InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Rescued by Fate ❯ From Nightmares to Memories ( Chapter 5 )

 

 

 

Disclaimer: Me: I own all rights to Inuyasha!

Lawyers: Um no you don't they belong to Rumiko

Me: Hmmm ok but Sesshy's mine!

Lawyers: Uh no no he's not

Me: Shut up! A girl can dream can't she!

Lawyers: Just so long as you don't drool

Me: He he I shall make no promises…

 

 

A/N: Why oh why don't you guys review? It makes me so sad. :( Sigh oh well I guess it can't be helped. But seriously it would be really great if you guys would just say something, anything, I don't care. If you don't like it then tell me and I'll try to improve it. If you do tell me so I know I'm doing ok. It would really be appreciated. Much Thanks to anyone who even bothered to read this. Now on with the story! Chapter Five!

 

**Dream**

`Thought'

*Flashback*

 

 

 

 

Rescued by Fate

 

 

Chapter Five- From Nightmares to Memories

 

 

**She was running, running through a flower field as the blood that dripped off her stained the delicate petals. She loved flowers. Oh how she loved them. But she couldn't stop to admire them, she had to run. Run and not look back. It was coming closer and closer with every step she took.

 

She was out of breath, out of energy. She'd lost too much blood. It laid behind her in streaks on the soft earth, staining it a rich crimson. His favorite color. Her legs were tired, her body weak, she ached all over, but she wouldn't give up. She had to keep going, she had to get away, she couldn't let it happen again. No. Never again.

 

Her feet pounded on the ground as the beating of her heart pounded in her head. With every pump blood seeped through her many wounds. Each beat was steadily getting slower. And soon, very soon, it would stop beating all together. She would bleed to death, she knew that, but still she had to get away.

 

She wouldn't let the monster have one last thrill. She wanted simply to die in peace. All alone. Like before.

 

`Wait!' She stopped dead in her tracks… `Before?' … `I died before?' She looked behind her at her pursuer. But it wasn't who she expected. The monster had changed. It no longer took the shape of a sadistically cruel fire demon, but instead it took the shape of five hungry wolves. She whipped around and started sprinting through the field as fast as she could. `No! I won't let them get me again! I've got to get away!'

 

`The light! I've got to get to the light! I'll be safe there! He'll protect me!' …………

 

`He?'…'How do I know it's a man?'…'I don't know how I know it, but…I do. It's a man…no…not a man…a demon…a demon with long silver hair.'

 

`He's in the forest! He's waiting for me to come back! I've got to get to the forest! I've got to get to him!'

 

The wolves were gaining on her. She just couldn't run fast enough. All the blood she'd lost was slowing her down. But despite all odds she made it to the forest. She was barely at a jog now. Her breathing was labored and tears leaked from her eyes, looking like little sparkles in the night. So close. Almost there.

 

She wasn't watching where she was running and so she did not see the tree root sticking out of the ground. Her foot caught on it and she cried out as she fell to the ground. She got up on her hands and knees to look behind her. The wolves leaped into the air, ready to strike.

 

She cried out a name. A name she knew would be her only hope. He would come for her. He would save her. He always did.

 

“Lord Sesshomaru!”

 

She saw a white light flash before her and then she heard someone calling her name.**

 

“Rin! Wake up Rin!” She was thrashing in her sleep and crying out. He shook her and tried to wake her up from her nightmare. “Rin!”

 

Her eyes shot open and she immediately stilled. She fought to catch her breath as she tried to figure out where she was.

 

She was in a forest and there was a campfire near her. The skies were grey, it was nearly dawn. She looked up to see Ichigo leaning over her, looking to see if she was alright.

 

She sat up and looked at Ichigo. “Are you alright?” he asked her. His voice was calm, but she could hear the worry in it. She nodded, keeping her eyes lowered. “Another nightmare?” She nodded again.

 

“But,” she started her voice barely above a whisper “this time, it was…different.” She kept her gaze on the ground, trying to remember her dream.

 

Ichigo looked at her with a questioning gaze. “Different? Different how?” He knew what her nightmares were about. She had told him before what all happened. How she dreamed of the night she was attacked and how she would try to get away, but would always end up dying before she could escape. She'd been having the same nightmare for two weeks now, ever since they left the castle.

 

But he wondered how her dream was different. He wondered what had changed. And why it had changed. He looked down at her questioningly, waiting for her to answer.

 

Rin thought over her dream. Remembering exactly what had changed. “This time, instead of him killing me, I was killed by…wolves.” “And what's weird is, I think it actually happened…when I was little.” She finished her explanation and looked up at him.

 

He sat there looking puzzled, like there was something off about what she was telling him. He scratched his head and looked over at her. “But, how is that even possible?” “If you were killed by wolves before, then explain to me how you're here now.”

 

She had to admit, this part had her puzzled as well. But at the same time she just knew, she knew she had died before. She knew she was killed by wolves. But Ichigo was right, how was she alive now if she was killed once before.

 

“I don't know how I'm still alive, or what happened after that. I just know that I died once before. And it was the wolves that did it.” She tried to remember the rest of her dream. But all she could remember was being chased by wolves, and then nothing as everything went black. But it didn't stay black, soon it also went white. `But why would it go white? If I was dead wouldn't it be black?'

 

Ichigo stared at her. He didn't know why, but he felt as though he just had to believe her. The girl just wasn't capable of lying. `So either it really did happen or she just truly believes it happened.' “Well it doesn't matter, you're here now and that's what's important.” He walked over to her and gave her a hug. “And now that I'm here no one will ever hurt you again. Not Makoto, not some stupid wolves, no one.”

 

She returned the hug and smiled as he held her close. She knew she could trust him. And being so close to him made her feel warm. “Thank You,” she whispered in his ear. He let her go and told her it was no problem. Then he helped her stand. “Well, should we get breakfast started; I wanna get moving early today, since we're already up.” He made a good point. “Alright sure,” she answered happily.

 

Rin went off to gather more fire wood and some edible plants while Ichigo went off to get a fresh kill. Fresh meat was always good to have for breakfast, especially when they had a long day of traveling ahead of them.

 

Breakfast was started in no time and soon they were eating their morning meal of cooked rabbits and mushrooms, a delicacy in their eyes. They ate quickly and quietly, as they did every morning. Once they finished they packed everything back up, put out the fire, and began on their way.

 

They would travel all day with few breaks and would set up camp at sundown to rest for the night. They weren't exactly sure where they were going, only that they wanted to put as much distance between them and the fire demons as possible.

 

Ichigo, at first, thought the traveling would be difficult for Rin. But she seemed to be quite at ease. It was as if she'd traveled her whole life and this was completely normal to her. She didn't really tire till the end of the day and although he sometimes had to carry her awhile, he didn't mind.

 

She also knew a lot about the plant life in whatever area they came to. She could easily point out which plants were edible and which ones weren't. When he asked her how she knew that she'd told him she couldn't remember exactly, but she thought someone had taught her once. She wondered if it had been her parents. But Ichigo hadn't pressed the matter. He wasn't going to force her to remember, he knew the memories would come back in time.

 

He looked over at her. She was walking steadily next to him with a bright smile on her face. She was so happy out here. The fresh air, the wild, the flowers, he knew she loved it all. `She's like a child of nature' he thought to himself. She was humming now, thoroughly enjoying herself. He loved seeing her so happy. She had been through so much that it brought joy to his heart to see she was still able to move on.

 

He wondered what would happen to them, in the future. His father had suggested he find a human village for Rin and then go find a demon mate for himself. But the thought of leaving Rin now suddenly sounded devastating and the thought of being with a demon woman didn't interest him at all. `I wonder if we could just stay together?' `Would she mind?' He didn't know. He just knew he didn't want to leave her yet, and he hoped she didn't want to leave him yet either.

 

Rin's mind was completely at peace as she trotted merrily down the path. She loved traveling; it felt so natural to her. It felt like… home. She mildly wondered if maybe she had traveled a lot in the past. But she soon forgot it as she became distracted by a singing bird flying over head.

 

She started humming, trying to mimic the bird, but soon started making up her own song.

 

(Humming to the tune of her song in Eps. 77)

 

She started singing softly, letting her mind drift, she wasn't even aware of what she was singing. She was just content to be in the forest, and she loved looking at all the wonderful flowers. She was singing quietly, but Ichigo could still hear her with his demon ears.

 

In the mountains in the breeze

In the forest in my dreams

Lord Sesshomaru where are you

Jaken is serving under you too

I will wait for you on my own

Please return to me waiting all alone (Sorry I know it's the English version of her song but hey I'm not Japanese so…)

 

 

She closed her eyes and continued humming the lost song of her past. Not even realizing the words to the song would lead to some forgotten memories. She found herself wishing she weren't walking, but instead riding on something. `A horse?...No…something bigger…scaly…like a dragon or something.'

 

“AhUn.” The name escaped her lips. And she hadn't even realized she'd said anything until she looked over at Ichigo and saw that he was starring at her.

 

“What did you say?” he asked her. She was starting to worry him. He wondered if she'd hit her head earlier or something.

 

“What?” “What did I say?” she asked. She didn't know what he was talking about.

 

“You said AhUn.” “What's an AhUn?” he asked her. “And who were those other people you were talking about?”

 

Now she thought he was crazy. She didn't remember saying anything.

 

“I don't know what an AhUn is and what other people?”

 

He was staring at her intensely now. `Seriously, did she fall on a rock?' “Those people you were singing about.” “Lord Sesshomaru and Jaken or something like that.”

 

They had stopped walking now and Rin regarded him seriously. `Did I really say those things? What does it mean? AhUn. Jaken. Lord Sesshomaru. Who are they? Why am I singing songs with their names in it?'

 

She thought about it for a moment and remembered she'd always sung that song, ever since she was young. She'd never known what it meant or who the names belonged to, she just knew that she liked it. It always made her feel better. She didn't feel so alone when she sang it.

 

“I've sung that song since I was little, but I don't know who they are,” she answered truthfully. She wondered if all the mental stress she'd been under over the past eight years had finally driven her insane. But the look Ichigo gave her said otherwise.

 

He looked at her in silent understanding. `She must have known them in her past. I wonder how much time it'll take until she remembers completely. And if she does remember…will she want to go find them? Will she want to be with them? Will she leave me?'

 

“You probably knew them before you came to the castle,” he told her. “And now since you're out of that wretched place and no longer have to worry about it, you're finally starting to remember.”

 

She nodded at him letting everything sink in. `He's right. I think I did know them. I wonder how long it'll take till I remember them completely?' She hoped it would be soon. She desperately wanted to remember her past. She hated not knowing, not remembering anything except her life at the castle. She longed for happy memories, happy times. She wanted whatever life she'd had back. She wanted to go…home.

 

She realized that's all she'd ever wanted…a home. A place where she fitted in, where she truly belonged. She wanted that more then anything. She hoped her memories would lead her home. And soon.

 

They continued on their way, silently, getting lost in their thoughts. And soon the sun began its inevitable descent toward the ground. They would have to find a place to stop for the night.

 

Rin watched as the color of the sky slowly began to change. It went from its brilliant blue to light pink then darker pink with streaks of oranges and golds. The sunset truly was a beautiful sight. She looked over at Ichigo to see that he was enjoying the sight too. She wondered if they would watch more sunsets together in the future… `Together.'... She found she liked that idea.

 

`Ichigo truly is an amazing person,' she mused. She loved having him with her. In fact, if it weren't for him, she probably wouldn't have even made it this far. She remembered how he had helped her those first few nights after they'd left the castle. How he had been there for her, comforting her, holding her. She would have never made it without him.

 

*Flashback*

 

**Eyes. Cold, lust red eyes stared at her, boring into her soul. Piercing her mind and forever burning their image in her unwanted memory.

 

A smile. A cocky, evil smile clearly stood out against the cruel face. A smile she'd seen before.

 

Hands. Rough, hard hands were roaming her body.

 

Touching. Touching her in places too painful to mention.

 

Claws. Long, sharp claws dragging across her skin, marring her flesh and spilling her blood, staining them crimson red.

 

Fangs. Smooth, rough fangs nipping and biting, wanting to cause pain.

 

Pain. Pain she'd never known burned through her, ripping her, tearing her, and spilling her innocent blood.

 

Monster. The only word that could describe such a creature.

 

He stood over her. Looking proud and satisfied. But still, even with already causing her so much pain…it wasn't enough. He wanted more. He always wanted more. He would have her. He would have her over and over and over again. She couldn't stand it. She wouldn't let it happen. She had to get away.

 

She was running, running through a flower field as the blood that dripped off her stained the delicate petals. She loved flowers. Oh how she loved them. But she couldn't stop to admire them, she had to run. Run and not look back. It was coming closer and closer with every step she took.

 

She was out of breath, out of energy. She'd lost too much blood. It laid behind her in streaks on the soft earth, staining it a rich crimson. His favorite color. Her legs were tired, her body weak, she ached all over, but she wouldn't give up. She had to keep going, she had to get away, she couldn't let it happen again. No. Never again.

 

Her feet pounded on the ground as the beating of her heart pounded in her head. With every pump blood seeped through her many wounds. Each beat was steadily getting slower. And soon, very soon, it would stop beating all together. She would bleed to death, she knew that, but still she had to get away.

 

She refused to let the monster have her. Her running slowed and her body jerked involuntarily as her aching legs finally gave out. She fell hard to the ground. She lay there, not wanting to move. But she had to keep going.

 

She clutched the grass in her hands as she tried desperately to pull her herself still further away. Tears streamed down her cheeks, adding even more liquid to the ever growing puddle of her own blood.

 

She screamed then. Releasing every conflicting emotion she had left in her. She screamed until her throat was raw and she could scream no more. Silent sobs racked the young girl's body. And the only sound that could be heard from her was the steadily decreasing beat of her own heart.

 

Her vision was blurry. It was getting darker. She barely even noticed the pain anymore. She was alone. She was at peace. And as her vision faded to black, she knew no more.**

 

“Rin.”

 

It was distant, like an echo. She could barely hear it.

 

“Rin.”

 

Stronger that time, but still distant.

 

“Rin, wake up!” “Rin, please wake up!”

 

Rain. She felt rain. It fell on her in cool drops, chilling her heated skin.

 

Warmth. She felt warm. And comfort. She felt comfort. She was in someone's arms. They were holding her, rocking her. “Rin!” They were calling her.

 

Pain. She felt pain. Her chest and arms throbbed. They felt sticky. Her nails felt dirty, and grimy.

 

Her eyes fluttered, then opened fully. `Ichigo.' He was holding her, concern evident on his handsome face. His eyes shone with worry, worry for her. He had her arms held tight in his embrace and she wondered why she was being restrained. She tried to sit up, but quickly laid back down as she winced, feeling a sharp pain shoot across her chest.

 

“Careful,” she heard his voice say. “You're injured.”

 

`I'm injured?' She looked down at her chest. It was smeared with a dark red, sticky substance. `Blood.' It oozed from the deep, angry cuts. She looked down at her arms. Scratches ran from her shoulders to her wrists and blood spilled from them as well.

 

She looked up at Ichigo. He still looked worried…and pained. It's like it hurt to look at her, to see her like this. But something else was bothering him too. And it had to do with her injuries.

 

“W…Who did this?” she whispered, her voice scratchy. Ichigo wouldn't let anyone hurt her. He would protect her. She knew she was safe with him. So then how did she become so badly wounded?

 

He looked away for a moment, afraid to tell her, then looked back. He gently took one of her hands and brought it up to her face to show her.

 

“You did, Rin,” he answered softly.

 

Her eyes were wide in shock at seeing her own hand, or rather, her nails. They were covered with flesh and blood. Her flesh and blood. She had done this to herself. She had savagely clawed at her own body. The pain she felt was caused by her.

 

No. Not her. She wasn't to blame for this. It was him. It was his fault. He made her do this.

 

The thought of him being able to control and hurt her even when he wasn't around made her feel sick. The thought of her doing this to herself made her feel sick. The memories of the night before and what he had done made her feel sick. It was all too much.

 

She rolled over to the side and wretched until her stomach was empty and she was left with dry heaves. Her breathing was labored and warm tears slid down her cheeks.

 

Ichigo held her hair back and rubbed small circles on her back. He whispered words of comfort, telling her it would be ok. It would get easier after awhile.

 

But she didn't want to listen. All she wanted to do was push him away and run. Run until her lungs gave out and she couldn't think anymore. She wanted the numbness to overcome her mind, to not worry about anything in the world.

 

She remembered how at peace she was in her mind when the blackness consumed her. She wanted to die.

 

But she couldn't move. She was too weak. All she could do was fall into Ichigo's arms and cry. Her hands clung desperately to his haori, never wanting to let go. Her hands clenched and unclenched as she screamed out all her pain into the silent night. The rain falling on her mixed with her tears and she cried until her eyes were dry and sleep overcame her once again.

 

Ichigo held her all night and although her hands never released their firm grasp on him, not once did she stir.

 

*End of Flashback*

 

She remembered how the night after that she'd had the same nightmare, but Ichigo had not once left her side. He'd helped her clean and heal her wounds and tried his best to console her.

 

Without him there to help her, she was sure she would've killed herself. She'd even tried it once, when she was completely awake and aware of her actions. She remembered how Ichigo had helped her then too.

 

*Flashback*

 

She lay against a tree, waiting for him to return. He had gone off to a small village near by to get some more supplies. It was probably weapons or medicinal herbs or something. She didn't know. He hadn't told her. All he'd said was that he was going there and he'd be back soon.

 

She tilted her head up to look at the sky. Not a cloud in sight. The sun was high up in the sky, almost directly overhead. And its beautiful rays poured down on the forest below. It was warm, but the shaded area helped to cool it down. A breeze picked up and the wind tossed about the mighty trees in a brilliant dance. It played with her hair and tickled her face.

 

`Another beautiful day' she thought. But she wasn't enjoying it, not really. It had been four days since they'd fled and she'd had nightmares every night. Her days weren't much better then her nights as she often sat thinking about everything that had happened. And that's what she was doing right now.

 

No matter what she did she couldn't stop thinking about it. It plagued her every thought. She tried forgetting about it, tried pushing it out of her mind, but she couldn't. She'd fought and fought with herself about it. It was driving her crazy.

 

She knew she should be happy, she was finally free after all, but she couldn't help feel so horrible. One look at her healing arms reminded her of how disgusting she was, how impure.

 

No one would want her now. There was no way she could ever get married. Ever have a family. She had been enslaved and used and now she was nothing but a demon's whore. He hadn't marked her, but in a way he still owned her.

 

She knew she could just lie about it. Pretend she was an innocent virgin. But she knew the minute anyone touched her in an intimate way, the truth would come out. They would see through her mask to her pain, they would see her shame for what she really was and then they would no longer want her. She would be left all alone as an outcast in whatever village she was in.

 

She supposed she could just come out and tell the truth from the beginning, but who would accept her after all this. They would be so repulsed that she was touched by a demon that they would never give her a chance. Not to mention the fact that she'd been hurting herself. They'd see her as crazy, a nutcase, too much to handle. And once again she'd become an outcast.

 

No one would ever want her again. She was dirty and filthy. She had no future.

 

Rin wasn't sure she could bear to live with that. The shame and guilt was already becoming too painful for her to handle. She knew it would only get worse. She would see the way people looked at her and then her suspicions would be confirmed.

 

She rocked back and forth as silent tears slid down her face. Her grip on her arms grew tighter as she gritted her teeth. She wanted to scream out her frustration, but was afraid she'd draw attention to herself. And Kami knows she didn't want that. The last thing she wanted or needed right now was to be around others.

 

Rin decided that she would never want to be around them again. The only way she would be able to live her life was if she became a hermit, a recluse who lived alone in the woods somewhere away from civilization. And what kind of life was that? It wasn't one.

 

She decided she couldn't stand herself anymore, couldn't stand to suffer anymore of this pain. No one would miss a filthy little whore. No one would care. And she could end her pain. She could end everyone's pain. All she had to do was. . .

 

She lifted her head and looked around. There wasn't much she had to work with. And there wasn't much time. Ichigo would be back soon. And he would surely try and stop her, babbling some nonsense about why she shouldn't end her life. She knew he was just saying those things because he felt sorry for her and couldn't tell her the truth. She disgusted him too. She was sure of it. She was a burden to him. He had to take care of a girl who was a mess. It couldn't be easy.

 

`Well this will solve his problems as well' she thought. He won't have to worry about her anymore. She thought carefully about what to do and weighed her options. She could slit her wrists, but if she did that there was a chance Ichigo could get back in time to save her. Also it would be painful. She could stab herself with a stick. It would kill her fast and he wouldn't be able to help her. But it would be extremely painful. She didn't want anymore pain. The pain was what she was trying to get away from. She could eat a poisonous plant. She could easily tell which ones they were, but the thought of her puking for hours before she died didn't seem very appealing. She would be miserable and Ichigo could probably find an antidote.

 

She could jump from a high tree. She would be killed on impact and the feeling of flying through the air would give her a last thrill before she died. She decided that was her best option and quickly set to finding the tallest and sturdiest tree there.

 

It didn't take long and soon she was climbing it. She climbed as high as she could and stopped only when she was sure the tree wouldn't be able to support her weight if she went higher. She turned around and gasped.

 

Her eyes sparkled in delight as they beheld the view before her. She could see over the tree tops to the glorious mountains in the distance. Birds were flying in the air making the scenery majestic and incredible. The sun shined brightly above her, bathing her in its light and warmth. The wind picked up again and she noticed it was a lot stronger up here. It blew her hair in all directions and tore a few leaves from their branches. The wind carried the leaves to her and they encircled her making her look like a goddess of trees. She let a smile grace her face and a laugh escape her lips.

 

This feeling. This rush. It was so amazing. She remembered how she'd admired the wind while she was at the castle. How she wanted to be like it. She wanted to be free. `And now' she realized `I finally will be.'

 

And with that she stepped off the branch and let gravity pull her to the hard depths of the forest below.

 

It was painful as the branches caught her and tore at her skin. And as she fell she found herself suddenly wishing she hadn't done this. So what if she wasn't pure, a lot of things in this world aren't. She had a right to live. She wanted to live. She started to panic and tried desperately to think of a way to stop this.

 

She screamed out hoping someone would hear her. “Help Me!” she shrieked. But it was too late. The ground was nearing and she was going to hit it. She squeezed her eyes shut and prepared for the collision…

 

She felt her body jerk to the side as two strong arms wrapped tightly around her. She was no longer falling, but instead soaring through the air. They landed on the ground softly and with such ease that it amazed her.

 

She looked up to find a pair of glowing purple eyes staring down at her. Worry was in those eyes and confusion. And suddenly Rin felt ashamed of what she'd tried to do.

 

He set her down and bent down to her eyelevel. He was staring at her intensely and she found the ground very interesting at the moment. She felt his gaze on her, but she couldn't look at him.

 

“Rin. What happened?”

 

And there it was. The very question she did not want to answer. She remained silent so Ichigo tried again.

 

“Why were you in that tree?”

 

Silence.

 

“Rin……Did you fall…or…did you jump?” he asked softly.

 

Silence.

 

Warm tears slid down her cheeks.

 

“I'm sorry,” she whispered.

 

She felt a finger under her chin, lifting her face up. She opened her eyes. And instead of seeing an angry face staring at her, she saw one so full of emotion she didn't know what to do.

 

He looked sad, yet guilty. `Why does he feel guilty? He didn't do anything. I chose to jump on my own. I wanted to do it. It had nothing to do with him.'

 

She didn't understand. She was so confused right now. And seeing his face like that, so full of pain. It broke her heart. She'd scared him she realized. And right then and there she vowed to never do something so selfish again.

 

She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him into a tight hug. “I'm so sorry,” she whispered into his ear. “I just wasn't thinking clearly and it seemed like an easy way out.”

 

She started crying as she confessed everything she was feeling. And after she'd told him of all her thoughts and fears, she suddenly felt much better.

 

“I should have never left you alone. I had a feeling something like this might happen,” he told her as he held her tighter. “Rin, none of this is your fault. Don't you ever think that for a minute. You're not dirty and you're not marked. Any man would be lucky to have you. And if they don't, then I promise you I will never leave you. I won't let you become an outcast. I'll always be here for you, Rin.”

 

She knew she could trust him. She knew she could count on him. And suddenly, she didn't feel so alone anymore.

 

*End of Flashback*

 

He had made her a promise that day. One she would never forget. He would always be there for her if she needed him. She just wondered how long that would be. `Will I need him for the rest of my life? Or will-'

 

A loud bang interrupted her thoughts. She looked to the right to see five trees on the ground and a huge ugly demon standing where they once were.

 

Ichigo quickly got into a protective stance in front of Rin, telling her to get back. The demon took a step towards them and Ichigo was instantly in the air. He used his claws to dispel of the demon and it fell to a heap on the forest floor. Ichigo seemed to float through the air before landing beside her. `How does he do that?' she wondered.

 

She looked over at him expecting them to continue walking, but Ichigo was still on edge. His eyes kept glancing around them, waiting for something to attack. They didn't have to wait long.

 

A huge blast of fire came from out of the trees. Ichigo swiftly grabbed Rin and jumped out of the way. She could feel the heat from the fire as it flew past them, setting the surrounding trees ablaze. The dark forest was immediately illuminated with the fire's light and smoky ash filled the air.

 

He set her down in a safe location and then returned to fight. Rin watched as he pulled his katana from its sheath. She'd never seen him use it before and she wondered what it did.

 

A laugh was heard from the trees as the fire demon stepped out into the open and made himself known. It was Satake. Makoto's general. Rin knew he was as evil and mischievous as his twin brats. This was not going to be an easy fight. She found herself worried for Ichigo. `Can he beat him?'

 

Ichigo narrowed his eyes at Satake, causing him to cease his laughing. The smile on his face however, only grew.

 

“You going to fight me kid?” he asked Ichigo, his deep voice booming throughout the area.

 

Ichigo only tilted his head in response. He looked deadly.

 

The smile on Satake's face disappeared, leaving only a frown. “Very well then,” he said as he unsheathed his own sword. “Let's get this over with.” And with that he lunged at Ichigo, his sword held high in the air.

 

Ichigo's stance never wavered and he countered the attack with ease. The sound of clashing metal rang out as they continued to fight. They seemed to be equals in battle, each of their blows matching the others. They danced around each other with such grace and precision that Rin almost couldn't believe her eyes.

 

Rin watched with astonishing eyes as they continued to attack each other. However, Satake did have the upper hand. After every few blows he would spit fire from his mouth and Ichigo would have to dodge it, leaving him open to attack from the deadly blade Satake wielded. But Ichigo held his own and not once did he look like he had a weakness.

 

Rin became so engrossed in the raging battle that she didn't hear the footsteps approaching her until it was too late. She felt a hand cover her mouth and nose and an arm slide across her trim waist, dragging her away. She knew where they were taking her. They would take her back to him. And that was something she dreaded more than death itself.

 

She scratched and clawed at the hands that held her, kicking and struggling as best she could. She managed to get her mouth free of the man's hand and bit down hard, teeth piercing flesh and drawing blood. She'd never known blood could taste as good as it did when you were fighting for your freedom and your life. The man holding her cried out and tried to pry her from his aching hand. But to no avail. Rin wasn't about to let go. She wouldn't let this man take her away.

 

But unfortunately, the fates were currently not on her side. Six more fire demons came out of hiding. Three ran off to aid Satake and three ran towards her to help their comrade. She released the man's arm and cried out.

 

“Ichigo! Watch out!”

 

He turned towards her just as she was being roughly pushed to the ground, her face shoved into the dirt. They held her arms behind her back as they tried to tie her feet. She lifted her face to look at Ichigo.

 

He was fighting all four of them on his own and he looked pissed. With one swipe he knocked the three newcomers down and then back flipped through the air till he was a good distance away. Then it happened. His sword changed.

 

The three that held her paused, beholding the sight before them. Kanji symbols engraved on his blade began to burn a bright orange, lighting up one by one until the whole sword was surrounded by the orange aura. She was too far away to see what it read, but she knew it couldn't be anything good.

 

He swung the blade back, then whipped it forward and a huge blast came from it, turning the three demons into nothing but ash. Satake just stood there and smiled.

 

“So you've got yourself a big boy sword now do ya?” He chuckled deep in his throat. “And here I thought this wouldn't be any fun at all.” He held his sword to the side as a dark red aura began to surround it and then he whipped it forward, sending a huge blast at Ichigo. Ichigo looked surprised, but recovered quickly. He leapt to the side just in time to escape the blast.

 

“Come on kid. You wanted to play, so let's play.” He sent another blast at Ichigo, but this time he easily blocked it. He stood up and smirked at the general.

 

“Is that all you got? I must say Satake I'm a little disappointed. I'd heard you were this great warrior, but you don't seem so great to me.”

 

Satake was far from smiling now. In fact he looked down right feral.

 

“You wanna mess with me boy?” he growled out in a deep raspy voice. “Fine.” He held his sword up above his head and waved it around. “ATTACK!” he yelled.

 

Suddenly there were fire demons popping out from everywhere, surrounding them and looking ready for battle. There had to be at least a thousand of them. `There's no way he can beat all of them!' Rin was pulled back to her senses as she felt herself being lifted off the ground.

 

“NO! LET ME GO!” she cried. She fought the best she could, but there were four of them this time and they easily over powered her. She felt a hand smack her hard across the face, then felt the stinging pain on her cheek.

 

“Shut Up!” he yelled at her. She felt a clawed hand around her throat then felt warm breath as he leaned in close to her. “You'd better behave and come quietly now missy. You've caused Lord Makoto a lot of trouble you know and he did give us permission to hurt you if necessary. So keep quiet and come with us or I will beat you until you can't move.”

 

Rin thought about it. She thought about giving up and going quietly, but then she remembered exactly what she'd be going back to. And she knew she had to do something. She wouldn't go back there. She had to fight.

 

She spit at him and watched as it hit him right between the eyes. They narrowed in disgust as he wiped it off and then his hold on her throat tightened. “You stupid bitch! I'll teach you to disrespect me!” He started strangling her, using both hands now. She couldn't breath. She felt her body being jerked back and forth as her feet left the ground. She clawed at his hands, but he wouldn't relinquish his hold on her. Her vision started getting cloudy as she thought `this is it. I'm going to die.'

 

“STAFF OF TWO HEADS!”

 

Orange light blurred in her vision and she felt the grip on her throat loosen as the one holding her screamed out in pain. He dropped her and she fell to a heap on the ground. She waited for her vision to return to normal before looking up at all the commotion.

 

Some weird looking toad thing with bulging yellow eyes was wielding some sort of stick with heads on it. And fire was shooting out of one of the head's mouths. Her captors were all ablaze and fleeing the scene as the toad smirked with pride.

 

`Jaken.' The name floated to the front of her thoughts. But she didn't have time to dwell on it as a blur of white and silver flew past her into the battle.

 

To be continued…

 

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A/N: Muawhahaha a little cliffy for ya there. Well as you can see Sesshomaru is back and unfortunately so is Jaken. How is Rin going to react to seeing the man of her dreams? Literally the man of her dreams. How will Ichigo take all this? Will he get along with Sesshomaru? Find out next time! Please Review!

 

**Reviews make a writer's world go round. Please don't let mine stop spinning.