"Here," Kokoro said quietly as Rin, Amai, Saisho, and an assortment of guards entered the Fortress. She held a fresh silk kimono, and Rin paused to shrug off her now blood-soaked one, quickly shrugging this one instead. Kokoro folded up the ruined kimono, then disappeared to attempt to clean it. Rin handed Jihibukai to Ringu, who took it silently, not saying a word against the idea of holding the temperamental naginata. Then the young woman scooped Amai up into her arms, giving her a tight hug despite the blood that immediately streaked her fresh kimono.

"Come on, we'll go check on your mother, then get you two cleaned up," she told them, grasping Saisho's hand and propping Amai on her hip. She started forward, Surudoi and Ringu immediately falling into step behind her. "Where's Kimi?"

"With Lord Sesshomaru," Surudoi answered immediately, eyes flashing warily. "Both are in the sick room with Lady Kagome and Chiryoshi."

"Then let's go," Rin said firmly, tugging lightly on Saisho to hurry him up. He didn't say a word, sticking close to her with a pale look. "Has Sesshomaru sent anyone to check on their village yet? Inuyasha wouldn't have sent them away unless it was serious..."

"No," Ringu murmured, hesitant. "Would you like me to see if Ippan can spare a few men to inspect the damage, Lady Rin?"

"Yes," Rin said firmly. "That demon was a nasty one, nearly as bad as Unarigoe...go with them, Ringu, look into what happened. If it's bad, I want you personally to come back and report. Sesshomaru can determine what to do from that point."

Ringu looked startled by the commanding tone in Rin's voice, but handed Jihibukai off to Surudoi wordlessly, bowed to her respectfully with a hint of a smile, then darted off to do as he'd been ordered. Amai loosely gripped Rin's hair, studying the dark locks with a nervous look in her golden eyes. "Um, Rin?"

"Yes, sweetheart?" Rin murmured, reassuringly smiling at her.

"Is Mommy okay?" Her voice cracked, tears building in her eyes. "Papa...he's never sent us away before. He's always been able to beat up the bad demons that come...is he okay?"

"That's what we're trying to find out, Amai," Rin told her firmly, then smiled soothingly at Saisho, whose small clawed hand tightened in hers. "Don't worry, you two. I'll make sure your parents are okay."

Surudoi cleared his throat quietly, and Rin glanced back at him as they walked with a curious look on her face. "Why don't you leave the children outside the door with me?" he asked as they reached the doors that led to the room that housed Kagome. "Just in case..."

"Of course," Rin agreed, gently shaking Saisho's hand out of hers and loosening Amai's fingers from hair. "Why don't you let Surudoi hold you, Amai? He's a good demon, I promise. He protects me from a lot of things." Surudoi muttered something under his breath and Rin grinned. At least I try to. Amai hesitantly nodded, and Rin handed her to the bird demon in exchange for her Jihibukai. Gently, she nudged Saisho closer, then slipped in without a word.

Sesshomaru glanced up for a brief moment, looking fairly displeased by her presence, but Kimi waved her over, her golden eyes never leaving the miko, who lay unconscious upon a futon as Chiryoshi worked rapidly over her. "Will she be okay?" Rin asked quietly as she walked over, biting her lip. "Saisho and Amai are frantic...they say a demon attacked. And supposedly, Inuyasha's never sent them away before. The demon must have been a nasty one."

Chiryoshi glanced up at the human woman. "Lady Kagome," she said warily, "will be fine. I think. I'm not sure. I have not worked with the healing capabilities of a miko before, Lady Rin." She glanced down, and Rin grimaced at the blood that was still leaking from a large gash that ran from her right temple down to her collarbone, created by a smooth strike. "She is very lucky this did not blind her...either way, it will leave a scar. She is healing quickly, much more so then a normal human, and there's no sign of infection, though, so she should be okay. Are the pups unharmed?"

"Amai and Saisho are fine, though Saisho has a wound on his arm that needs to be looked at," Rin said firmly. "They're waiting outside with Surudoi. Um, Sesshomaru?" The Lord of the West glanced at her. "I had Ringu see if he could take a few others to look into the attack on their village. Is that alright...?"

To her surprise, he narrowed his eyes, then gave a curt nod. "It is important that what happened be discovered," he said in a low tone. His lip curled in disgust as he spoke the next few words. "I am not fond of my half-breed brother and his...pack, but he is powerful. It would take much to destroy him or convince him that it is safer to send his mate away. Mother," he turned to address Kimi, "Send a few of the guard to examine the demon's body. Find out what it was."

"Of course," she murmured, then disappeared out of the room, leaving them alone with Chiryoshi and Kagome.

Suddenly, the miko's blue eyes snapped open. Rin jumped in surprise and Sesshomaru took a step closer to the young human woman, making Chiryoshi grin before she smiled gently down at the confused woman. "Hello, Lady Kagome," she greeted politely, "It's nice to see you awake...so soon, too. Amazing," she mumbled under her breath.

Kagome gave a pained grimace. "Where am I?" she mumbled, licking her dry lips and spitting in disgust when blood trickled into her mouth. Suddenly, she grasped the futon with white knuckles, fear flashing across her face, "Amai and Saisho-"

"Are safe," Rin told her, smiling when Kagome's gaze darted to her face with surprise. "You're in the Western Fortress. Again. Welcome back. First demon I finally killed was the one after you guys...the children are with Surudoi, the one you healed not too long ago."

"They're okay?" A nod had Kagome sinking back into a comfortable position with a moan of relief. "Thank you, Sesshomaru, Rin. Thank God." She screwed her eyes shut for a moment, then pried them open again. "Inuyasha-"

"My men have been sent to investigate," Sesshomaru cut in smoothly. "They will see to it that your mate is alive."

"Thank you," she repeated, then hissed in pain when Chiryoshi dabbed lightly at the wound on her face and throat. "There was more then one that attacked...one went after us, the other hung back to battle Inuyasha. It destroyed our hut." Her thoughts had scattered, Rin realized, and she smiled gently, kneeling to touch the young woman's arm soothingly. Sesshomaru remained standing, refusing to kneel.

"Don't try too hard, Kagome," Rin said quietly, patting her arm with a smile. Kagome forced herself to smile back. "Would you like Surudoi to bring the kids in?"

"Yes, please," Kagome answered.

"Surudoi!" Rin shouted, glancing over her shoulder. "Bring 'em on in!"

Sesshomaru growled. "Such volume is not necessary, woman."

Rin shrugged. "I wanted to make sure they could hear me." She patted Kagome's cheek with a thoughtful look, then smiled brightly as Surudoi ducked in, ushering Saisho in front of him. He gently set Amai down, and the second her small feet touched the floor, both half-demon children came rushing over, tears gathering in their eyes as they nearly tripped over each other.

"Mommy!" Amai sobbed, dropping her head to nuzzle her nose against her mother's cheek. Kagome soothingly reached up to rub her ear, smiling faintly at her. Saisho, speechless, hid his face in her shoulder.

"Are you two hurt?" the miko demanded, biting her lip anxiously. She let her blue eyes drift over them from the tip of their ears to their toes. "Anywhere? Saisho, oh my-! You're bleeding!"

"I'll see to that, Lady Kagome," Chiryoshi promised. "But your injuries are my main concern at the moment...Lady Rin, hold this here, would you?"

Sesshomaru gave a disapproving growl. "I do not want blood on her hands, Chiryoshi. Have one of the pups do it."

"Ignore him," Rin countered, glaring at the irritated dog demon lord. She pressed the cloth down for Chiryoshi, who rushed to deal with another nasty wound on the miko's side. "He's being foolish at the moment."

Sesshomaru snarled at her comment and Chiryoshi, losing her patience, finally just threw a bloody cloth at the Lord of the West, not looking the least bit frightened by Sesshomaru's furious rage as she shouted, "IF YOU ARE GOING TO STAND THERE AND DO NOTHING, THEN OUT! I DO NOT NEED SUCH WORDS IN MY WORK PLACE!" She cleared her throat, then glared again. "My lord."

Sesshomaru curled a lip in disgust, then turned and left.

"I'm gonna be yelled at later," Rin moaned, then peered closer at the wound she was pressing a cloth against. The bleeding was slowing. "I believe I'll just stay here with you guys."

Kagome gave a weak laugh. "The only one I've ever seen survive such a thing is Inu-" She choked on his name, grief and fear filling her dulled eyes. Rin squeezed her hand soothingly to comfort the young woman, then returned her gaze to her work, silently listening as a mother comforted her children.

Astonishment filled him as he took in what had once been a bustling and full village. Kaede's Village, once full of life, was now a place of destruction, making even his nose reek with the smell of death. He glanced at the men accompanying him. They looked just as stunned as he felt. Many of them knew of the power of the half-demon that protected this place. And it concerned them all that such things could happen.

Cautious, Ringu started forward. "Keep in pairs," he ordered, relieved he'd been put in charge. "Look for survivors...find Lord Inuyasha if you can. If you find someone, free them from wherever they are and get them to the center of this place."

A chorus of "yes sirs" filled the air before they naturally split into pairs, doing just as they'd been told. A young but strong looking lesser dog demon stepped up to him and Ringu flashed him an accepting grin before they began to search through the destruction.

It only took seconds to realize it was more than unlikely they would discover anything but bodies. Within the first hut they searched, a crushed family was discovered. A man's head had been smashed, a woman's chest. Their newborn child's complete body. A few moments later, another child was discovered in pieces.

Ringu left the first hut, the younger demon, one by the name of Tsuyo, keeping close to him. They started for the second hut, which was only partially destroyed, giving the ogre a brief flash of hope. Perhaps there were some people alive, taking shelter in the building. "Stay on guard," Ringu ordered before ducking inside, searching the darkness.

Smoke still drifted from the pit in the center of the room, and he squinted to try and see past it. Sometimes, he hated being the type of demon that he was. It certainly didn't help in such situations. Shaking his head, he slowly paced around the pit until he stopped beside a pair of bodies. A man had his arm slung protectively over his wife, deep wounds gouged into his back, and a child was pressed between the two of them. Ringu moved to leave, then froze when the child suddenly sniffled, crying softly into his hands. Immediately, he gently shifted the man's body out of the way. "Hey," he said quietly. "You okay, kid?"

The child looked up at him, tears rolling down his plump cheeks. Fear flashed through his eyes when he saw Ringu, however, and he gave a cry, struggling to get out from beneath his dead mother. Ringu gently snatched him up before he could get away. He winced when the child flailed, screaming now, and struck his cheek. "Hey!" he grumbled, "I'm helping ya out!" Ignoring the child's screaming, he ducked out of the hut. "Here, take the-"

"Muryō!"

The child froze at his name, then gave a cry of "Tōhi!"

Another child, a boy just a few inches taller than Muryō came running, his face splattered with blood that dripped from a gash on his temple. A limping woman chased after him, her face drawn with grief. "I'll take him," she rasped, tears filling her eyes as Ringu handed the boy over. "Th-thank you."

Ringu smiled gently, inspecting her form for injuries. Bruises had begun to form on her cheek, and he grimaced. She must have been struck by something in the face. "Are you alright, ma'am?" He asked politely, his brow furrowing in concern.

"Y-yes," she stammered, forcing herself to smile faintly. "I'm just...I can't find my husband and one of my daughters alongside my friends and their children. I only managed to find my son." She waved at Tōhi. "My other daughter is dead."

"I'm sorry," Ringu said gently, then questioned, "What's your name? What does your husband look like? Your friends? I'll keep an eye out and send them your way if I find them...able to do so."

Her lips pressed into a hard line. "Thank you. My name is Sango...Miroku's a monk. You'll know him when you see him, he still dresses like one despite having a family now. He should have a shakujo staff. And-" She paused then, studying Ringu with a cautious look. "I know that symbol. You're with Sesshomaru."

"...err, yes," Ringu muttered, sounding surprised. "I am."

Sango flashed him a faint smile. "You're looking for his half-brother. Inuyasha...and Kagome and their children if you can. I couldn't find any of them...Shippo, too, a little fox kit, though I don't know if he was here during the time of the attack. He goes off to train every now and then. Thank you so much," she added, tears swimming in her eyes as she gathered her son to her. The young boy frowned up at Ringu.

Ringu blinked, looking startled. "Lady Kagome? She and her children are safe. Lord Sesshomaru and Lady Rin found them while they were out walking around. My lady slayed the demon that was chasing them. Lady Kagome was injured, but alive, as was her son. The healer is seeing to them even as we speak."

Sango's lips parted in shock. But then a huge smile spread across her face. "Thank God," she whispered, then knelt to hug Tōhi. "Do you hear that, Tōhi? Aunt Kagome and Saisho and Amai are safe!"

Tōhi gave his mother a broad smile, even as she struggled to balance the other child on her hip while giving him a warm embrace. "Yay! But what about Dad? Is he okay, too?"

"We don't know yet," Ringu said gently, "But Tsuyo and I are going to look for him, your sister, and Lord Inuyasha. I promise, young one. I'll come back as soon as I have any information, I promise, Miss Sango."

"Thank you," she said again, her eyes shining now. And with that, Sango urged Tōhi away and towards a tiny group of other people that were gathering, her gaze full of hope now.

Tsuyo glanced anxiously at him. "Sir, are you sure that we'll find the monk or Lord Inuyasha? It seems unlikely, especially after what we've seen so far..."

"I don't know," Ringu admitted, "But we need to try. Lord Inuyasha...if he is defeated, then that will mean that Lord Sesshomaru may need to start preparing for a battle of his own. I know that he is a half-demon, but he defeated Naraku alongside our lord, Tsuyo. If he can be defeated, then it will cause concern for our own people."

"War then?"

"Possibly," he answered with a shrug. "Come, we must find Lord Inuyasha and his friend." And with that, the ogre demon leaped away, heading back into the destroyed village to see what could be discovered.

It was a while later, after splitting up with Tsuyo, that he discovered a pathetic looking piece of cloth. It was violet in color and blood had spattered it, making even Ringu wrinkle his nose in disgust. He let his gaze wander along the ground and found a trail of blood leading to a nearby person slouched on the ground. Ringu approached warily, kneeling beside the human to gently roll him onto his back. Violet eyes stared blankly above him, a wound cut deeply across his chest. But his flesh was warm, and Ringu blinked, carefully lowering his head to listen for breathing. A rough bubbling sound came from the man's lips. In a flash, Ringu was working on pressing cloth against the man's bleeding wound. "Hey!" he said urgently, "Can you hear me?"

A weak barely whispered voice answered him, and though he couldn't understand what he said, Ringu nodded. He was alive. Just barely, but alive. "Come on, we need to get ya to some healers..." The Lord of the West wouldn't allow humans other than Rin and the miko, he was sure, so the next best thing would be to take him to the rest of the humans...perhaps the woman Sango would know who he was?

And then he took notice of his clothes. The woman Sango would definitely know who this man was. He was undoubtedly her husband. Careful, Ringu gathered him up, then darted forward, aiming to find the young woman as quickly as he could. It took mere moments, and the second Sango saw him, her face paled. She pushed the children towards another bloodied woman, who stared at the demon beside her with wide, terrified eyes. "Oh, Miroku," Sango breathed, tears gathering in her eyes as she dropped to her knees beside him when Ringu set the monk on the ground.

"He's still alive," Ringu said firmly. Sango gasped, then gave a grim look, setting to work on immediately, shouting to one of the village men, "Run to Kagome's hut, gather all of the herbs you can! Get cloth, too, something to staunch the bleeding! Ringu," she added as the demon stood uncertainly, "See if you can find Inuyasha? Please? He's the last one missing...these are all that remain besides him and Kagome and their children..."

"Your other daughter?"

She paused. "...dead. They found her dead, too, hidden within a friend's hut."

"I'm sorry," Ringu said quietly, "I'm very sorry, Sango. Your village and your family does not deserve this destruction...Lord Sesshomaru is looking into these demons. They shall be dealt with along with whoever sent them."

"Thank you," Sango murmured. "Now, please. Find Inuyasha?"

"Of course."

The ogre demon set off.

Pain racked through him as he lay there limply, covered in the debris of destroyed trees. He hissed softly in pain, swallowing thickly before forcing his tired golden eyes to open, forced himself to take in his surroundings and the scents around him. He had no idea where he was, he realized. Nowhere near where his home was. Nowhere near where his mate had gone or had perished. He doubted she'd been able to escape, though it hurt him to think of it.

He took a deep breath, ignoring the pain of his broken ribs, then whisked it out in a sharp huff. Where was he? he thought again, examining the space around him. A forest. That was good. He could work with a forest. He knew how to survive there. Not that he wanted to live without his mate and pups. There was no point to life without Kagome, after all.

"Ugh," Inuyasha grunted, painfully reaching out for the Tetsusaiga. His hand brushed the hilt of it, and he dragged it closer, letting it transform. Carefully, he forced himself to his feet, leaning heavily on the Tetusaiga, yet still staggering as blood hit the ground. The demon had managed to get a heavy blow in, managing to create multiple holes in his chest and gut, and it hurt like hell. And it pissed him off that they'd managed to tear off one of his ears.

Heaving for air, his good ear flat against his head, the half-demon sniffed intently. There. He caught the stench of blood and death. That meant the village was in that direction. His family may have been gone, but that didn't mean he couldn't protect his friends before going to join them.

A voice shouting caught his attention after a few failed attempts at staggering forward. His ear swiveled forward and he listened carefully.

"Lord Inuyasha!? Are you out here? Can you hear me?"

He snickered, though it made him gasp in pain. So Sesshomaru's men were out and about looking for him, eh? He gave a hoarse, raspy barking sound. Within a few moments, Ringu was beside him, eyes wide with astonishment as he took in the damage Inuyasha had sustained. He grimaced at the holes, and then at the fact that Inuyasha had lost an entire ear. "Lady Kagome will not be pleased with that," he commented.

He froze. "She's alive?"

Ringu flashed a grin. "Of course, Lord Inuyasha. She was injured, as was your son, but all three are all right. Mrs. Sango sent me to fetch you from wherever you are...but, I don't know how far you'll make it in your condition." He turned a critical eye on the injuries. "You will stay at the village until you are healed enough, then may join your family at the Fortress. Until then, we will stay here. I will send a messenger to the Fortress to alert them of what has transpired here."

"One went after them," Inuyasha said urgently, his voice slurring now. He was exhausted, relief reminding him that he needed real rest after all of the fighting he'd done.

"Lady Rin dispatched it, have no worries, Lord Inuyasha," Ringu reassured with a small chuckle. He winked. "Now come. Mrs. Sango will be happy to see that you are alive...be gentle with her, if you don't mind, her daughters were killed and her husband is near death, though I do think he will live."

"Miroku's hurt? The twins are dead?" He shook his head. This was just not a good day... "Lead the way, and hurry it up," he snapped suddenly. He felt sick. And he wanted to sleep for a century. Maybe if he slept, he'd see his mate sooner?

Ringu merely grinned and kept close to the half-demon as they made their way towards the destroyed village.

"My goodness," Kimi muttered as she watched Amai giggle, chasing after Ah-Uhn's tail. The demoness sat outside beside Rin, keeping guard over the human and half-demon as Amai played with the dragon-like creature and Rin enjoyed the sun. "Sesshomaru was never like this as a child..."

"Oh?" Rin smiled with a near smug look. "What was he like then?"

"Mean," Kimi admitted, hiding a smile. "But that might be because his father was off seducing that human woman." Her voice filled with disgust. She had no issue with Inuyasha, but his mother was a completely different thing all together. She was the one that had torn the Inu no Taisho from her, had killed him and forced Sesshomaru into a position he was not completely ready for despite being well over three hundred years old at the time.

Two days had passed since the forces had left to inspect the destruction of Inuyasha and Kagome's village, and not a word had been sent back just yet. While the three who were waiting on the information about their friends and last family member were desperate for news, Rin had informed Kagome that being patient was for the best, to ignore the situation until the news arrived. She'd had such a thing happen to her once, when a friend had disappeared, and she'd ignored the fear until her friend had returned what seemed like only a day later when in reality it had been two weeks.

Deciding not to ask about "that human woman", Rin smiled when Saisho edged into view. "Hi, Saisho, are you going to come join us? Where's Kagome? Is she feeling any better?"

"Yeah," Saisho agreed, shooting them a huge smile. "Mom's feeling a whole lot better! But, uh, she said to come get you because Uncle Sesshomaru isn't around and there's a guard from our home that has a message. He came in just a little bit ago, but he won't speak without you or Uncle around."

"Okay, I'll go." She stood swiftly, ruffling his hair. "Can you handle these two, Kimi?"

Kimi snorted decisively. "Of course," she sniffed. "Come, Saisho, why don't we discuss whatever you wish?" Amai giggled at their uncle's mother's words and tone and a smile spread across Kimi's face. "Go on, Rin, dear. And if you see Sesshomaru, tell him that after he's done with whatever he's doing, I will need a word with him."

"Got it." Rin grabbed the Jihibukai, then darted away, flying through the halls of the Fortress, avoiding the different staff without issue. They didn't even bat an eyelash, used to seeing her now. She swung past Surudoi, calling a greeting to him, then slipped into the infirmary, letting her expression become serious. The guard Saisho had mentioned was standing beside Chiryoshi and Kagome, both of which looking fairly impatient. "Sorry for taking so long, I was in the gardens with Kimi and Amai... Sesshomaru's not here?"

"He went to check out a strange demon sighting," Chiryoshi explained. "He left only a little bit ago, Lady Rin, he should be back by evening, though."

The guard turned to Rin, gaze narrowed. "May I report my information, Lady Rin?"

Rin's lips twitched, threatening to turn into a smile. "Go ahead," she murmured, "Report away before Kagome loses her mind." The miko was shifting impatiently, her face pale.

The guard nodded, then began to speak. "We reached the village soon after we left. When we arrived, the entire area had been demolished by the demons that attacked...there weren't very many survivors," he added. But then he gave Kagome a brilliant smile. "We managed to find Lord Inuyasha, Lady Kagome. He was severely injured, with a few holes in his torso, and he's missing an ear, but he will live. We found your friends, Miroku and Sango and their son, but their daughters did not make it out alive." His smile vanished when Kagome's gaze clouded over with a mixture of relief and sorrow. "There were only four other survivors. One woman, a child, and two men."

"I see," Kagome murmured, then burst into tears, burying her face in her hands. "Thank you for telling us," she sobbed, shaking her head. Chiryoshi gently touched her shoulder to attempt to comfort her, and she only began to cry harder. Rin shifted uncertainly, unable to tell if she was crying because she was happy or if she was crying because of all the death and destruction.

It was then that Rin realized not too long ago, she, too, would have cried over the loss of so many lives. But now...she'd grown immune to such grief. And it frightened her. Perhaps it was because of the demon she'd been staying with, or perhaps just because she'd realized it was now a way of her life, but the fact that she couldn't shed a single tear for all of the dead children made her sad.

Now looking nervous, the guard finished with, "Ringu has ordered that we remain there until Lord Inuyasha and the monk are ready to travel. On their way here, the humans will be dropped off at a nearby village to ensure their saftey, and Ringu will escort Lord Inuyasha here himself."

"Good," Kagome breathed, hugging herself now after she'd swiped at her eyes. "Thank you so much," she told him, then glanced longingly off towards the direction that she knew her home was. "I'm so happy he's okay. I thought...after those demons..."

Chiryoshi patted Kagome's shoulder with a gentle smile. "Come, Lady Kagome, I think it is best if you get some more rest now...Kimi has your children, and Lord inuyasha is going to be here in the next few days, I'm sure. I'm not certain he will appreciate seeing you ill from lack of rest." She paused, sniffing the air. "Oh!" Suddenly, her smile was gone, her face falling into work mode. "Tsuyo," she said, addressing the guard, "Escort Lady Kagome to Lady Rin's chambers to rest for the time being, or out to wherever Kimi is watching her pups. Now."

"Uh, yes, ma'am," he said, looking confused as he offered an arm to guide the miko. She hesitantly took it, shooting an anxious look that Rin returned. What was going on now?

"Lady Rin, I believe your presence will be needed," Chiryoshi told the woman, "Set aside your Jihibukai, please." Rin did as told, then watched as Chiryoshi rolled up the sleeves of her kimono and hurried to copy her. At Rin's confused look, the healer gave a tight smile. "It appears," she said firmly, "That Lord Sesshomaru encountered some trouble. I hope you're prepared to ignore death threats again, because this is not going to be a fun task."

Even as Chiryoshi finished speaking and Tsuyo and Kagmoe left the room, a door slammed open and Sesshomaru staggered in, followed closely by Ippan and Surudoi. Rin's eyes widened fractionally as she took in Sesshomaru's half-transformed state for the first time. She couldn't decide what he looked more like: a dog or a humanoid demon. But she decided that didn't matter the second she saw the blood that slicked his body from head to toe. "What happened?!"

"Err, from what we could gather," Ippan said warily, scurrying around Sesshomaru and giving him a wide berth. Surudoi stuck close, not daring to get too close to the Lord of the West in this state. "The same kind of demon that went after Lord Inuyasha's village. Except I don't think it expected the Bakusaiga's power."

Sesshomaru snarled viciously in Ippan's direction.

"At least he admits to needing assistance this time," Chiryoshi muttered, rolling her eyes as she stepped forward, scolding sharply, "Lord Sesshomaru, sit down and shut up so we can see what needs to be done. Please," she added when he turned a furious blood-red glare on her, suddenly meek and backing up.

Rin rolled her eyes and stepped up. She was more than confident that the Lord of the West wouldn't kill her for what she was about to do. So long as she didn't physically attacking, at least. Propping her hands on her hips, she took on the best authoritative look she could manage and snapped out quickly and sharply, grateful for a person she'd known in her childhood. "Stop being a baby about this and let us get a move on so you can stop being a bastard, Sesshomaru." He seemed to puff up with anger, but she ignored it in favor of saying to Chiryoshi, "Could you get all the bandages and whatever else we'll need?"

"We're running low," Chiryoshi admitted. "With Saisho's arm and Lady Kagome's injuries, I've used up more then just a little of my supplies...especially after the attack not too long ago. I wasn't able to stock up."

"Okay then. Surudoi," Rin said, turning on the startled bird demon. "Go to the nearest village, see if you can get some bandages. Steal them if you have to."

"Uh, 'course, my lady," he mumbled, then darted off.

Ippan had to fight off a smile. "You're very much like a true Lady of the West, if I may say as much, Lady Rin."

"Thank you," Rin said, beaming at him. "Now, help me get his armor and what not off, would you? We need to be able to get to the wounds, and its all chipped. It could make it worse."

"I was not aware you were so knowledgeable about healing, Lady Rin," Chiryoshi mused as she brought out the remainder of the bandages.

"I'm not," Rin admitted. "But I stayed with Kagome for a bit and I've been reading almost every scroll in this place, so I've learned some stuff. And it kind of helps when you can yell at Sesshomaru without fearing for your life."

Chiryoshi laughed, then set the basket down. "Lord Sesshomaru, please don't cut anyone's limbs off," she said sternly, then stepped forward to assist Rin and Ippan in removing his armor and the top pieces of clothing he wore.

"Honestly," Rin muttered as she wrapped the bandage around Sesshomaru's -admittedly - muscular arm, ignoring the low and deep growl that thundered continuously from deep in his chest. "You're more of a baby then my father was when he broke his leg."

The dog demon ignored her of course, instead glaring at the wall across from him, tensed and unmoving.

Chiryoshi and Ippan had been quick to leave the room when Sesshomaru had silently threatened to kill them in a language Rin didn't understand. Surudoi had only come in for a few moments to drop off more bandages before leaving as well, taking only one look at the Lord of the West before scurrying out as quickly as he could.

Rin tied the bandage carefully, making sure it was proper before moving onto scrub carefully at another horrible wound. She grimaced when she realized she could see blood. In her world, she would have been screaming for someone to call an ambulance, but here...there was no such thing. She was stuck with simply bandaging it up and hoping it healed well. And when had she started being concerned over whether or not the demon was all right? "So," she muttered, gently forcing his flesh together before beginning to bandage it. He hissed quietly, but made no other noise. "What kind of creature was able to maul the great and powerful Lord Sesshomaru?"

He shot her a dark look that she ignored in favor of tying another bandage. "The type of demon I suspect is capable of destroying Inuyasha's village. It multiplies by splitting in half."

Rin paused in what she was doing. "The one I killed didn't."

"You are a simple human," Sesshomaru said with an offending bluntness that earned him an "unintentional" pinch. He snarled, but she pretended as if she hadn't done anything, ignoring him again. "What demon would fear you?"

"A lot of them, apparently," Rin said, arching an eyebrow. "You show up and everyone but me runs for cover. Wimps." She snorted, studying her work. "There. The last one that needs looking at is that one up here." She gently tapped beside a deep gash on his striped cheek and then smirked when he winced. "Yeah; hurts, doesn't it?"

"Just fix it, woman, before I decide your presence is no longer necessary."

Rin smirked at his tone, then set to work on swiping carefully at the blood, her touch light and gentle whenever her fingers came into contact with his cheek. He held still, better than a lot of people probably could. "You showed up just as one of the guards - Tsuyo is his name - showed up with news about the village. Inuyasha's alive, half-dead, apparently, but alive, as is a few of the others. Most of the village was destroyed, though. Ringu is going to bring Inuyasha here to his family and the few humans to a village near here to try and keep them from going through such a thing again."

Sesshomaru listened carefully. "I see. Very well."

She fought back a giggle at his lack of wanting to speak. The Western Lord, it appeared, was fairly pissed off that he'd decided he required Chiryoshi's assistance...only for the human woman he'd been keeping guard over to show up and be the one to attend to his wounds. "Did you kill the demon?"

"After it had split into three separate ones, yes."

"Good." That was a relief. "Ringu found another one - dead - and thinks that's the last of them. Who do you think sent them, Sesshomaru? Was it Mizuki? I don't think Majo would do such a thing." Rin furrowed her brow as she finished scrubbing the blood away, sitting back to study the gash. it was already healing, undoubtedly part of his demon blood being the cause of that. It wouldn't require anything, though it would most likely scar over. "She didn't seem like the kind of person to underhandedly send out demons to kill people she doesn't need to kill."

"Has the witch visited your dreams again?" he demanded, and then huffed when she grinned and shook her head, amused at the barely concealed concern he tried to hide. No, Majo hadn't contacted her since her week-long coma. "I believe it is Mizuki, though how she got her hands on such a demon is questionable."

"Seriously," Rin muttered, rolling her eyes as she sat back, inspecting her work again. "You're questioning her only now? She's psychotic, I'm telling you."

"She was not always so," Sesshomaru answered, his golden eyes darkening with thought. "Though the previous Lord of the East was far more suited for such a task." He contemplated this for a few moments, and the duo fell into a brief silence before he said suddenly, "Regitadashi has contacted me. He wishes to speak about something he declares important in person. This Sesshomaru has agreed on the grounds that I may safely bring you with."

"Oh?" Rin arched her eyebrows, startled. She hadn't expected that! Would she get to travel around again? She kind of hoped so. It would be nice to get out of the Fortress for a while. "Why the hell would you want to bring me? I'm just the useless human woman, remember?"

He ignored that comment in favor of growling, "Reigitadashi agreed, stating that it did seem to involve you as well."

That was concerning. Maybe just a little bit more. Brown eyes now sharp, Rin tucked a lock of hair behind her ear and crossed her arms nervously. "Really? Well, then. Guess we're heading...which was was it? South?" Sesshomaru gave a curt nod. "When?"

"As soon as possible," he said simply, making Rin smile slightly - again. He was fairly good at that, it appeared, though she knew he wasn't trying at all.

"Which won't be for a while," Rin said firmly, sucking in her bottom lip to chew on it. "You're a demon and everything, but even those will take a few days to heal. And I want to wait for Inuyasha to get here. I don't want to just leave Kagome alone...besides. What happens if Mizuki figures out just how badly everyone was effected? She'll use it to her advantage."

Sesshomaru silently contemplated this before deciding with a growl, "We will wait a total of ten days before we leave for the south. Ah-Uhn will accompany us, as will Ringu. Jaken will remain here with Mother to see to the Fortress and those that are in it."

"Got it." Rin nodded to show she understood, then gave his bandaged self one more look over. Suddenly, a question occurred to her. "When Chiryoshi was in here and talking under her breath, I heard her say that you rarely ever come here for assistance when it comes to injuries...like, once every few hundred years. These can't be the worst you've suffered, especially after what I've heard...why did you decide to come back so we could look at them. Or so I could, since I'm the only one not cowering away." Her dark eyes lit with amusement at the memory of Surudoi and Ippan hiding along the wall like children.

Sesshomaru paused, thinking this over before answering, his golden eyes hardening. "I did not think it necessary to concern Mother again. She is far too clingy when I do not return as often as she thinks I should." That said, he stood swiftly and slipped out of the room, gone within moments.

Rin's lips threatened to spread into a huge grin, and she forced herself not to when a tearful Amai peered in, her ears flat against her head. Rin blinked. "What's wrong, Amai? Where's your mother?"

Amai held out her hand. "Momma said I could come here so Chiryoshi could look at my hand. I cut it while wrestling with Saisho."

Rin merely laughed and waved her forward, gathering up a scrap of the cloth she'd used on the Lord of the West not too long before.

A/N

Yay! Those we were most concerned for are okay, and I think Ringu found a new friend in Sango. How wonderful, yes? And a little bit of adorableness between our favorite couple. :) Also, realized I never clarified Majo's name...

Names, Meanings, etc.

Majo (witch) - 2000+ Years Old - The witch that brought Rin to the Feudal Era, doesn't want to kill Rin, but has to

Tsuyo (strength) - 100+ Years Old - A demon that works under Sesshomaru's and Ippan's (and now Ringu's) command

Reviews:

Leonhart9: Inuyasha's alive, though not completely whole anymore! Isn't that lovely? Lol. I do love Kimi.

Taraah36: I'm quite fond of Jihibukai to be honest. It's a wonderful weapon. Perhaps she should learn to summon it...she actually managed to kill something with it though! Accomplishment on keeping her weapon in hand though, right? You did guess right with Mizuki. Well done. Lol.

aelita444: Neither of them did! Yay! :)

dragonroses: Poor Inuyasha, indeed. I agree. Lol.

Guest: Hm...I've never heard of Ao3. Would you care to alert me as to what this is? And I'm glad you like this! :)