at some grass, wishing she could just go back to being a child; even if it was just for a moment. She missed her carefree thoughts and way of living. She missed being able to play all day and sleep through the night, sometimes even sleeping through the day. 'You can't do that now, you have responsibilities to take care of. You promised Kagome.' She reminded herself, going back to writing down her lines...

She hadn't even realized she had fallen asleep but, when she woke up again she found a brand new kimono lying on the grass next to her. It was beautiful, of course and she already knew who it had come from. And, of course, she knew why. She wished he wouldn't, though. She'd been out of line earlier because she had been trying to convince him and it hadn't worked. She didn't want him feeling bad for what he had done. He was a demon full of pride. And she had dishonored that by saying what she had.

Picking up the kimono and smoothing it out on her lap, she looked at it for a long time. It was covered in red roses and had a white background. Simple but to her, it was everything, long and flowing to the ground. She wanted to try it on. And so, she did. Looking down at herself now with a wide grin, she twirled around in the darkness, with her arms spread out wide, her studies completely put out of her mind.

Author's note: Another chapter down. :) The next one should be up in the next couple of days or so, most likely on my days off. Who knows, it may happen sooner... Anyways, thanks again for the reviews. :D Keep em' coming please! :)