Inuyasha 1. Chapter 1

AN: Hello everyone! This is my first story here so please leave a review and tell me how I'm doing so far! I will try and update at least once or twice a week, I know that I hate reading a story and then it abruptly ending for weeks or even months, though there are no guarantees for regular updates as I am a freshman in college so exams and finals week will make updates difficult. But my aim is to be finished by Christmas/the New Year so its time to kick things in gear! Please enjoy and remember more reviews make a happy author and a happy author updates faster :) This chapter has 1800-1900 words :)

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Rin Takashi had grown accustomed to a life of wandering, following her Lord wherever he took her. And at the tender age of ten, the young girl had no set home or family. Though she was happy and never understood the hushed tones people seemed to adopt every time she passed through a village. For her, life was perfect. Her lord kept her safe and as long as she was with him, nothing could go wrong. But things suddenly changes after Naraku's death. She remembered Lord Sesshomaru telling her that she would be attending the celebration in Inuyashas village in his place. But when it came time to leave, everything changed.

Lord Sesshomaru had told her, well Jaken had been the one to tell her but she knew that her Lord was the one to originally speak the words and that was all that mattered, to meet him at the edge of the village after the celebration. Rin had spent the evening enjoying the company of Kagome and Sango, but did not understand the looks the older women had given her as the night progresses. _Now I wish I had headed their warnings._

When the sun started to fade from the sky, Rin approached the outskirts of the village. She could see her Lord not too far away, and her short limbs scrambled to meet him faster, afraid of him leaving the village, and her, behind. As Rin approached him, the demon lord did not turn to face her, but his mokomoko and hair blew gently to the side, creating the beauty for which the daiyoukai was known for. Rin took a moment to take in her lord, and realized that only her lord stood on the hilltop with her. Ah-Un and Jaken were nowhere to be found and Jakens telltale screatch for his lord to wait was not even a whisper in the wind.

"Lord Sesshomaru, where is Master Jaken?" Rin was rooted in place, her signature smile barely holding on.

"This Sesshomaru did not wish for his presence," Rin let out a relieved sigh. She knew that the toad demon could grate on her lords nerves and was often sent away to do menial tasks. "and this Sesshomaru can no longer handle yours." There was a moment where Rin thought she had misheard her Lord, but when he turned and he somehow seemed colder than ever before.

"My... My lord?" Rin prayed to every deity and god she knew that she has simply misheard her lord and that he was not abandoning her.

"Rin will stay in the village with Kaede to learn. This Sesshomaru will return to take back Rin, if she has proven herself worthy." And with a blast of light, the powerful dia yuki was gone.

She was found hours later by a concerned Shippo, who upon returning to the hut for the night had heard the wailing of a young girl's life shattering.

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That was eight long years ago. Rin, now a beautiful young woman, had grown out of her awkward young body and into a more mature, nimble one. In those eight years, Rin had mastered many of the disciplines that resided in the village. Kaede had explained to the distraught young girl, that her lord had not abandoned her. He had expressed concern at Rin returning to his home at a young age and no specialties or talents. By staying in the village Rin could learn and become useful.

At first Rin had been distraught, and unable to do much more than eat and sleep. But after poking and prodding from Kagome, the young girl had left the hut and begun her training. Rin had trained with Kaede for the first two years of her life in the village, learning everything she could about healing and caring for others. When it became apparent that the student was now teaching the master, Rin was passed over to Kagome and Sango. Kagome taught the young girl how to behave like a lady ("I must know how to behave in my lord's presence when he returns for me!") and Sango taught the young woman how to defend herself and wield a sword. And over the past six years Rin trained, and trained. The young woman soon took over the demon slaying duties from Sango, as she was with child more often than not and unable to complete those duties. She was often hired out to other villages and has amassed quite the wealth and name for herself over the years. But this was not the only reason the young woman was popular.

Rin has become known as Utsukushī kirā, or the beautiful killer. Her midnight black hair fell to her waist, and her expressive brown eyes could turn as cold as a winter night when hunting the demons that plagued the villages. Her body was curvaceous but nimble as she crept about at night, seeing danger before it saw her. Her skin held a tan, showing the world that this was not a delicate lady, but a woman who worked for her meals. The kimonos she received as gifts from her many suitors were left in her dresser collecting dust while her hunters outfit was worn and showed the use that it received.

Her outfit was unique among the other demon slayers. While many chose to dress like Sango, with a base outfit of black and accents of different colors, Rin took special pride in her work. Having modeled it off of her memory of her lord, her outfit retained the base of black, but held the red accents of her lords outfit. Her obi was an exact replica of her lords yellow and purple and her armour was white with the crest of the west in the center. This reminded her that she was still the ward of a great demon lord that would one day return for her... she hoped.

Every year, on the anniversary of the celebration, Rin would pack her belongings and set them on the hill top. She would leave the party as the sun set and wait till morning for her lord to take her back, and as she packed her bags for the eighth time, Kagome entered her hut.

"Rin, how is the packing coming along?" Kagome had long since given up on persuading Rin to not pack, and simply helped the girl pack away her necessities.

"The same as usual Kagome, how is the baby doing?" Rin glanced down at Kagomes swollen stomach and a shot of jealousy shot through her. Why can't that be me?

"He's a little restless today," Her hand stopped her folding to rub her belly for a moment before continuing. "This will be the last time that we pack you up Rin, I can feel it." Rin flashed her best friend a smile and hoped that it would cover up the doubt that was weighing on her chest. The young demon slayer had started to lose hope that her lord would ever return for her. She had tried for years to become as useful as possible, trying to please a demon that could possibly never get over that she was a frail human.

"I hope so as well Kagome, where is Sango? She is normally here by now..." Sango had, in the past few years, also taken to helping Rin pack. Both women claimed that if Rin was not to be with them in the morning then they wanted to share a few last moments with the girl to prepare her for the journey.

"I'm sorry for running late!" Sango was leaning against the door frame, gasping for air as she peered at the two younger women. "The kids would not settle down for Miroku and I had to calm them before I could leave." Sango and Miroku had married not long after the defeat of Naraku. Though they had not started to have children until Rin was trained and taking over her duties. The family had grown from a quiet house of two, to a rambunctious house of six in the past few years.

"So are we going to begin with our parting wisdom?" Kagome giggled and Sango came to sit near Rin, helping her air out some of her nicer kimonos for packing.

"Well, let's see. Never go anywhere without your dagger!"

"Sango!" Kagome and Rin pouted together, knowing that was not the information they were looking for. Sango laughed and brushed off another kimono.

"Well that is good practical advice, especially for a demon slayer living in a castle full of demons! But alas, you want advice on men," Sango paused, thinking for a moment. "Never give them all that they want, leave them begging you for more! Any human man will fall to his knees for you Rin, but demons may take a bit more work!" The group of women laughed, flashing back to the last group of men that had tried asking for Rins hand.

"And never give up! Even if the tides seem to be against you, keep fighting." A sad look flashed across Kagome's face as the three year separation from Inuyasha was pulled to the forefront of her mind.

"I won't Kagome." Rin took the pregnant woman's hands in her own, squeezing them and pulling her back to the present. "I have waited this long for My Lord, anything else will seem trivial in comparison!" The last of Rins material possessions had been locked away in either her traveling bag, a gift from Kagome (she called it a back pack?), or in Kagomes closet for donation after she left. There was a curt knock at the hut door, and as the Rin pulled it open, Inuyasha stood in the doorway.

"Ladies." Inuyasha had not changed in the years that Rin had been in the village. He still stood in his signature stance (arms tucked away in his sleeve, an uncaring scowl on his face), but concern for his pregnant mate shown in his eyes. Rin had always had the gift of reading a person's, human or demon, eyes. No matter how hard their face may seem, the young demon slayer was a firm believer that the eyes were the window to the soul, and that had yet to fail her.

"We were just coming out, Inuyasha. Just have to put my bags outside Kaede's hut and everything will be ready to go." Rin slung the backpack over her shoulder and started her way up the hill, followed by Sango. A loud rumble had alerted them to Kagomes growing appetite and Inuyasha was shuffling her off to the celebration. Rin set her things down by the hut, just a few meters away from the place this all started. Rin lost her self in the memories but was pulled out a moment later by the gentle pressure of Sangos hand on her shoulder.

In that moment, Rin made a decision. If her Lord did not come tonight, then he was never coming, she would find herself a nice husband and settled down. And in that moment she once again prayed, and hoped that someone, somewhere would listen.


	2. Chapter 2

**AN**: Hey everyone! Due to the exciting amount of follows and reviews (it may not seem like a lot to you but I do a dance every time I get one and you brighten my day!) I am updating today! I will try and get in another chapter by the weekend, but alas life does not always work out the ways you want it too :( I will try and respond with a PM thank you to all the reviews and follows as I get them, but again no guarantees :( Certain reviews will get comments at the bottom of the story if they left a question that needs to be clarified or just me getting an update :)

**Disclaimer**: Inuyasha, and all of the characters in it, belong to Rumiko Takahashi, they are her toys. I simply borrow them every once in awhile to play with.

_italics = thoughts_

baka is japanese for stupid/idiot (at least from what I have learnt if I am wrong please PM me so I can fix it.)

_**ATTENTION READERS**_! I am also looking for a Beta, as sometimes I make little sense, and I am the only Inuyasha fan amongst my friends. If you are interested please PM me and I will talk with you, before I reach out through the Fanfiction site :)

Story Word Count: 1200-1300 (I think)

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Rin attempted to enjoy the festival. Villages from all around came to celebrate every year. They would come to feast, and many men came to try and ask for Rins hand. Though, tonight was different. The men that normal accosted her every year seem to shake with fear whenever she looked at them. _Thank the Kami's, maybe my reputation as a slayer finally made it through their thick skulls._

Though she had the weight of the night resting on her shoulders, the young demon slayer wished to enjoy her night. Sango and Miroku's children skitted about her feet, begging her to come and play, pulling at her armour. Their youngest, a small girl named Aina, looked curiously between Rin and her mother. Both were dressed in their slayers uniforms, Sango taking the opportunity to always wear it between pregnancies.

"Aunt Rin?" The girl made Rins eyes go soft, loving the title that Aina had gifted her.

"Yes, Aina?" The girl drifted closer to her Aunt, and tugged at her sleeve as though she wanted to tell her a secret. Rin bent down and Sangos daughter cupped her hands around her ear.

"Why does your armour look different than Mommy's?" The girl shifted back, looking around as though she wanted to make sure that no one heard her question.

"Oh, Aina. It is quite alright to ask that." The child looked relieved as Rin knelt down next to her. "I have different armour because I come from a different clan that your mother." The girl still seem curious and Rin guided her over to the nearest empty bench, pleased that suitors seemed to run from her sight. "My clan consists of me, Master Jaken, and Lord Sesshomaru. They are the people that I used to travel with, and I am a ward of Lord Sesshomaru's." The pain of speaking his name had slowly ebbed away, but always returned on this night. Aina seemed to notice her Aunts pain and reached out to hold her hand, as her mother had always done for her.

"It's okay Aunt Rin." The minor amount of comfort spoke volumes to Rin who nearly crushed the girl in a hug.

"Thank you Aina. But I will continue," The girl seemed entranced by Rins voice. "Lord Sesshomaru is the ruler of these lands, and he is often too busy to handle the small matters this near his borders. So since there are no official protectors near here, I will protect it for him. And since I am his ward it is only right that I bear his symbol and let other know who they are messing with."

Kagome had watched Rin for most of the night, making sure that she did not wander off too early. The first few years the young demon slayer would sit on the hilltop for the entire night, scared that her lord would come and she would miss him. But Kagome and Sango slowly started to reel her in for more and more of the festival, only letting her leave just before the sun set. Now it seemed as though Aina was keeping the young slayer busy with questions. The miko glanced around the party, noting the wariness of the suitors. Every year, men from all over the Western Lands would come, using the festival as guise, to ask for Rins hand. They had slowly waned over the years, some being married or killed on the journey.

Inuyasha had been told of the demon attacks on the way to the festival. The year following the first killing Inuyasha had brought in a nearby village of demon slayers to protect the festival goers. The other slayers noted the presence of a strong demon force, but they never approached the villagers, only the young suitors. The half-demon had been figured out the identity of the attacker after the third year, and had stopped the village protection._ If the bakas are stupid enough to continue to come, let them risk their own lives._ Inuyasha appeared at his wife's side, glancing over her, his eyes stopping at her rounded belly.

"Stop staring, Inuyasha." Kagome's cheeks warmed at her husband's attention.

"Soon," He stepped behind her, pulling her close. "very soon," His hands came around her waist, rubbing at her stomach as his child kicked its fathers hands. "you will finally be able to call me _mate_. " The emphasis put on the word mate was not lost on Kagome and her cheeks heated more.

"Why must we wait?" She turned, looking up at the half breed. "Why must mating season hold this over our heads?" Her eyes cast down and a look of sadness floated into her eyes. "I will continue to age until we mate, I will become an old woman by the time that rolls around." Inuyasha grabbed at his future mates chin.

"It is approaching, it will be here soon. Then we can be together until the end of time." He kissed his wife, while both cursing and thanking his demon blood. A demon could not officially claim another as his mate until mating season. Contrary to popular belief, at least with half demons, mating season did not cause a frenzy or men forcing their women. It was a time to bind yourself to another, in both life and death. Kagome's body would feed off of Inuyashas energy, keeping herself alive until the day that he died.

But there was not a set time that the season came. If there was a large number of demons wishing to take a mate then the Gods would bring upon the time. Their demon blood would know and the power to take a mate would be gifted to those ready. The season often lasted for years, because as a few demons took their mates and reproduced, the others would want to do the same.

Inuyasha continued to hold his wife until a strangely familiar scent ghosted through the village. He saw Shippo lift his head, and sniff the air. A look of confusion overcame his face and he glanced over at the half-breed. Inuyasha shook his head, telling the young fox demon not to worry, knowing that his brother would announce himself when he was ready.

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AN: I have just realized that I have never said exactly what the symbol on Rins armour looked like. As I do not know if there is an official symbol I am creating my own. I imagined it as having a white background, with the crescent moon (like Sesshomaru's) in the center. There would be four strips (two from each side) coming in towards the moon, but they are jagged and red like when Sesshomaru is angry. And in the background is two swords clashing. If someone can think of a better one that would be awesome and if you could draw it... YOU GET A VIRTUAL HUG! :) see all you wonderful people next time!


	3. Chapter 3

AN: Hello everyone! I am pushing to get this chapter done, and make it a good length. Thank you for the review icegirljenni and XxHeavensXAnglexX! Please remember that more reviews=faster updates :)

**Disclaimer**: Inuyasha, and all of the characters in it, belong to Rumiko Takahashi, they are their toys. I simply borrow them every once in awhile to play with.

**Attention Readers:** I have found myself a beta, a good friend of mine, BB has agreed to correct my grammar and such. Though she does not know much about Inuyasha, so it will be up to you (the readers) to tell me if I have gotten something wrong! Thanks and enjoy!

Word Count: 1300-1400

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The night continued on, until the villagers started to light the lamps in preparation for the nights arrival. Inuyasha's group grew quite as Rin abandoned her current conversation to head towards the hills. The residents of the village had grown accustomed to the ritual, no longer pausing to watch the girl walk towards disappointment.

Rin was fighting with herself as she climbed the hill. _Why do you do this to yourself every year, Rin? He is a demon lord, a daiyoukai, he does not need a pathetic little human like us._ She looked down as she walked, hoping that if she didn't look up, she could go a little longer believing that he would come back for her. Rin failed to notice the group behind her, consisting of Inuyasha, Miroku, Sango and Kagome. Rin also failed to notice that she had reached the apex of the hill until she ran into a solid mass, and fell to the ground

"You insolent human! How dare you touch Milord!" Jaken's screech seemed to break Rin out of her reverie and as she looked up from her vantage point, silver hair floated into view and the smell of the forest assaulted her nose. The man looked as cold as when she first met him, injured on the forest floor. He didn't seem to age a day, the only thing changed about him was the armour on his shoulder was gone.

"Lord...lord Sesshomaru..." Rin was awe struck. Her lord stood not even two feet from her, and she had just crashed into him. But his eyes seemed locked onto the approaching pack of people. Her aweness faded with an internal crack as she realized that maybe he wasn't here for her, and was just back for his brother. But why tonight? Why not when she was long gone on a mission, and when she would never think of him again?

"Half-breed." That was all the stoic demon said as the group finally reached the trio. Jaken was still prancing about, complaining about human women, but the group let his voice fade to the back of their minds as they always did. Inuyasha ignored his brother, leaning down to help Rin up. He had realized years ago that responding to his brothers taunts only got him in more trouble than it was worth.

"You alright there, Rin?" Inuyasha smiled at the girl and helped her up, brushing some grass off her obi as she righted herself. She nodded at him, and turned, picking up her bags and heading back down the hill. I told you he didn't need us. Give up already. She had made it a total of five shaky steps before a deep voice cut through her conscious.

"Did this Sesshomaru say you should leave Rin?" Rin turned, looking her lord in the eye. Amber eyes burnt brightly for a moment, but were gone the next as she reclaimed her spot next to Kagome. She tried to contain herself, but the smile that seemed to light up the hill refused to be put down bellow the demon slayer mask.

"What do you want with me Sesshomaru?" Inuyasha had stepped back to wrap his arm around his pregnant wife and stared at his half brother intently.

"You and your wife must return with this Sesshomaru to the palace." And with that he turned, heading into the forest, at a slow enough pace to follow.

"Why should I go anywhere with you? My wife is in no shape to travel." Inuyasha stood his ground, wrapping his arm tighter around Kagome's expanded waist.

"Are you as dense as you seem half-breed? Your wife must come to be tried." Every head in the group snapped towards Jaken. He seemed to stutter for a moment before continuing. "Mating season is fast approaching, every demon can sense it, even a half-breed like you surely can feel it?" Inuyasha nodded, the angry clench in his fists fading. "Even if you are not a full demon, your wife must still be approved by your father before mating." Jaken must have noticed the stupid looks every member of the group gave him. Sesshomaru and Inuyasha's father was dead. "This has been taken into account. There is a statue in front of the palace that contains a small piece of your fathers soul. The statue will take a drop of blood from the perspective mate and judge them. If he bows then he has accepted your mate and the process will begin almost immediately. If not, then it will be impossible for you to mate with said person." Rin noticed Kagome tighten like a bow string. Rin reached out to take Kagomes available hand, squeezing it to show her support.

"Everything will be alright Kagome! How could anyone deny you in your state?" Rin's words seemed to cut through to her and she cracked a smile, causing Inuyasha to loosen his grip on her waist.

"How long will it take us to get to the palace, Jaken? My wife is in a delicate state and I will not have her traveling farther than needed." Jaken gave Inuyasha a glare, and glanced at the forest, noticing his lords figure getting smaller and smaller as he advanced down the path.

"It would take three days if we walked. But only the night if we were to take Ah-Un, but he will only fit two with your female in her... state." There was an awkward silence as the misfit group watched Ah-Un approach from the forest.

"Where do I fit in Master Jaken?" Everyone turned to look at Rin, knowing that she was implying that she may be left behind. There was a long pause before a forgotten part of the group spoke up.

"Take Kirara with you, Rin. She hasn't been out in so long, and Miroku and I will have to stay here in everyones absence." Sango spoke for the first time, glancing back down at the village to watch Kirara play with her children. "She travels just as fast as Ah-Un and can come back once you make it." Rin smiled at her mentor and rushed over to hug her.

"Well get moving! We dare not waste Lord Sesshomaru's time!" Jaken had started to waddle after his lord, completely ignoring the fact that the people with them would need clothing to bring with them.

"Ah-Un?" The two headed dragon looked up at Rin, walking over to be petted by the young woman. "Do you know your way back to the palace?" The dragon seemed to give Rin a look that simply said 'Do you even need to ask?'. Rin giggled, shaking her head and leading the dragon back down towards the village, chatting along the way. Inuyasha's group smiled, watching as their old Rin reappeared.

"I haven't seen her smile like that in a long time, Yahsa. Maybe it is a good thing for her to go back with Sesshomaru." Inuyasha simply smiled down at his wife, and started their slow trek back to the village.

By the time the group made it back, Rin had already packed their bags and was strapping them onto Ah-Un's saddle. She chatted with the dragon merrily and Kirara stood not far from the pair. The excitement coursing through her could no longer be contained as she swung her leg over Kirara. Inuyasha and his miko had mounted Ah-Un and they were off in moments, and it took them but a few minutes to catch up with Sesshomaru and Jaken. It seemed Rin's worry about finding their way was unwarranted as Sesshomaru glided through the sky, making it look as easy as pie. While Jaken hung onto his trailing mokomoko, eyes clenched and his green hands turned white with the force of his grip.

Night fell and slowly the stars were the only thing leading the unlikely group through the sky and Rins vision slowly faded as sleep caught her in it's grasp.

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Please tell me what you think and I will try and update by the weekend. I was swarmed with papers and exams so this got pushed to the wayside for a bit, and BB is (unfortunately) not always at my beck and call 24/7 so betaing takes a day or two. Hope you enjoyed!


	4. Chapter 4

**AN**: Hello everyone! Since I have not updated all week and I am getting so many wonderful review (some even in other language! which I hope I am translating right! I speak a wee bit of deutsch but my native tongue is English, so I really mainly on Google Translate and Babylon Translator to tell me what you said PAMILA DE CASTRO) So here we go!

**Disclaimer**: Inuyasha, and all of the characters in it, belong to Rumiko Takahashi, they are their toys. I simply borrow them every once in awhile to play with.

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Rin awoke to the sun shining in her eyes as it broke over the horizon. She sat up, rubbing the sleep from her eyes and taking in the group. Inuyasha sat straight as a board, supporting his wife as she fell in and out of sleep. That can't be the most comfortable position for a pregnant woman. But Rin was soon distracted by the sight of her lord, framed by the rays of the rising sun. The setting seemed to only make him appear more beautiful, yet deadly at the same time.

The group floated through the sky for another hour or so, when the peaks of a palace came into view. The palace stood at an impressive nine stories tall, and seemed to be comprised of many smaller buildings forming the larger whole. The palace sat atop a mountain, with a small, but bustling village a few miles from the base of the mountain. Demons seemed to have carved the mountain to their will, as there were gardens and training grounds spread down the side of the mountain.

A small gasp left Rin's lips as the full structure came into view, and Jaken seemed to snap out of his fear and glance around his lord. Sesshomaru touched down in between what looked to be a stable and the barracks of the palace, heading off towards the main building. Guards had swarmed the group at first, not knowing the faces, but backed off as Sesshomaru seemed to pay them no mind.

Inuyasha and Kagome took a few moments to readjust to standing, while Rin jumped off of Kirara and immediately started to look around. She did not wander far from the group before two demons appearing to be her age and a bit older approached her.

"Are you a demon slayer?" The first to speak was the tallest of the two, with red hair that seemed to catch aflame as the sunlight caught it, and markings similar to Sesshomaru. The crescent moon on his face was turned in the opposite direction and where her lords markings were on his cheeks, this young mans was on his neck. Rin turned to return to her group when an arm shot out and grabbed her.

"My brother asked you a question, human." The shorter of the two had the same markings as the other, with this younger demons hair being two shade darker than the others. The two together would have been quite striking to anyone without experience in the demon realm. Their faces were a bit longer than Sesshomaru's and their green eyes were filled with something akin to lust as they glanced over Rin. Any normal human would have found them quite pleasing. No one compare to lord Sesshomaru!

"And who exactly is your brother?" Rin ripped her arm out of the dog demons grip and crossed her arms, waiting for an answer. The younger of the two huffed and exclaimed.

"This is Lieutenant Daisuke, third in command of Lord Sesshomaru's army!" The young man continued on, seeming to ignore his brothers eye roll. "And I am Commander Haruko!" The younger of the two flashed a pose before growing serious. "Why are you here?" His face held a serious expression, but his eyes told Rin that he was bursting at the seams with curiosity.

"My name is Rin Takashi, I am a ward of Lord Sesshomaru..."

"Then why have I never seen you here before? I have lived here my entire life and..." Daisuke smacked his brother upside the head, reminding Rin of what her lord used to do to Jaken.

"Shut up and let the demon slayer speak for herself." That seemed to reign in Haruko enough for Rin to finish.

"As I was saying, I am a ward of Lord Sesshomaru. I traveled with him when I was younger and then I was left in a village to be trained." Daisuke glanced over Rin again, his eyes lingering on shoulder armour that bore the symbol of the west.

"And what is your slayer name?" Rin cocked her head at the man, hadn't she just told him her name? Or was he deaf? "Not your birth name your slayer name, if you are a ward of Sesshomaru-samas then you must be at least mediocrely strong." Rin blushed, not willing to tell him her name. She had never approved of it. Why should she be called a beautiful killer while Sango had no name? Sango always told her that Rin deserved a name more than she, and then names had only become a trend while Sango was with child. So a name was never given to her.

"Well what is it?" Haruko pushed. Inuyasha and his wife were approaching, followed by a few servants and Lord Sesshomaru lead the pack. When had he snuck past us? Rin your really getting rusty.

"I believe the clan near us named her Utsukushī Kirā. The clan choose when Rin refused to, she didn't believe herself ready for a name." Daisuke's eyes let through a flicker of shock, while his younger brother was unable to contain it.

"You mean your... your... Utsukushī Kirā?" The serious mask had broken and even Sesshomaru paused long enough for a servant to crash into him.

"We call her Kirā, but yeah she is. Why?" Daisuke spoke up as Sesshomaru glided past them.

"That slayers reputation has reached here. Many in our army have heard that she may even rival Sesshomaru's General Makoto! There are many here who wish you would train them." Rin seemed shocked but quickly recovered as Daisuke and Haruko were called away to the barracks, bidding her farewell and expressing their wish for her to join them in training one day. A slave remained behind, watching the group and casting her eyes to the ground. The woman appeared to be a cat demon of some kind.

"Rei!" The cat demon looked over to Jaken, who had been forgotten during the conversation. "Take Lord Inuyasha and his wife to their chambers and then report to Rin's chamber. You will be split between them while Lord Inuyasha stays here and when they leave you will become Rins servant full time." The woman nodded and asked Inuyasha and Kagome to follow her in a timid voice. "Rin!" The young slayer turned and looked down at Jaken, finally noting the height difference that was now apparent between them. Rin would never be a tall woman, reaching only 5'5", but compared to Jaken she felt like a giant.

"Yes, Master Jaken?"

"Come with me and I will take you to your chambers to get ready for the ceremony. With Lord Inuyasha's wife in such a delicate state the ceremony has been pushed forward to tonight so that she will be mated before giving birth to the pup. Demon birthings are hard on human women." Oh thats so cute. Master Jaken is worried about Kagome. The two wandered through the stunning palace, Rin taking note of how they got to her chambers. Along the way the two passed an opening in the wall, leading into a large dining area. There were dozens of demonesses and their families scattered throughout the room at different tables. Rin had paused in the doorway, having never seen that many beautiful women in one room before.

"Keep moving, Rin." Jaken poked the girl with his staff and she continued on.

"What are all those women doing here Jaken?" Rin was scolding herself on the inside, upset with herself that she had not sensed such a large demonic presence.

"They are here to see who will become Lord Sesshomaru's mate." Jaken said this as though he was reporting on the days weather, not realising what the simple sentence had done to the young woman following him.

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**AN**: So I decided that I am posting this before BB beta's this because I feel so bad that I haven't posted in awhile so I am sorry for any glaring grammatical errors :( Once again

_**MORE REVIEWS=MORE UPDATES**___I love it when you guys follow the story and favorite it but I have no idea what you think of it! It only takes a moment to review and if you don't know what to say just tell me what you think should happen next!


	5. Chapter 5

AN: Hey everybody! This is going to be a really short chapter because I have three exams this week :( But I didn't want to leave everyone hanging and wondering where I went. But this weekend will be a relaxing one for me with the possibility of multiple chapters and getting ahead for weeks when I am extremely busy!

**Disclaimer:** Inuyasha, and all of the characters in it, belong to Rumiko Takahashi, they are her toys. I simply borrow them every once in awhile to play with.

Thanks to: BB (for beta-ing) icegirljenni (for your constant reviews!) aelita444, shelisa68, Playfully Serious, Taraah36, NewtypeJuliet, and PAMILA DE CASTRO for your reviews from chapter three and four! And I love everyone who have favorited/followed The Statue and MamaBear13 as an author! VIRTUAL HUGS FOR EVERYONE CUZ ITS MY BIRTHDAY!

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Rin had the sense to keep moving, not pausing in the doorway for the demoness to catch her scent._ Well I will just have to hide away until they all leave. Maybe do some more training and get to know Daisuke and Haruko_. Jaken seemed to pay no mind to the crestfallen look on Rin's face, but continued to jabber on as he lead them to her chambers. He stopped in front of an ornate looking door, and looked pointedly at Rin.

"These are your rooms, there is a private bath attached to it so that you are not parading around the palace with your human stench."_ Thanks Master Jaken, you know exactly how to make me feel good about myself._ Rin opened the door, looking in at the elaborate rooms. She had a large, plush looking futon in the middle of the room, and there was a dresser opposite of the futon that looked to be made of an imported wood. They were on the third floor, and there was a sliding door that lead out to an expansive balcony. Simply put, the view was amazing.

Rin's balcony faced the town, and she could watch as demons and human interacted, selling their goods and partying. She also had a view of the flower gardens and noticed Jakens absence after a while of staring out at the view. The sun was starting so set and Rin crept inside to check out her private bath.

The room was about half the size of her bedchambers, allowing for a large tub, a laundry basket and the shelves full of exotic bathing lotions. The bath was filled to the brim with steaming water and it looked inviting after the long journey.

"Lady Rin?" Rin jumped, turning to look at Rei.

"Yes Rei?" Rin's pulse was slowly lowering, realizing that the cat demon wasn't a threat. Rin took in the cat demon, noting the whisker like marks extending out from her nose. She had pitch black hair and her eyes were an odd yellow color that Rin had never seen in her time with the demons.

"Do you need anything? The ceremony is going to start in a few hours and I am here to help you get ready." The demoness looked up for only a moment and stood in the doorway, waiting to be welcomed in.

"Come in Rei, I actually wanted to speak with you about this." Rei stepped in the room and approached Rin, leaving quite a bit of space in between the two of them. "What is expected of me tonight? What is even going to happen? I know very little of the workings of the demon world." Rei looked up, taking in Rin's dress and appearance.

"Well, as Lord Sesshomaru's ward you will need to be dressed appropriately. What you are wearing is fine for during the day. But during any ceremony you will need to wear proper ceremonial clothes." Rin groaned, dreading the multilayer kimonos that always seemed to be necessary for these sorts of things. "They will be predominantly white, bearing the symbol of the west on the back, promoting your status. Many of the demon guests that are here will be there tonight. If Lady Kagome does not pass the test, then other women will want to try and become Lord Inuyasha's mate. Even with his half-blood status, he is still the son of a great demon lord and if anything should happen to Lord Sesshomaru before he has an heir, Lord Inuyahsa would take over control of the lands." Rin closed her eyes, taking a moment to pray, hoping that the statute would accept Kagome. A refusal would kill the poor women, who Rin had become extremely attached to the miko.

"What am I expected to do? I will not be 'applying' to be Inuyasha's mate if Kagome fails. Will there be any 'applying' for Lord Sesshomaru tonight?" The last sentence hurt for Rin to say. Her Lord was supposed to stay with her forever, even if they could never be a couple. A woman would force her away, or even worse want to marry her off.

"No, tonight's ceremony is just for Lord Inuyahsa. You will just stand by Lord Sesshomaru and watch if you wish not to apply. Let's go ahead and get you ready. The ceremony starts after sundown. So we don't have very long."


	6. Chapter 6

**AN**: Hey everybody, I'm back! Sorry for the long wait but life has been catching up with me :( my updates may be farther apart but I will try and squeeze in some extra length for you! Thank you to BB (for beta-ing), and many thanks to Playfully Serious, icegirljenni, Taraah36, RadicalEdward6, NewtypeJuliet, ameotakuchic357, and Guest for reviewing. Thank you for the suggestions, I always appreciate them! Your reviews keep me going! Enjoy!

**Disclaimer:** Inuyasha, and all of the characters in it, belong to Rumiko Takahashi, they are her toys. I simply borrow them every once in awhile to play with.

**Story Content Word **Count: 2000-2100 :)

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Rei took her time getting the young human ready. She had heard of the young woman from Jaken and was expecting an ignorant, spoiled child. But Rin proved to be anything but that. Yes, she was naive in the ways of demons but the panther demon could understand that. Rin had spent her childhood only being exposed to the Lord and the nasty demons that threatened the land. The later part of her life was spent hunting those dreaded demons and training to impress her lord.

As the young woman bathed, Rei took the time to glance around the room, noting that only the bare necessities were here. Jaken must have put the room together. I will have to fix that. The panther demon spent a moment, organizing a list in her mind of what was needed. When Rin came out of the bath, a look of dread came over her as she saw Rei lay out the multi layered kimono.

"Are all of these layers really necessary? They get so heavy after awhile and the top layers rip and tear so easily." Rei giggled to herself before she motioned for the slayer to stand in front of the mirror. Rin was reliving her experience with the layered kimono. Kagome had requested that she be the official witness for her miko acceptance ceremony. THe edges of the kimono were tattered by the end, catching and ripping on anything in her path.

"Demon fabrics are much different than those made by human hands." Rei helped the human into the first layer. "The silk produced by spider demons is much stronger than human silk worms." Rin was entranced by the panther demons voice, no longer worried that there were seven delicate layers to the kimono. "The top layers may be thin but they will never rip over rough terrain, which is good since there is a bit of a walk to the statue." Rei had moved onto Rin's hair and pulled it back into an elaborate braid that reached her mid back.

"Thank you Rei." Rin looked at herself in the mirror, and watched as the kimono fanned out as she twirled. There was no heavy weight bearing down on her shoulders and the top layer did not rip as it caught on the mirrors edge. Rei stood back, watching the young girl spin and realized that maybe this assignment wouldn't be the hell that everyone seemed convinced it would be. The girl finally stopped twirling as there was a knock on the door.

"Come in!" The door slid open to reveal Jaken, dressed in a nicer version of what he normally wore on their travels, and the staff of two heads gleamed as though it had just been polished. He seemed shocked for a moment as he took in Rin, before shaking his head and calling out to her.

"Come on, you insolent human! We will be late if we do not leave now." Rin nodded her head, saying goodbye to Rei as she walked out, being extra careful to not step on the elegant kimono. Rei watched the young woman leave with a grace that should not have been natural to such a young human. But Rei assumed that years of slayer training could turn a normally clumsy species into graceful beings.

Rin followed Jaken through the halls, taking note of important rooms that the toad demon would point out to her. She learned that her lords chambers were just down the hall from hers and his study was inbetween the two bed chambers. The slayer blushed at the thought of her lord, trying to forget that there were dozens of women here vying for his love and attention. After what seemed like a never ending walk, the odd pair ended up taking a long staircase down to one of the fields in the side of the mountain.

This field was on the opposite side of the building to Rin's rooms, so she had not gotten a chance to see it before. It was a large area, capable of holding hundreds of demons if needed. There were flowers along the edges of the field that immediately caught Rin's attention. No matter how old I am, I will always be captured by flowers. But what truly amazed Rin was what was standing in the center of the field.

The statue could have been a person, had it held any color. It was life sized, standing as tall, if not a bit taller, than Lord Sesshomaru. The demon it portrayed had the same markings as Sesshomaru and it seemed to give off the aura of a living being. It's arms were crossed and its sight was directed to where her lord stood, and Rin wondered how this statue would determine the rest of their lives. Rin remembered passing a tapestry on the way to the ceremony, depicting a transformed dog demon, and wondered if it was the same man.

"Rin!" Rin turned to look at Jaken. "Follow me, girl! We must not make Lord Sesshomaru wait!" And that was when she took notice of the other beings that surrounded them. The cold, unfeeling eyes of dozens of demons followed her every movement across the field. If she had not had training, she probably would have broken down and ran, doing anything she could to get away from the huge demonic aura. But her training allowed her to hold her head high, and follow Jaken through the mass of parting demons. When she finally excited the pack of demons, Rin took her place to her lords right, unwavering.

Sesshomaru looked no different than when he traveled. From what Rin could tell, his only difference was the material that the outfit was made from. It seemed to flow like Rin's kimono, telling her it was probably made from the same spider demon silk. Kagome and Inuyasha stood to the left of Sesshomaru, depicting Inuyasha's status as the heir to the lands. Kagome stood next to him, dressed in a similar style kimono as Rin. Hers held the base white color, and had sakura leaves floating over the dress, seeming to blow in the wind as her kimono drifted around her. She had a hand resting on her stomach, and was looking out at the other demonesses, seemingly trying to warn them away from her husband. The sun set under the trees, and Sesshomaru's booming voice was heard throughout the field.

"Let the ceremony begin." Fireflies and lanterns were the only things that lit the field but Rin could see every detail as though the sun still shined. An aged dog demon stepped out from the crowd and started to speak.

"Tonight will determine the course of the next few years. When Lord Inuyasha's mate is chosen, the season will begin. This statue of Inutaisho will determine who that mate will be." There were whispers throughout the crowd, and it seemed as though not everyone was informed of the process. A few faceless people screamed out over the rest, questioning the methods or demanding that their daughters be tested first.

"Silence!" Sesshomaru's annoyed tone quieted every person, and the old demon inclined his head in thanks.

"As I was saying, this statue will determine all of our fates. Anyone seeking to have a mate, that resides in the west, must come here to be tested. In the last mating season, many people came together only to find that their pairing should have never been, this will eliminate the problem. First the man must share his blood with the statute." A loud creaking filled the area as the statue moved to stretch out its hand. Inuyasha stepped forward, taking a small knife from the old man and slicing his palm, letting the blood drip onto he outstretched hand. There was a brief pause and suddenly the statue moved again, inclining its hand towards his son. "If Inutaisho responds as he just has, then the male is considered worthy of applying for a mate. Then the same will happen with the woman." Kagome slowly moved towards the statue as the man continued to speak. "If Inutaisho looks up and makes a fist at the placement of the woman's blood then she has been accepted. If he returns to his previous position, then the woman had been denied." Kagome had reached the statue and was taking the blade from Inuyasha when a voice came over the crowd.

"My daughter deserves to be tested before that human!" Rin stood stock still as a wolf demon pushed his way through the crowd, his daughter trailing behind. There was no way for Rin to describe the womans beauty. She was taller than Rin, and as she brushed by them Rin was assaulted with the smell of jasmine. The daughter walked with a grace and beauty Rin thought impossible. Her kimono seemed to float around her, giving her an ethereal glow. Her hair was the color of the sun, and Rin could put no name to it. She would be told later that the color was something called blonde. The girls eyes were a striking blue, but they held a coldness that made Rin shiver.

"And why do you say this, Lord Raukan?" The wolf demon pulled an old looking scroll out of his top, and handed it to the old man.

"This is an agreement signed by Inutaisho himself saying that my daughter, Emiko, would be given the chance to apply for one of his son's first." Whispers broke out through the crowd as the man hobbled over to Sesshomaru. When he was close to the Rin could feel that even though the man was aging, did not mean that his power had lessened any.

"Is this authentic Lord Sesshomaru?" The man handed the scroll to him, and Sesshomaru took it. After a few moments of looking over the writing he nodded his head. A smile broke out over the wolf demonesses face as the man hobbled back and handed the girl the dagger. Kagome stepped back from the statue as the girl approached, and even Rin could hear the miko start to hyperventilate. Rin looked worriedly at Kagome and cursed the fact that she could not leave her Lord's side. Emiko slit her hand, letting out a small whimper at the tiny cut. Pathetic, I am a human and could take more pain than that. Rin held her breath as everything seemed to slow down. The blood hit the outstretched hand and for a moment nothing happened. Then with a sudden jolt the statue returned to it previous position, arms crossed and glaring down at Emiko.

"Your daughter has been rejected." The old mans words echoed throughout the field before Emiko broke down, throwing a minor temper tantrum. She was quickly removed from the field, along with her cursing father. "Kagome." The young miko looked up to see the statue with an outstretched hand, head inclined and waiting. The pregnant woman reached down to pick up the fallen dagger, and stood while cutting her palm. Her blood dripped down mixing with Inuyasha's and Emiko's. There was a pregnant pause as everyone stood, waiting to see what would happen. Kagome let out a cry, shocking everyone from their trance to see the statue looking the miko in the eye, a clenched fist reaching out towards her. Rin let out a breath that she did not realize she had been holding as Kagome turned to hug her husband. Rin was happy knowing that her friend had been given the chance to grow old with her lover, but she could not help but feel jealous. As everyone settled down, there was a bit of an uproar as Rin had taken her eyes off the crowd and put them towards the happy couple. The old man still stood near the statue and proclaimed.

"This ceremony has concluded, we will reconvene here in two weeks time to start the process for Lord Sesshomaru. Only two women can be tested a night and the women will be hand picked by Sesshomaru himself. " With that the crowds started to disburse and Rin turned to speak to her lord, but he was gone, already heading up the stairs and back into the palace.

The young demon slayer returned to her rooms to find Rei waiting for her to assist her in getting out of the kimono. Rin fell asleep that night with tears streaming down her face, silently mourning the impending loss of her lord. Unbeknownst to her, a daiyoukai sat awake just down the hall, wondering what had made so many tears fall from his wards eyes.

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AN: Does Sesshomaru have feelings for his young ward? What will happen as these two weeks pass? Who will Sesshomaru choose to be tested first? Find out next time!

REMEMBER MORE REVIEW= FASTER UPDATES :)


	7. Chapter 7

AN: Hey everybody! Sorry for such a long wait but this chapter has been a tough one! Sesshomaru finally says more than three words to our dear Rin! And writing as him has proven a bit difficult. I hope everyone enjoys this chapter! Now this week is midterms and I will be quite busy! BUT I start fall break after classes on Wednesday (till Sunday) so I will be attempting to write two or three chapters over break and start to get a bit ahead that way when times get tough/busy I can keep giving you more!

Thanks to RadicalEdward6, priestessofeternity, ameotakuchic357, lp, DaniHime86, I love Siberian tigers, chylenn, NewtypeJuliet, PAMILA DE CASTRO, WiccaSilverFox, Playfully Serious, icegirljenni, Taraah36, and Guest THERE ARE OH SO MANY REVIEWS! Thank you guys so much for reviewing and helping me keep going! As always thanks to BB for beta-ing!

Word Count: 1800-1900

Disclaimer: Inuyasha, and all of the characters in it, belong to Rumiko Takahashi, they are their toys. I simply borrow them every once in awhile to play with.

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Rin woke the next morning to a pounding head. The tears she had shed the night before had caused her eyes to swell and her head to ache. She rose from her bed, and used some of the ever hot water from her bath to clean her face, hoping it would calm her puffy eyes and wash away the smell of salt. By the time she was done scrubbing her face Rei had entered her bed chambers with her clean uniform.

"Thank you for cleaning that Rei. I would do it myself but I have no idea where the laundry is." Rei gave the young slayer an offended look.

"You should never have to do your own laundry, Rin. At least while you are here. It is my duty to take care of that for you and make sure that you are comfortable." Rin nodded, simply accepting the fact that the woman would do what she wanted no matter how much Rin protested. Rin had asked Sango why some people were like this, so willing to serve people. She said that most had never had a chance to taste freedom and were raised to be servants and serve others, and it made them happy. Rin was snapped out of her trance when Rei spoke.

"We need to leave soon, Rin. Breakfast will start soon and Lord Sesshomaru will want to speak with you about your duties her in the castle." A lump made its way into Rin's throat, wondering what her duties would be._ Oh who are you kidding Rin, you are scared shitless that our lord will reject you_. Rin quietly cursed her conscious before slipping into her uniforms and strapping on her sword. As the pair walked towards the dining hall, Rei explained what would go on.

"You will sit to our lord's right, as you did last night. Lord Inuyasha and Lady Kagome will not be here this morning as the mating ritual takes a few days to complete. And in her present state Lord Inuyasha will have to be careful." Rin paused, trying to erase the mental image of two of her closest friends doing the dirty.

As the pair approached the dining hall, Rin took a deep calming breath. She hoped that the demonesses would be absent from breakfast but she knew that it would be too much to ask for. Rei fell behind Rin, hoping to show that Rin had status here from the simple gesture. The panther demon did not want the young girl to be trampled over by the power whores sitting in the dining room.

Rin stepped into the hall, taking note of the three different tables. (Okay fair warning here people, I am just a wee bit unknowing of Japanese ways/culture so if I totally mess up something please tell me so that I can fix it) The demons in the hall seemed to pay no mind to Rin as she quietly made her way over to her lord. She sank into her seat next to him, trying to pay no mind to the fact that a panther demoness was attempting to hang all over him. The demoness, who Rin learned name was Mizuki, was doing everything for Sesshomaru. She barely seemed to allow the man to feed himself. _Why does he let her do that? I was hardly ever allowed to treat his wounds, let alone feed the man!_ Then Rin was quite literally shaken from her trance.

"What are you doing in my seat, hmm?" Mizuki was looking down at the demon slayer with distaste. When Rin simply brushed the womans hand off her shoulder and reached for some rice, Mizuki reached out to grab the girls wrist. "I said what are you doing in my seat!" The people around them had grown quiet, wondering what the little human would do against a demoness.

"This is my seat, Lady Mizuki. Unless you have suddenly become a ward of Lord Sesshomaru's, I suggest you find a seat elsewhere." Rin, quite violently, ripped her wrist away from the demoness, hearing a loud pop as Mizuki's wrist was dislocated from the force of the pull, which only made the demon slayer smile. Mizuki pulled her hand close to her body but leaned down to whisper in the slayers ear.

"Do not think you will get away with this, human." Rin ignored the woman, preferring to spoon out her rice for breakfast. The bustle of the room stopped suddenly and everyone's gaze was turned towards Rin. The young woman was confused for a moment until a low, menacing growl rang out through the quiet hall.

"Rin will be disciplined by this Sesshomaru, and he alone." Rin turned, taking in the sight of her lord. His face was stern and his eyes burned with an emotion that Rin could not place. She followed the gaze to Mizuki, who's injured wrist was being crushed in Sesshomaru's hand. The demoness let out a low whimper and bowed her head, acknowledging her place under Sesshomaru. The demon lord growled once more before releasing the woman, turning back to his food as Mizuki scrambled out of the hall. There was an awkward pause as everyone seemed to debate on whether it was proper to speak, when suddenly things returned to how they were and the group seemed to forget what had just happened. Rin heard a muddled cough from her right and turned to find Haruko sitting down next to her.

"Good morning slayer." He was reaching for his food and Rin responded in kind.

"Good morning Commander Haruko." That was the extent of their conversation as the two finished their breakfasts. Rin rose when Sesshomaru did, and as she stood Haruko called out to her.

"When you are done with your meeting with Lord Sesshomaru, would you mind joining us on the training field? There are a few of our men that could learn a thing or two from you." He sent her a smile and the slayer nodded as she trailed behind her lord. The two walked through the halls in a comfortable silence, and when they arrived at his office, Rin stood before her lord praying that he would not notice her inner turmoil. If she was honest with herself, Rin had never been more scared in her life. Not even when that rabid dog demon from two years ago had her pinned to the ground and a knife to her throat. _Why do you still seek his approval Rin? You will never get it, he will choose a demoness and toss you to the side like bad meat._ The slayer tried to ignore her consciousness and snapped her attention to her lord as he started to speak.

"This Sesshomaru will only have this conversation once Rin." Rin nodded and waited for him to continue. He sat behind his desk, sifting through papers for a minute before he spoke again. "Did Inuyasha treat you well in the village?" There was a softer tone to Sesshomaru's voice that had Rin reeling. The young woman tried to contain her astonishment, but nodded her head slowly, not sure that her mouth would work. "Good. Did you have any formal lessons, or will this Sesshomaru have to arrange lessons for you?" Rin swallowed, and prayed her voice would not crack._ It seems like he actually might care!_

"Kagome taught me the ways of the human courts, and their traditions, but I know little to nothing about the workings of the demon courts and their rituals." The daiyoukai nodded and grabbed a scroll from his left and shifted it to a different pile.

"You will have lessons twice a week with one of the traveling teachers that are staying in our palace." The dog demon looked up from his work to take in Rin, who was standing proud, hoping to impress her lord.

"Would it be alright if I had the lessons everyday my lord?" The dog demon raised an eyebrow at the young woman and she took that as a sign to elaborate. "I would like to learn everything as quickly as possible, the faster I learn the traditions the faster the lessons will be out of the way of my training. I have no desire to fall behind, and Haruko mentioned something about teaching some of the men."

"That is your next responsibility Rin. You will train with the army men, and assist as needed with their training." Rin didn't think that her heart could take another compliment from her lord._ He thinks that I am useful!_ Sesshomaru looked down at the scrolls, shifting some, but made no move to look at or speak to Rin.

Rin took that as her cue to leave, saddened that she had to leave, but still reeling from the compliments that seemed to spill from her lord. It was a bit of a walk for Rin to get to the training field. Her first obstacle was that fact that she had no idea how to navigate the massive castle. After passing more lovely demonesses, and her mood slowly sinking, Rin happened upon Rei. Rei escorted her to the side of the mountain visible from her rooms and out to one of the platforms that Rin had been admiring the day before.

"This is where Haruko always holds his trainings, there was a buzz among the men when they realized you would be training with them today." Rin smiled at the panther demon, and took a moment to look around the platform. Men were in training gear, but were using real katanas, not the wooden practice ones. She spotted a flash of red hair through the crowd of training men to see Haruko push another demon to the ground. Rin started her way over, sidestepping around the groups to make her way towards Haruko. Rei stood off near the door, eager to see Rin battle.

"Rin!" Haruko paused his training to look at the young woman approaching him. "Come to train with us?" The demon seemed excited and Rin smiled at him.

"Yep! Lord Sesshomaru told me that training is now one of my duties, so I will need to speak with you or Daisuke about a schedule around my other lessons." Haruko continued to rattle on in his excitement, saying a lot, yet nothing at the same time. The man reminded Rin of her childhood excitement for everything. She smiled at him as he continued on, taking note of the other demons around them. Most of them seemed to be younger, possibly new recruits to the army. No one arua stood out besides Haruko, but as she looked around taking note of how many people were on the platform her math came out wrong. She was sensing 30 individuals ranging from Rei's peaceful aura off to the side and Haruko's stronger more mature aura. Rin gripped her sword's hilt, ready to move at any moment.

There was a shift in the air near her, and Rin sidestepped just in time to see a blade slash through the air and sink into the ground. Haruko stilled in front of her, and looked up to see Rins calm and collected face. Rin could see the question floating in Haruko's eyes _how had she known?_ But the facts were quite simple, Rin had sensed 30 different people on the platform, so why did her eyes tell her there were 31 standing around her?

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DUNDUNDUNDUNNNNNNNNN! Who attacked Rin? Are they friend or foe? How will Rin's first formal lesson go? Will Sesshomaru treat her the same when he see's her next? Find out next time!

Did I mention how much I love reviews? :) VIRTUAL HUGS FOR EVERYONE!


	8. Chapter 8

**AN:** Hey everyone! I'm back! Sorry for the wait, this is a kinda short chapter (only 1400 words) but I will now be updating more often because I feel better and midterms are over! Thanks for your patience and lets get right to it!

**Disclaimer: **Inuyasha, and all of the characters in it, belong to Rumiko Takahashi and they are their toys. I simply borrow them every one and a while to play with!

**Thanks to: **BB (for beta-ing) and all these wonderful people icegirljenni ,Taraah36 ,chylenn ,PAMILA DE CASTRO, Lp,NewtypeJuliet ,Animala Swan, and JordanJas, for your reviews and well wishes!

**Word Count: **1400-1500

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Rin turned to take in the sight of her attacker. The man looked older that Lord Sesshomaru, but seemed to move just a quietly. The demon pulled his sword from the Earth, righting himself.

"You have good reflexes, slayer." The man was putting his sword back and made no obvious move to attack again. _Don't let your guard down Rin, the last time you did so you almost died._ The demon slayer repressed the urge to shiver as that particular memory came flooding back to her. The man appeared to be a dog demon, his crescent moon was faced the opposite direction of her lords again and his stripes could be seen wrapping their way around his wrists.

"And who are you, dog?" Rin heard Haruko gasp behind her, and she assumed that the man in front of her was someone of standing in the army. Not one soldier had moved to attack and Haruko was simply staring at the man in wonder.

"My name is General Makoto, I am the leader of the Army of the west." The man stood as tall as Sesshomaru, with the same white-silver hair. His markings were the same color as her lords, but the crescent moon was reversed._ Maybe Lord Sesshomaru's moon is the one that is reversed, to set apart his status?_ The mans blue eyes also seemed to be scanning over Rin, assessing her and watching her every move. But Rin reminded herself that this was not the time to analyze exactly how the man looked and spoke to him.

"Why do you attack me from behind? In my village an attack like that would have extreme punishments. No one attacks a warrior from behind during conversation, where innocents could be hurt. An attack from behind only comes from an enemy wishing to kill or lose their head." The small girl did not back down from the man, simply straightened herself and tried to grow to her full height. Though her height was not impressive the intention behind it was caught by the other man.

"It is a part of every demons training. If you are to train my men, and claim to be Utsukushī Kirā, then you must be tested to make sure that you are worthy." The demon copied Rin's movements, standing to his full height and stared down at the young girl.

"Lord Sesshomaru has already given me permission to train the men, and I am to go through Haruko or Commander Daisuke, not you. So if you would leave, I can continue on with my conversation." Rin promptly turned to face Haruko, ignoring the man behind her. "Haruko?" The young demon snapped out of his reverie and looked to Rin.

"Yes, Rin?" The dog demon seemed unsure of himself, but seemed to quickly remember that as a ward of Lord Sesshomaru's, Rin had more power than his commanding officer.

"I am going to be taking etiquette lessons over the next few weeks," There was a scoff form behind the girl, and as the dog general walked away she heard a mumbled comment about her desperately needing them. "and I need to coordinate with you about what time training sessions are at so that I can plan accordingly." There was a slight shift in the air, and once again Rin was forced to move aside quickly.

But instead of calmly turning and glaring at the man as she had before, her sword was drawn and plunged into the bicep of General Makoto's left arm. The demon general looked at Rin in muddled disbelief. Rin withdrew her sword, a squishing sound echoed throughout the platform as she did so. Blood poured from the wound, and General Makoto stood while applying pressure to the wound.

"Not even six inches to the left and you would be dead now Makoto. Or even two inches down into the crook of your elbow and I could have cost you your sword arm." The young woman looked at the dog demon raising an eyebrow, daring him to attack again. The demon simply bowed before making his way off of the platform. The men around them simply stared, watching the great demon general they had all feared since childhood give in to a small human woman. "Well! What are you waiting for?! Back to your drills!" The men were shocked out of their stupor by Rin's commanding voice and returned to their drills, more enthusiastic than before.

"Well Rin, you sure know how to stir up a boring routine!" Haruko was looking at Rin with awe as he continued. "We normally do an early morning run/course with the men, and do their sword training before midday, and continue on with anything that the individuals need after super." Haruko started to walk and talk with Rin, pointing out mistakes to some of the men and correcting them. "These are our latest batch of recruits. They have not been officially accepted into the army yet, and are simply being tested to see where they could best be placed." By now the pair had made a full circuit around the platform, and Rin spoke up.

"Surely these are not all of the recruits?" The small group of 27 men had been given a reprieve and were gulping down water and a quick snack off to the side.

"No, these are just my recruits. Daisuke, General Makoto and I all take a certain group and try to see who can raise the right recruits and have the most accepted into the army. Think of it as a rivalry if you will. It keeps us on our A game and benefits the recruits as well." The men had finished their break, and returned to form three lines before the slayer and demon.

"How many of you truly wish to serve in Lord Sesshomaru's army?" There was a mumble of confusion before arms were tentatively raised. Every man raised his arm eventually, and Rin separated the men into groups of how fast they had raised their hand, and the amount of determination they had in their eyes. There came out to be three groups, those who had shot their hand in the air and seemed ready to jump into battle now, the slower but still determined bunch, and then the slowest bunch that seemed a bit hesitant.

"Why are you five hesitant?" The slowest group looked at her, before one stepped forward and spoke for the group.

"Our parents have pressured our application. We wish to serve but wish that we could have made the decision on our own." There was a mumble of agreement before Rin redistributed the men into the other two groups. The groups were then counted off by two's and separated them into the group of one's and twos.

"I have decided that even though you are a new bunch of recruits, you are now _**my**_ new bunch of recruits, along with Haruko." She glanced over at Haruko, making sure that he was fine with her statement. The man seemed giddy and humor swam in his eyes. "So we will be having a mock battle after lunch. And I hope you savour your lunch." No one mumbled, but there was a question hanging in the air around them. A wicked smile made its way onto Rin's face. "Because the winning team gets to eat with me at supper," There was an appreciative glance at Rin along with a small swell of the mens good mood. "The losing team, " Rin glanced around at the men, noting their apprehension. "doesn't eat tonight."

Rei dutifully followed Rin throughout the day, and when she sat to eat at lunch and observed the men, she had never seen two groups look quite so determined. She was not present for the mock battle, as she had to attend to her duties with Lord Inuyasha, but she was told later by Rin that it was sight to behold. She had never eaten with a group of military men before, as she was never needed in the barracks, but that night she along with Rin, dined with the men. It was a new, but not unwanted, experience for Rei. Rin slipped in with the group of recruits easily, giving tips to both the winning and losing men and laughing throughout the night.

Had Rin paid any mind to the people around her as she went back to her rooms, her happy mood would have left her. A pair of eyes watched her from the shadows and they were filled with hate, while a pair of amber eyes from the rooms just down the hall, stared at her in wonder at what she had become before the ice returned and he retired to bed.

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**AN: **YAYAYAYAYAYAY! New chapter! Things will be running more smoothy from here on out. This was a bit of a rough patch for me and I have cemented where I am going and what I am doing here and it will be smooth sailing (if life doesn't get in the way!) But who was the mysterious pair of eyes watching from the shadows filled with hate? What will happen with the recruits? What will happen at the next ceremony? And why is Makoto such a butthole? FIND OUT NEXT TIME!


	9. Chapter 9

**AN: **Hey everybody! Here is chapter 9 for you, I started working on chapter 10 and it is looking like a weekend post so keep your eyes out then! Also some of the older chapters may start to change a bit, nothing content wise just the writing style and possibly more details. When I get writers block I go over older chapters and fix any possible mistakes. I will stop with my babbling now and get on with the story!

**Thanks to:** BMB24, my wonderful beta formally known as BB :) and all my reviewers chylenn, Grumpy DelSan13, icegirljenni , NewtypeJuliet, and Lp!

**Disclaimer: **Same old same old, I don't own anything and I'm not making a dime off of this!

The next morning Rin awoke to Rei waiting for her, along with a scroll from Sesshomaru. Her lessons were to begin that day after lunch. Well at least that will not interfere with my recruits and their schedules. Rei had laid out Rin's uniform, but this one was different than her normal attire.

"Rei, why is this a different material than normal? It feels stronger, but lighter." Rin was holding the new uniform, pulling at the fabric and watching as it returned to its previous state.

"Lord Sesshomaru ordered new uniforms for you. Your two uniforms would never be enough for while you are here. This material is stronger and will act as a kind of weak armour." Rin stared at the fabric, smiling brightly at the thought of her lord worrying over her. "Lady Rin?" Rin snapped out of her reverie to glance at Rei. "If we want to make it to the mens morning run then we must hurry, they start at dawn." The young demon slayer was quick to throw on her new uniform and rush out the door, Rei following her at a slower pace.

The women made it to the group with a few moments to spare, and Rei took her place off to the side to watch. The men were apprehensive, knowing that the slayer had been hard on them after their mock battle and they were unaware of what would happen this morning. Rin joined the group, starting off at a run an hollering at the men for them to follow. Haruko had told Rin the night before that these were the men who were the least likely to get into the army. Haruko was always given the lesser group of the three and told to simply entertain them until the try-outs. But Rin had other plans for her men. When other groups had only just awoken, her group would be on their way back to the barracks from running to the village and back.

Rei was astounded by the amount of energy that her human had. She watched the men run every morning and watched them train throughout the day, waiting to be needed. Her human had the grace of a demon and the stamina, and only lacked the demonic power. But there was still excitement left to be found on Rin's first day of classes.

Rei had dressed her in an orange kimono with a green obi. Rin liked to think of it as a grown up version to what she had worn as a child. There were long flowing sleeves and the bottom seemed to float around her. Rei held on to her sword for her, even though she was training to be a lady she was a slayer first. And a slayer was never without her weapon. Rei felt awkward having the sword on her hip but the panther demon took the duty in stride, knowing that it was what Rin wanted.

When the two appeared at the doors for her lessons, Rin took a deep breath and 'felt' out the area. She found that there were guards walking the halls from many different regions, and that there were three other demonesses in the room she was about to enter. Oh great, this will be fun! Rin opened the doors to the room, noting the empty space for her to sit at and a spot in a corner that she instructed Rei to stand near.. My sword isn't going to be out of my reach unless it has to be! Then Rin took a moment to look at the three other women. Well shit. Mizuki and Emiko both sat opposite from where Rin was sitting. But there was an unknown face next to her that Rin turned to speak to.

"Hello, my name is Rin Takashi!" Rin stuck out her hand towards the other young woman and the girl timidly shook her hand.

"Hello. I am Akari. Where...where are you from?" The demoness seemed nervous to strike up a conversation.

"I am from the western lands, but I am just a human. I am Lord Sesshomaru's ward and I have been training in another village for quite some time, that is why you may not have seen me before this." Rin gave a bright smile to the girl and tried to ignore the other women in the room as they whispered to each other."How old are you? I'm eighteen."

"I am 15, if you translate it to your years." The girl was a bit more confident with herself as she and Rin continued on with their conversation. Small facts were slowly drawn out of the girl as they waited for the teacher to arrive. The young girl was actually Mizuki's younger sister, but she liked to keep that fact out of the way, as she did not always agree with how she acted. She was here with her family while they waited for Mizuki to be tested, but Akari herself would not be tested. The younger panther demoness was much kinder than her sister, and freely spoke with Rin about the going ons of the panther demon country (just a bit farther to the east where abundant forests could be found). When the aging dog demoness that was to be their teacher arrived, she carried an air of power with her that immediately ceased all conversation.

"While you are here there will be no speaking unless spoken too, am I understood." The four girls all straightened in their seats and responded with a quiet, but sure, yes ma'm. "I have been told that you four are all on different levels of teaching, but since your day to day schedules and other duties interfere with my other teaching times, you will all be taught together." Emiko and Mizuki both let out a resounding groan, resulting in a stern glare from the teacher. "To those of you who do not know, my name is Lady Midori. I only have your names but know little else about you. So for today, I simply want you four to briefly talk about yourself and any training you may have received." Lady Midori looked pointedly at Emiko, who took that as her cue to start.

"My name is Nagazane Emiko, and I am the current heiress to the wolf demon clan from the south." Her voice lowered and there was a mumble about the south being more civilized than the Northern tribe, before she re-raised her voice and continued. "I have been receiving training to become Lady of the South since my birth. I am here to apply for being Lord Sesshomaru's mate." The girl gave Rin a pointed look after this statement and Rin stared right back at the girl.

"Well, my name is _Lady _Yoritoki Mizuki. I am the current heiress to the panther demon clan to the East." The girls high pitched voice seemed to irritate Lady Midori as much as it did Rin. "I have been receiving training to become Lady of the East," There was a quick mumble of what sounded like 'and the west' before she continued. "since my birth. I am also here to apply for Lord Sesshomaru." The girl attempted to glare at Rin, who had grown up under Lord Sesshomaru's care and knew how to properly glare at someone. When Mizuki backed down first, Rin swore she hear Lady Midori let out a giggle.

"My name is Yoritoki Akari, and my father has given me the title of Warrior Princess." The girl trailed off at the end, as though she might be ashamed of her title. The glare her older sister gave her seemed to reaffirm that thought.

"There is nothing to be ashamed of my dear." Lady Midori spoke to the youngest girl with a soft tone. "And as a warrior princess you will need extra training and any man who is lucky enough to win your hand will be honored." The small speech from Lady Midori seemed to raise her spirits enough for her to continue.

"I have been receiving training for about half of my life on the duties that I would need as a lady. My father has always given me more instruction on my physical training." Lady Midori nodded, then turned to Rin.

"My name is Takasi Rin." Rin heard Emiko mumble something about having a peasants name but a glare from both Rin and Lady Midori quieted her. "For the past eight years I have been receiving a variety of training. I have two years of healing training, and for the past six I have been receiving training as a demon slayer and the ways of the human court. I am also a ward of Lord Sesshomaru's." Lady Midori nodded at the demon slayer before speaking again.

"Alright, just from that information I will be splitting you up on how many days of training you need. Rin and Akari, you will have lesson's daily as you need more focus and Lord Sesshomaru has expressed his wish for you to take over some of the runnings of the palace, so your training will be expedient." Emiko and Mizuki glared at Rin again, and were once again reminded of who grew up with the king of glares. "Emiko and Mizuki, you will come only three times a week until I know the exact extent of your knowledge." The aging demoness the released the girls and watched as they all left, their servants falling in line behind them. Both Akari and Rin's servants handed over the girls swords and they both giggled when they realized the other was doing the exact same. Thier teacher watched them as they walked away, taking note to watch Rin. Lady Midori may be old, but she knew that when her lord approached her personally about expediting Rin's training, the young human was destined for great things.

The next week and a half continued on for the young demon slayer. Rei watched as she molded the men for their selection, and as they slowly but surely were out passing the other two groups in both strength and the amount of training they did. It was the day of the first lesson when the hateful eyes gained a partner and that week and a half to formulate a plan.

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**AN:** woohoo! we are on to chapter ten after this! (I also apologize for the funky fonts :P the doc manager was not cooperating today :( ) But who are the hate filled eyes? What will they be doing to our poor Rin? And Sesshomaru will finally make a large contribution to our Rin's story! But will he bring her much joy or break her heart?

**AN2: **The ceremonies will begin in chapter 11! Guaranteed! Cross my heart and hope to die, stick a needle in my eye! BB will keep me accountable! Maybe even the start of them in Chapter 10 depending on how I am doing!

icegirljenni


	10. Chapter 10

**AN: **Hey everybody! So we are one step closer to the ceremonies! If things go well this week then I will have two or three chapters up by the weekend! I will be spending Friday-Sunday with my boyfriend (we dont see each other too much), so there may be no updates over the weekend so I will make up for it during the week! Well, I'll shut up now and let you get to the story!

**Thanks To: **BMB24, for being my wonderful beta! PAMILA DE CASTRO, Taraah36, .Love, Grumpy DelSan13 , freezingSpring , JordanJas, NewtypeJuliet, Guest and Lp for the wonderful reviews!

**Disclaimner: **You know the drill! I don't own anything and I'm not making any money!

**Word Count: **1900-2000

**OHHHH IMPORTANT SIDE NOTE:** anything in **bold** is Sesshomaru's demon speaking to himself (kinda like a demon version of a conscience) and anything in _italics _is Sesshomaru thinking. Now I want to point out that no, our dear daiyouki is not crazy. I have always imagined demons having an inner demon that worries more over baser instincts and needs, but you'll find that out soon enough! P.S. my period key has been sticking the past few days :( so periods may be missing, but I think BB and I caught them all!

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Sesshomaru awoke three days before the starting of the ceremonies, and his head was already pounding. Every morning he was accosted by women, trying to get in his good graces. Before mating season had come, he had been free to stay or leave and travel his borders. The daiyoukai knew that leading his state was just as important as defending it, but politicians were so demanding. While he traveled he need only worry about himself... and Rin.

Rin had been an issue in her youth, before she relearnt speech. The young girl needed almost everything done for her, before Jaken had taken it upon himself to teach the girl how to survive. Then the child had grown into a teen, and he had to leave her in the human village. Rin had always been dependent on her lord to keep her alive. But as she grew into her teens she slowly could take care of herself completely, and her body was changing from a child's to a woman's and she needed a woman to guide her through the process.

**That is not the reason why you abandoned the young woman, Sesshomaru**. **You desired her**. Sesshomaru cursed his inner demon, it was too early in the morning to be exploring his feelings for the young girl. _She was just a child then, I could not have wanted her_. **But you continued to return to watch her as she grew, you even killed of her most charming suitors**. _She never wanted them!_ Sesshomaru was astonished by the possessiveness that filled his inner thoughts. His inner demon merely cackled before Sesshomaru continued. _I was eliminating a problem. And they all knew that she way MY ward, they should have come through me before they asked her themselves_. **But that is still no reason to kill them all Sesshomaru, merely deny them what they want and continuing on your way would have been the better option.**

By now Sesshomaru had made it to the dining hall and was growling to himself as he sank into his seat. No one in the room should have sensed his inner turmoil, but Rin seemed to see him coming and already had a steaming cup of tea prepared for him. The young woman (**That's right woman, Sesshomaru**, another growl was let loose but Rin paid it no mind) smiled cheerily at him and wished him a good morning. He gave her his normal _Hn_ back and that seemed to brighten her smile even more. The pair had developed a routine, that everyone seemed to know but never spoke of.

Rin had taken on her men and would go about her day as usual, with the added responsibility of taking her lord his tea before midday. Sesshomaru spent most of his time in his office, situated between his and Rin's chambers. Before lunch he would meet with his generals and other advisors to work out any new policies for the state After lunch he, unfortunately, had to deal with the many demonesses vying for his attention. Between the headache causing monsters (_I mean ladies_), he would watch Rin train his men. He was looking out for her safety and making sure that she was properly taking care of his men. **Do not lie in your own head Sesshomaru, you watch the girl because you care for her. She can take care of herself, you know that. She does these things only to please you.**

But there was no time for him to argue with his demon today, as he had been doing for the past week. His men were leaving him to his peace this morning until right before midday. They would be deciding on the order that the women would be tested then. But just because his men were leaving him alone, did not mean that the families of the girls were as well. Everyone knew that the choosing would be done today, and with there only being two spots per night, every one was trying to be put as soon as possible.

Many different demons were shuffling in and out of the office by the time the meeting would occur. By that time the flowery smell that always wafted into his office from Rin's chambers was gone (not that he missed it or anything), replaced by the mixed smells of dozens of demons. His advisors trickled into his office as he pushed Lord Raukon from his office, while the wolf demon continued to ask for his daughter to be tested first. The assembly of dog demons was finally complete upon the arrival of General Makoto, who was late due to an issue with his trainees.

All of the men knew the look on Sesshomaru. He was sitting straight backed, his clawed hands clenched into fists. His face held a sneer and the men could feel his aura as it pulsed with anger. They had all gathered around his desk, and waited for his command to speak. The daiyoukai was currently pinching his nose, and attempting to take some deep breaths._ At least Rin will be here soon with my tea. That woman knows how to make a good cup of tea._ He finally leaned back in his chair and looked towards one of his advisors to start.

"Well My Lord, there are currently twenty demonesses that remain at the castle that want to apply." Sesshomaru inwardly groaned and the advisor took a moment to let the number sink in before continuing. "We can have this all over in about ten days, if nothing goes a wire. All that is really left is to determine who should be tested first, and get them out of the palace as soon as possible. Your mate should be among the bunch of women that are currently here. If she is not..."

"I do not think that we should worry about that now. Better to deal with it if the issue arises rather than worry about something that will more than likely not happen." Another advisor had stepped in to quiet the other. Sesshomaru had yet to memorize the men's names, but normally he left the dealings to them, and when he returned from his trips the men had switched out or died and been replaced._ Really no point in learning them now. My mate will deal with these affairs_.

"Alright, that issue aside, how early do you want the women to leave after they have been denied? I want to announce this when the list goes up so that the families have time to prepare." Sesshomaru did not have to give this a second thought.

"I want them gone by the next morning. The palace is already in disarray with so many different servants and I want the palace back to its old ways." The advisors nodded, and the oldest of them spoke up.

"So we should work on the actual list." The men gave Sesshomaru a nervous glance and they started to bounce around names.

Across the palace, in a small kitchen, Rin could be found taking a whistling pot of tea off the stove and prepping it for the men that accompanied her lord. She knew the importance of today and had made sure to supply enough tea to last them the entire meeting. As she walked through the halls she reviewed in her head the procedure she needed to do. The servant that had delivered Lord Sesshomaru's tea before gave her very specific instructions.

She was to take the tea, being as quick and quiet as possible, to the door of his office. She would place the tray on the ground outside the sliding door, again making no noise. The only sounds that Rin was allowed to make was to knock three times at the door and then leave. Moving quietly was of no problem to Rin, for the past five days she had perfected the routine and learned how to avoid any squeaky boards.

As she approached the room she heard the men's voices floating down the hallway. And the extra large tray that she carried today caused her to move slower, _I mean its not my fault if I hear them. They know I am coming._ Rin quieted her breathing and concentrated on missing the squeaky board and listening in on the men.

"Are you sure that you want Lady Mizuki and Lady Emiko on the third day?" Rin tried to remain calm and slowly bent over to put the tray down.

"Yes, the sooner they are gone the better." Rin was laughing so hard on the inside, but she would have to wait to let them out. _So my lord wants them gone as bad as I do_. The tray was successfully on the ground and she had reached to knock when General Makoto's voice raised.

"I believe there may be a problem with your ward, Lord Sesshomaru." Rin froze, her hand centimeters away from the door.

"Why is that, Makoto." Lord Sesshomaru's voice held an angry tone and Rin smiled. _He's defending me!_

"Well, I was looking over the documents that your father left with the old rag that is running the ceremonies." There was a pause and Rin swore she heard a growl come from her lord. "I mean no disrespect my lord, but upon looking at the documents there is a clause that says that any wards of the state have to be tested first." Rin didn't think that her world could have changed any more that what had already happened, but things kept leaping at her. She swore the smile that lit up her face was as bright as the sun. "But it doesn't say that normal humans can apply. The miko seems to be an exception since she has powers in her blood. No one knows exactly how the statue works and when I asked the old dog, he said it was up to you whether she should be tested." There was a pause in conversation. Even the birds seemed to stop singing as Rin's life was about to change.

"She will not be tested, ever." And with six small words, Rins world shattered like a pane of glass. Before she could stop herself she had knocked on the door, and the men inside jumped. She knew that staying any longer would have given her away, and she rather her presence be known on her own terms. She was up and gone down the hallway before Makoto reached the door. He watched the human run down the hall, smelling the salt of her tears for a brief moment. It took everything in his being for him not to break out in maniacal laughter.

"Who was it, General?" Sesshomaru's growl reached his ears and brought him back to reality.

"No one my lord, just some servant dropping off your tea. It seems Miss. Rin was not available today." He turned, holding the tea tray. "I heard that she was having her group do extra training today, that might be why she was not here." Sesshomaru nodded, and the men sat back down, drinking their tea and talking politics.

Rin had ran to her mens barracks, as they spoke over affairs of the state. They were sipping their tea as she broke down on the run. The advisors were laughing at the latest antics of the northern wolf tribe, as her men caught wind of her tears and ran to comfort her.

Sesshomaru's demon growled at him, **something is wrong with our woman**. But the man ignored him. The last time something had been wrong with her, according to the demon, she had had a small argument with Haruko about the training regimen. So he ignored the pull ,knowing that nothing was really wrong. Little did he know that his ward was collapsed in the barracks, surrounded by her men, as her world fell to pieces.

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**AN: **Woho! I have been waiting to write this scene forever! So, what does everyone think of this side of Sesshomaru? What will happen as the days build to the ceremony and Rin and Sesshomaru meet? Will Rin let her pain be known? Or hide it just to please her lord? Will a demoness be chosen for our dear daiyoukai or will fate find a way to bring these two together?

See you all later in the week!


	11. Authors note

*author cowering in the corner out of fear* Hi everyone... so life got in the way of things once again :( sickness, exams and student loans are making my life h-e double toothpicks right now! So I am looking at a weekend update, because life should have calmed down by then. This chapter will be supper long, pushing 3-4k in word count! And I waned to take a poll for this story. I will be setting it up right after this! I want to know, would you guys rather have me: divide up this story into two parts, and keep it all under the name statue? Or stop it at a certain point, and make a sequel? I don't care either way, just let me know via the poll! Otherwise, if life calms down as it should, part 1/The Statue, should be done by thanksgiving, and part 2/the sequel would be done by the end of January! So let me know ! I love you all! VIRTUAL HUGS FOR EVERYONE!


	12. Chapter 11

**AN: **Hey everybody! So sorry but this chapter isn't as long as I thought it would be because this chapter just has the perfect break point in it! The ceremonies are getting pushed off farther as I get better at/more ideas about Sesshomaru and Rin interacting. But they are coming soon because I am really looking forward to them! But on to the story!

**OH MY JESUS THERE WERE SO MANY CHAPTER TEN REVIEWERS THAT YOU ALL GET A SPECIAL SPOT OF THANKS!: ** .Love,  
JordanJas, Taraah36, Grumpy DelSan13, kikipotter23 , sticy17 , DaniHime86, chylenn, icegirljenni, NewtypeJuliet, MakeMeProud, Guest, Jiji-san, Wendy, RadicalEdward6 , and Lp. I loved your guyses comments and I laughed quite hard at the mentions of squirt bottles and killing Makoto! Keep these wonderful comments coming!

**Oh yeah, we all love BMB24 for making sure that I don't look like to much of an idiot :)**

**Disclaimer: **You know the deal, I dont own anything or make any money!

**Word Count: **2200-2300

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Later that night, Rei could be found pacing in her charge's chambers, trying to think of where else Rin could be. She had checked everywhere in the castle, but no one had seen her since midday. There was a moment of intuition as Rei realized the one place she hadn't looked. The Barracks! Rei tried her best not to look concerned as she headed out. Halfway to the barracks, Rei encountered one of Rin's men, pacing nervously in front of the main palace.

"Rei! Thank the Kami's! Rin is in the barracks now, she can't stop crying. We have no idea what happened, and no one dared come looking for you and possibly alert Lord Sesshomaru. The only thing we can get out of her was that Lord Sesshomaru must never know." The young demon was dragging Rei along as he spoke. He seemed riddled with concern for his newest commander and within a few minutes the pair had reached the barracks.

The sight that meet Rei at the door was almost enough to bring her to tears. The men in the room had pushed their futons and bunks off to the far side of the room and left a wide open space that now held the best futon. Rin was currently curled up on the futon, in the arms of one of older men as Haruko stood, his shirt stained with tears. There was food from the palace at the edge of the futon but it seemed untouched and cold. Haruko made his way over to Rei as Rin let out a loud sob and the gentleman holding her started to rub her back and whisper calming words.

"Rei, I am so glad to see you." Haruko smelt strongly of tears, and seemed shaken.

"What happened, Haruko? She was so happy this morning." The two spoke in whispered tones as the other men continued to move their things, giving Rin a wide berth.

"She came here a little before lunch. We were all getting ready to leave when one of the men smelt tears and Rin coming our way. By the time she got here she was in hysterics. We cleared things out of the way and some of the older men with younger sisters offered her comfort. We just recently got her to let us transition between men every so often." Haruko was rubing his lower back, proof that he had been stuck in one position for longer than he was used to. "We were hoping you would come looking here soon. She refuses to eat, and she starts crying anew everytime someone says his name."

"Let me try. I have been dealing with crying sisters for years." She flashed the man a smile, placing a hand on his arm in an attempt to convey her thanks. He graced her with a bright smile and started ushering the men out of the barrack. The one that held Rin, slowly transitioned her over to Rei, and when the last man left Rei began to speak.

"Can you tell me what happened, Rin?" The young girl shook her head as the demoness rocked her, soothing her as new tears streaked down her already swollen cheeks. "Well, Haruko said that you do not want him to know about anything." The demon slayer nodded her head against Rei's shoulder. "Well then we need to get you cleaned up and back to your chambers, before he notices that you are missing. People are starting to whisper about your whereabouts." Rin nodded, slowly getting up as Rei stood.

The girl was the epitome of broken down. Her hair was knotted and tangled, its length reduced to her shoulders rather than her mid-back. Her cheeks were streaked with tear tracks, and they were swollen and blotchy everywhere the tears had not reached. But the worst part was her eyes. Rei had always noticed the small fire that burnt in her eyes, so willing and determined to prove herself useful in the demon society. Now it seemed a bucket had been poured on that flame, so that not even the embers remained to relight it.

It was a slow walk back to the palace and her chambers. Haruko ended up carrying the poor girl, as she broke down midway to her chambers. Whenever anyone asked, the story was that the demon slayer had hurt her hip during a training exercise and was unable to walk. Haruko stayed with the ladies until he was sure Rin would be okay, and then returned to the barracks to update his men.

The night was rough for both Rei and Rin. Rin had collapsed into her bed, refusing to change or bathe, simply crying herself into a fitful sleep. Rei stayed in her rooms that night, calming the young woman when she would awake with fresh tears in her eyes. Haruko came after the mens morning run to inquire about how she was. He was quickly ushered out into the hallway and shushed by Rei.

"How is she?" His voice was ladened with concern and Rei took a calming breath.

"How do you think she is? I think she is hurting more than she ever has and it will take her a while to recover. The ceremonies won't help either. She doesn't want Lord Sesshomaru to know anything and it will be hard to do." Rei's head snapped down the hallway before she could continue and she ushered the demon back down the hallway. "We will talk about this later, Lord Sesshomaru just moved into his office." Little did the two know that he had heard the pair, concerned over where his ward was, and why the hall smelt so strongly of tears. He listened from his office as Rei coaxed Rin into the bathroom, and lost track of the conversation.

Around lunch time, Rin finally found the will to drag herself out of bed. A long soak in the bath had her feeling like a new woman, and she was ready to brave the castle at large. She was surprised that no one glanced her way as she awkwardly sunk into her seat at the table. Rei had been kind and patient with her, helping her cover the tear tracks and listening as she had explained what happened. They had agreed to run with the story that she had hurt her hip at training and that if they had their way, Lord Sesshomaru would be none the wiser. You see how much they all care for you Rin? Do you see now that you will never belong here? Sesshomaru did not even look her way until he reached for his tea, and noticed that it was empty.

He glanced at the young woman, taking in her tired eyes and slouched position but then paid her no mind. She will tell me what is wrong if it is serious. One of the other demoness's was quick to make his tea, and he continued on with his lunch. Rin picked at her small plate of food, glaring at Haruko when he sent her a concerned glance. She was about to leave, tears were prickling her eyes, when she was pulled back down in her seat by her lord. The warmth of his hands surprised her, but she refused to look at him as she fell back into her seat. One of the advisors from the meeting stood and called for silence and attention.

"The list for the order of testing is currently outside Lord Sesshomaru's office." Many of the people in the room made a move to burst out of the dining hall, but two gaurds blocked the way. "Please, we ask that only the heads of the family go to the list. This list is final, and the Lord will hear no plea's for a change in the order. After anyone has been tested, and they are rejected, you must leave by the next morning." Once again, people started to angrily mumble. "This is to avoid over crowding. If a mate is found before your daughters testing, then everyone will be asked to leave by the next day." The man then settled back down with his lunch as the heads of families headed off towards the list. Rin didn't notice that her Lord had not let go of her arm until the warm presence was gone, and she saw him out of the corner of her eye return to his lunch. The demon slayer rose, and as she stalked past her men's table, they all abandoned their lunches to follow her out to their platform. When they arrived to the practice feild, one of the men stepped forward from the rest.

"Lady Rin," I will never get them to stop calling me that, will I? "We all wanted to know if you are alright? We have no need to know what happened, that is not our business. But we want to know if there is anyway we can help." Rin remembered the demon that had stepped forward as one that had comforted her the night before.

"Thank you all for your kindness last night." The men all nodded at her as she graced them with a half smile. "But really, me hurting my hip in a training accident with Haruko yesterday is not that big of a deal." The men all nodded at her, taking the hint that if asked, this was their story. "Now, since I hurt myself by being so careless, I am simply going to be watching and reviewing you all throughout the next few days. Your acceptance ceremony will happen after Lord Sesshomaru has found a mate, or the ladies all leave ten days from now." The men looked nervous, and they all chose to ignore the waiver in their commanders voice as she said his name. "So training will be even more intense now. You have at least two days to train, and at most twelve. So stop standing around and get moving!" The demons pounced into their pairs and groups, glad to see the glint back in their commanders eyes as she ordered them around.

But as Rei stood off to the side, she noticed the glint in Rin's eyes slowly fade, and how her smile never quite reached her eyes. The men seemed to be placated by her acting but Rei knew that anyone who looked deeper would find the hurt. About midway through the training session, a young servant came out to the platform and whispered something in Rei's ear. The panther demoness seemed displeased with whatever the boy had said and dismissed him rather coldly. She maneuvered her way through the men, by now used to fighting through them to get to Rin.

"Lady Rin," Rin turned to look at Rei, taken aback by the coldness in her eyes.

"Yes, Rei?"

"Lord Sesshomaru wishes to see you now" A look of pure fear flashed across Rin's eyes

before a coldness, not unlike Rei's, settled in. "I have told his servant that you were busy with your men and that your hip injury could not handle the climb unless absolutely necessary. He went to tell his Lord and should be back soon with his response." Rin nodded, and Rei settled back into her place off to the side. The men had all stopped when their lords name was dropped and a quick glare from Rin had them returning to their training as though they had never stopped. When the young boy returned a while later, he delivered his message to Rei and she once again made her way to Rin.

"What did he say, Rei?" The young woman was tired, her sleep last night had been hard and filled with dreams of her lords voice repeating that she would never truly be his.

"He wishes to speak with you after dinner, before you retire for the night. I told the young boy that if you were feeling okay, you would be there." Rin nodded, and turned back to her men as Rei disappeared off the platform and into the palace.

The men trained until they slowly, one by one, could not continue on. Dinner time had rolled around by the time the last demon fell from exhaustion and the whole group crawled their way into dinner. Sinking into her seat, Rin was surprised when her lord spoke as she reached to prepare their tea.

"Learn to control your servant, Rin." The few people around them looked at the pair, Lord Sesshomaru almost never spoke during meals. Wincing in both fake pain and the tone he used, Rin decided, fuck it all.

"Rei responds in the manner she does with my permission. Your servants have already been told that I do not wish to be interrupted during trainings unless it is a dire emergency. Unless you have forgotten, my injuries do not heal overnight." The bite in her voice surprised even Rin as she poured the tea into two cups. "This talk was obviously not important enough to warrant a servants delivery when you were to see me at dinner and could have informed me yourself." The people around the pair started to whisper as the young girl basically told off her lord, and sat waiting to hear her punishment.

"Watch your tone, Rin." The growl that accompanied the statement reverberated throughout the dining hall as everyone quieted. They all stared at the pair, as they awaited her punishment. They all gasped as Rin stood, and limped out of the dining hall, and Sesshomaru made no move to stop her.

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**AN: **what will happen at the meeting? And how cold will Rin become due to her unknowing rejection? The poll is up and will be there for around until the end of part 1, but its kinda looking like keeping it as one story will win! But keep the reviews coming and let me know what you all think!


	13. Chapter 12

**AN: **Hey everyone! So this is a bit of a short chapter but it is oh so exciting! Things are going to start moving at a faster pace after this so get ready for out plot line to start moving!

**Thanks to: **kikipotter23 , Taraah36, Grumpy DelSan13 , DaniHime86 , Reira Tendo, Playfully Serious, Zayn Malik-myfuturebabydaddy , libblyloo, icegirljenni, Serena, Lp, MakeMeProud (who was the 99th reviewer! Who will be #100?)

**As always we all love BMB24 for making sure that I don't sound like to much of an idiot!**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own any of it :( except for the characters that I came up with :)

**Word Count: **1500-1600

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Rin had abandoned her limp halfway through the castle, figuring that no one would see her, so why bother? Instead of heading to her room like she wanted to, she headed straight into Sesshomaru's office, taking a seat in front of his ornate desk. Rin took a moment to calm down, glancing around the room at the ornate and exotic things that decorated the office. Bakusaiga and Tenseiga's wall holder held her interest the longest. Bakusaiga was always at her lord's side, and it's holder was covered with dust. But Tenseiga was sitting in its case, and in Rin's opinion, looking quite lonely.

When Rin had first noticed the absence of the sword, she had inquired about it with Rei. Rei said that since Sesshomaru had left his young ward in the village, he had stopped carrying the sword. It had stayed locked away in the office, collecting dust for the past eight years. The demon slayer had not noticed that she had risen from her chair and was reaching out for the sword until the door to the office slammed open. She quickly snapped her hand back to her side, and made her way back over to the chair she had been occupying. Sesshomaru had made his way to his chair behind the desk and gave Rin an exacerbated look as he sat.

"Why do you act this way, Rin? Are you not happy here?" The demon slayer was shocked by the kind tone in the daiyoukai's voice. He had never taken anything other than an indifferent tone with her.

"Pain has always made me testy." Rin had mumbled the last part of her statement, and even Sesshomaru's ears could not pick it up.

"Repeat yourself, Rin. You are already pushing my limits." The daiyoukai's voice held an edge that demanded her obedience.

"I said, that you would know that had you bothered to visit me." There was a sadness to Rin's voice that made his inner demon whimper.

"You needed to learn how to survive in the human world, Rin. This place may not always be safe for you." Sesshomaru sounded exacerbated, and seemed extremely on edge. Rin stood up and started pacing, momentarily forgetting that she was supposed to be injured. The dog demon watched her pace, wondering where her anger had come from.

"Well, I can take care of myself now. I learnt how to take care of my self when you abandoned me in that village, Sesshomaru." The drop of any type of title from the normally respectful woman seemed to be the straw that broke the camels back. Sesshomaru was up and around his desk, invading Rin's personal bubble within the blink of an eye. His demonic aura pulsed with anger at regular intervals and, if she was honest with herself, it scared Rin.

"I have warned you to watch your tongue, Rin." The demon slayer could feel his breath on her cheeks and she watched as red started to bleed into his golden eyes, giving them the effect of molten gold. The young woman held his golden gaze with her own cinnamon eyes, unwilling to look away and show her submission. But when a few moments passed, and her stomach started to tighten with an emotion far from anger, she stepped back from him. She prayed to the kami's that he would not notice the pheromones rolling off her body, but they hadn't listen to her prayers in a long time.

"Why should I? It's not like you have ever cared." Rin stepped back farther from the demon lord, turning on her heels and moving towards the door. There was a moment when Rin reached to door that she thought she would be free. Her hand was on the shoji, but that was as far as she would make it. That warm hand from earlier made its way to her shoulder and was spinning her back around to face it's owner. By now his eyes were completely red, blocking out any gold or white that his eyes may have contained. His tattoos were jagged and dark, and a devilish smirk was plastered on his face. A growl reverberated from somewhere deep in his chest, and he stepped forward far enough to press himself fully against Rin. Even though he was at least a head taller than her, they seemed to meld together and Rin was able to move her head enough to stare him in the eyes again.

"That is the problem, my Rin." A clawed hand reached up to caress her cheek, and she listened as his voice wavered between its normally deep tone to something darker and much more sinister. "I care too much." The clawed hand drifted over to her lips, tracing them and focusing fully on them before another growl rumbled through him. "**You should leave, little one**." There was a shift in the air as his aura and power became almost tangible, and they started to radiate something other than anger, and Rin hoped it was the same feeling that was currently knotting up her stomach.

"Why?" This deeper voice made the knot in Rin's stomach tighten more, finally recognizing that this was his inner demon poking out and trying to take control. It both scared and aroused the young woman to know that she had brought this out of the normally stoic demon. She knew from her slayer lessons that a demon whose inner beast had broken out and taken control, was something to be fearful of. They operated purely off of basic instincts and were unpredictable.

"**Because I ****_take_**** what we want little one. And can you guess what we want?**" The sinister voice that came out of Sesshomaru's mouth flowed over Rin, calming her nerves as he ran his clawed fingers through her hair.

"No, I don't know what you want." The demon chuckled at her and leaned closer to her to whisper in her ear.

"**You little one, we want you**." Rin's heart was racing as the daiyoukai raised his head to look her in the eye before leaning closer in what seemed like a move to kiss her. There was a moment where his lips brushed hers and it felt like heaven on earth. But the moment was short lived. Before the kiss could get any deeper, Rin was falling backwards and was snapped back into reality when the floor made contact with her lower back. A menacing growl bounced around the hallway as Rin looked up to see who had opened the door. General Makoto stood a little ways back from where Rin had fallen, and she thought she caught the tail end of a smirk before fake concern flooded his face.

"My lord, I am sorry to interrupt you, but a fight broke out between two of the families and they refuse to speak to anyone but you." When Rin glanced back into the office, Sesshomaru was standing straight backed looking as he did when he first walked into the office. The demon lord stepped around Rin (as she reached up to trace her lips, still not believing that what had just occurred happened) to address Makoto.

"Fine. Tell them that I will be down in a few moments." He then turned to help Rin up from her position on the floor. When Makoto didn't move, Sesshomaru growled out. "Leave, General." The dog demon was quick to scurry down the hall, but not without one last glance at the pair. Sesshomaru let go of Rin as soon as she was sanding and stable, and she tried not to let the disappointment show on her face.

"Lord Sesshomaru I..." Rin reached out for the daiyoukai and was surprised when he stepped back and out of her reach.

"This will not be spoken about, am I understood Rin?" Sesshomaru had turned away from Rin, and spoke with a coldness that made Rin shiver.

"Yes, my lord." Rin walked and talked and by the time she reached her room, she could hear him descending the steps.

That night Rei listened from her chambers as her charge cried again, but Rin had requested that she make no move to cover her anguish. Rin's earlier statement would haunt her for the rest of the night._ Leave it be, Rei. Let him realize the pain he can cause without his sword_. And for the first time, Sesshomaru stayed awake listening to the sound of his ward's sadness, and knew exactly what caused it.

*Across the Palace*

"What do you mean you think they were _kissing_?" A female voice hissed to her companion in a darker side of the palace. The taller figure shrugged and replied.

"I can only tell you what I smelt. I could smell the pheromones all the way down the hallway. Do you know he has her put up in the Lady of the West's chambers?" The deeper voice trailed off in thought, but was brought back when a clawed hand gripped at his arm.

"Well then we need to keep her away from him! You know our deal! I get lord Sesshomaru and you can do with the nigen what you please, all we need to do is make it until the ceremonies and we can both have what we want." The softer voice drifted down the hallway as she slid back into her rooms. The armoured male slinked back to his room, drifting off into a peaceful sleep filled with dreams of a cinnamon eyed beauty sharing his bed, and if his plans went well it would be soon.

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**AN: **AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH THEY KISSED! How will the relationship change from here? Will Sesshomaru's demon finally get it through his thick skull that Rin is perfect for him or will he let his dead father's statue dictate his life? And didn't the shadowed male hate Rin a few chapters ago? Or are we finding out that there really is a thin line between love and hate? Find out next time!


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