*
Rin hid in a crevice as the group of demons went passed. She clutched her stomach and took a deep breath. “Lord Sesshomaru.” She whispered.
Then when everything looked clear she came out carefully stepping over rocks and avoiding the miasma stream that ran along the valley floor. Her one hand held her stomach while the other was out to help keep her balance which was getting worse every month. Then suddenly a scream made her turn seeing a demon coming at her with its fangs bared its large mouth that took up most of its gruesome face open allowing the stench of death to cause her nausea to act up again. She tried to run but knew it was no good. Her feet wouldn’t carry her fast enough to escape. She screamed and fell catching herself before her stomach hit the ground and closed her eyes knowing the demon was just behind her.
“Wind Scar!” She heard and felt the razor wind blowing debris and pieces of demon at her.
“Rin!” She stood up keeping her back to Kagome.
“Go away. I have to do this.”
Kagome stopped looking at the back of her friend who sounded on the verge of tears. “Rin what’s going on?”
Rin shook her head. “Kagome please just go, I have to get to Audrain. I have to.”
Kagome took a step closer then looked back at Jaken who had stayed way back and Inuyasha who had his arms crossed looking impatient as always. “Rin. This is too dangerous what’s so important that you have to get to her?”
Taking a deep shaky breath Rin turned around. Kagome almost fell over seeing her friend swollen, obviously pregnant.
“What the…” Inuyasha commented. Kagome couldn’t ask the question but of course Inuyasha having almost no manners asked. “Is that Sesshomaru’s?”
Rin’s expression told them it was. “It was only one night and in the morning he told me..” the memory burned in her mind. “You disgust me. I’m going. Do not follow me any more.”
“That’s horrible.” Kagome gasped.
“That’s Sesshomaru.” Inuyasha growled. “So now he’s left you and his unborn child alone.”
“No!” Rin cried. “He didn’t know. How could he know about his child?” She looked down and touched her belly tenderly.
“But I still don’t understand why you want to go to Audrain?”
“I know why.” Inuyasha spoke up coming beside Kagome. “She wants the child to be full blooded so that Sesshomaru will acknowledge it as his. He won’t allow anyone to know he has a half breed child. I wouldn’t be surprised if he found out, that he would try to kill it.”
Rin winced at his words. “It’s not just that. I don’t want to hurt Lord Sesshomaru. He deserves an heir that is worthy of him.”
Inuyasha harrumphed and shook his head. “He never deserved such loyalty Rin. He’s just a jerk who does what he wants and isn’t willing to take the responsibility of his actions.”
Kagome went to Rin putting her arm around her. “You know. I think he was more angry at himself than you Rin. But if you die then so does his child.” Her hand touched Rin’s belly. “Do you want that?”
Rin’s lip quivered but she drew herself up and looked at Kagome. “I can’t have a half breed child Kagome. I love this child, I don’t want to hurt it but I also don’t want it to go through what Inuyasha went through. He would hate the child, I could survive him hating me but not our child. “
There was a long silence Kagome looked at Inuyasha. His face was a mask of pain remembering his past and all the horrible things he went through because of his human mother’s blood.
“Alright then. Kagome you go home, I’ll take Rin to Audrain.” Rin gaped at Inuyasha.
“No I’m not going anywhere. We’ll both take her.” Kagome looked at Inuyasha daring him to argue but her husband after ten years had learned not to argue with her. He grimaced but didn’t say anything.
“I don’t know how to thank you. Both of you.” Rin smiled faintly.
Kagome looked back to Ah-Un, where Jaken sat looking the other way. “It wasn’t just us, Jaken came to tell us what you were doing. He said Sesshomaru told him to keep an eye on you.”
She looked back and walked to the yokai demonic horse like dragon. “Master Jaken.”
“This would have never happened if Lord Sesshomaru just let you die all those years ago.” Jaken began in a whisper. “I knew, I knew if you stayed too long you would corrupt my Lord. This is all your fault Rin!”
“Jaken!” Kagome scolded.
Rin sighed. “No, He’s right. I often wondered why Lord Sesshomaru let me stay by his side. As I grew up I could sense things changing between us but his pride would never allow it. If he had let me stay dead, this would never have happened.”
“Heh. Sesshomaru made his choice, whatever his reasons. This is his fault, not yours.” Inuyasha said harshly. “Now let’s go we only two days left. And there are allot of Demons who are going to be on the same trail.”
*
He stood on the mountain looking down, her scent was carried on the wind. His face expressionless, he jumped down effortlessly down towards the valley. His silver hair shone in the sunlight his two swords on his hip. His mind raced with images of that night.
He watched her laying in the moonlight. She had grown to be a beautiful woman, her loyalty never wavered, even for an instant. It was hours before he had gathered enough strength, or perhaps it was weakness to go to her. She never protested or asked for any sort of promise. But he knew she loved him, he had seen it in her eyes for years. When the sun rose he looked at her and was horrified at himself for what he had done. He pushed her away so that she could never want to have him near her again. Then he sent Jaken to watch over her.
His demon strength sent his body flying effortlessly over the landscape his eyes focused on the crack in the earth where nothing came out alive.
*
“Wind Scar!” The wave of energy from the Tetsusaiga blasted away hordes of lesser demons while Kagome shot blessed arrows at them. There seemed to be no end to how many kept coming at them.
“Damn. They’re not going to stop.” Inuyasha swore jumping back in front of Rin and Jaken who still sat on the two headed dragon. Kagome pulled another arrow and shot the last of the most recent wave of demons but they all knew there were going to be more. Rin grabbed her stomach feeling a shooting pain down her legs and in her lower back.
“Rin. Are you alright?” Kagome asked coming to her side. Rin nodded breathing deep. Kagome grimaced. “You can’t walk anymore. Come on you have to get up on Ah-Un.” Rin nodded reluctantly and Jaken who was about to protest got a growl from Inuyasha and finally nodded allowing her up. The dragon’s one head turned to nuzzle her gently remembering Rin was always kind to him.
Inuyasha was breathing heavily for him which was barely noticeable to anyone but Kagome and she was tired and almost out of arrows. They were only a day away and the light was slowly getting brighter day and night. The light was emanating from up ahead where Audrain lay about to awaken. Inuyasha began grumbling again as they walked.
