Chapter 47 - Open

Sesshomaru's gaze lingered on the sky where Naraku had been. The scent was gone, the remnants of his body were gone. As if the demon had never existed at all. But where had he left Rin? Surely she is nearby… he'd said something about a boy named Kohaku. Something felt wrong about it. Amidst the rising sensation of panic, he tried to think rationally. What would I do, if I was fool enough to take a hostage? Sesshomaru's mind was blank, he'd never in his life considered taking a hostage. It was ungentlemanly warfare.

"He's gone." InuYasha said as he sheathed Tetsusaiga. "His scent and every trace of his whereabouts. He was badly injured too… where could he be?"

Does he ever stop talking?

Sesshomaru brought his thoughts back to Naraku. More likely than not, he would instruct the boy to kill her. Curse him.

"Hey Sesshomaru. Did Naraku take somebody as a hostage? A friend of yours named, Rin?"

Rin. So that's why he abducted her. To buy time to escape. Naraku, he thinks he's so cunning. Sesshomaru rose into the sky while closing his eyes, to focus all his senses on scent. He had no time to even consider the fact that InuYasha now knew, or suspected, that he had a human in his clan.

"Wait!" Called InuYasha. "Where are you going?!" His brothers voice was dim behind him, an afterthought.

In his emotionally heightened state, Sesshomaru's mokomoko flared, expanding two or three times the size of normal. Sesshomaru did not even notice. The sound of the wind blew hollowly in his ears, seeming to call Rin's name with the sound.

Rin. Where are you? Call to me.

He should have been able to sense her. Sesshomaru suspected that Naraku was keeping her in a building, or cave, something that was protected by a barrier. It was the only logical reason that he would be unable to sense or smell her presence.

High in the sky, Sesshomaru paused. Eyes closed. Intently focused. There was only one other option… if he could not find her with his natural senses, then he would have to resort to connecting to her mind through the kizuna. For a long moment he struggled with the decision.

Is it really my choice to doom her to a life connected to a yokai?

Bokuseno's voice rang through his ears. "You did not doom her soul. I trust, that in the moment, you gave her the very best instinctual protection that you could."

Without further hesitation, Sesshomaru opened the gateway of his mind, the one he had been keeping barred from her… so that their thoughts didn't mingle. So he didn't intrude in her life. To protect her humanity. To protect her soul. Color blasted through the open gateway, filling Sesshomaru's mind with thoughts, feelings and sensations that were very definitely, not his own. Desperately he tried to sort through the confusion, in hopes of identifying where she was. It was as if her thoughts had been barred at the gateway of his mind, just waiting for release.

Rin. He voiced her name in his mind. Call to me.

As suddenly as the flash of colors had been, it slowed into a gentle stream… even a trickle of thoughts.

I wonder if Lord Sesshomaru will come for me? It was Rin's thought, it echoed through his mind in her soft voice.

The thought sent pain lancing through his chest. Did you really wonder, Rin? That I would come for you?

The colors dulled, muted gray and blue tones. Fear. He felt her fear. She hadn't seemed afraid before, curious, uncertain, anxious even… but not afraid.

Rin, speak to me. Where are you?

Suddenly Sesshomaru's eyes opened, he lifted his nose to the wind. Was it…? The faintest hint of lilacs came to him on the breeze. Instantly he cut in the direction it has blown from. Her scream reverberated in his mind. Gritting his teeth, his body blurred, becoming little more than a shaft of light in the sky.

Just as suddenly as her cry had rang in his thoughts, her stream of consciousness ended. There was no thought, only darkness. Terror seized his chest, making it hard to breathe.

NO! RIN!