"Did you hear that My Lord?"

Sesshomaru slightly inclined his ear towards the small imp demon, an action though subtle, that encouraged the little green demon to continue.

"Exactly my Lord, nothing, these woods are too quiet."

"Are you so desperate for my conversation that you would talk of 'nothing', Jaken?" Sesshomaru replied in his unattached tone.

Jaken clutched his staff closer to him, "Well yes My Lord, I would, your voice alone gives me strength to continue on these endless journeys but I just mean that- ah ha!" Jaken shouted, throwing flames to the bush on his left and incinerating the plants around it.

Sesshomaru cast his gaze on the demon in wait of an explanation.

"That bush was especially quiet." Jaken reasoned.

Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes at the small creature in annoyance and Jaken could feel a cold sweat crawling down his back.

"I shall now follow the bushes' example and remain quiet my Lord." He promised.

Sesshomaru scoffed, if there was one thing that even he could not do, it was getting Jaken to be quiet for any length of time.

They continued into the depths of the forest and Sesshomaru, although besides himself, noted that Jaken was right. The woods were too quiet, far too quiet for one that was known to be crawling with demons. He could sense them, the lesser demons in the thick of the woods and beyond the trees, yet they made no move towards himself or one another. It was almost as if they were asleep, something he knew to be impossible, for demons didn't need such things.

Something was amiss and in his lands, he wanted to know why.

"Jaken." He said.

"Yes m'Lord?" Jaken replied.

"These woods belong to Kimimaru, have it be known that I seek his audience before my foot meets the next road. That or I will incinerate these woods and every demon in it, including you."

Jaken gasped and then quailed at the threat.

"I'm afraid that's impossible My Lord! These woods no longer belong to Kimimaru the grass demon, he was cut down some time ago!" Jaken wailed.

Sesshomaru stopped and Jaken bumped into him and fell over.

"Cut down?"

"Yes, by a demon slayer." Jaken gasped.

Sesshomaru turned to look at Jaken who was brushing himself off.

"A human? A human killed Kimimaru?" Sesshomaru asked in mild disbelief.

Kimimaru had run these woods for centuries and had pledged his loyalty to him, he was strong, not too bright, but resourceful. Many of Sesshomaru's enemies had fallen by Kimimaru's hand, a hand skilled in combat in addition to his gruesome strength, no single demon slayer could possibly cut him down and survived.

"Yes M'Lord and now it is she who commands these woods." Jaken finished.

Sesshomaru's eyes narrowed, "A human woman slayed him and plundered his land?"

"Y-yes M'Lord." Jaken stuttered as he took in his master's appearance.

Sesshomaru didn't know whether to be angry or impressed, a human who had dominion over demons, she had to be of considerable strength and if it were any other woods he wouldn't have stopped to care, but these woods were on his lands which made them his property. He wouldn't have the demons in his land fear anyone but him, especially not a human.

He started walking deeper into the woods again and Jaken followed in confused silence.

"Jaken." Sesshomaru said after a long while. "The demon slayer, bring her to me."

"Hime! Hime!" The little demon cried as she jumped into the woman's lap.

The woman picked her up and offered her the fruit in her hand, "Misuri, you came to visit me today." She beamed.

Misuri, the young fox demon nodded and mirrored the woman's smile showing her small fangs. "Yes Hime, I have a message for you." She told her eagerly.

"Can it wait until after lessons today? We still have so much to review." The woman countered.

Misuri face contorted into that of worry.

"What is it Misuri?" the woman asked.

"Hime's so strong and so kind, Hime's so beautiful and soon you will leave us." she said sadly.

"Hey, stop that, I'm not going anywhere for a long time."

Misuri shook her head and looked up at the woman who smiled down on her.

She was gorgeous, her long deep brown hair curtained her shoulders and enveloped the upper half of her body. Her face was flushed with a pink undertone as she smiled and allowed the sun to paint her cheeks delicately. Her full lips parted over her clean teeth and gentle milk brown eyes poured over the little girl as she gave her, her undivided attention.

Misuri reached up and touched her cheek softly.

"It's not safe for you Hime, there is a big danger, one we cannot fight, you have to go away. You have to leave us."

Shock rippled across the woman's face before a serious composure over took it.

"What's the message Misuri?" she asked calmly.

Sesshomaru sat at the base of a tree with his eyes closed as the sun warmed his skin. He could smell him before he could hear him; he reeked of fear.

"What is it, Jaken?" he said.

"I am sorry to disturb you M'Lord, but it seems we have a problem." He informed him.

Sesshomaru opened one eye and looked at the demon coldly.

"It would seem that none of the demons I have encountered know of or are willing to divulge this slayer's whereabouts. I believe many of them are loyal to her and if they are not, then they must certainly fear her."

Seshomaru closed his eye and took a deep breath. Yes, the human woman who had slayed his henchmen. He'd taken such a liking to resting by the tree that he'd almost forgotten about it. The woods were indeed peaceful, he appreciated the silence and the subtly of the demons who lived so quietly there; no doubt an influence of this woman.

He stood up and looked at Jaken expectantly. "Take me to these demons who are loyal to her."

Jaken nodded and began to head into the woods with Sesshomaru behind him.

She fastened the swords onto the back of her outfit and tightened the sash around her waist, from which hung another assortment of weaponry.

It was the dead of night but she could feel the dark presence in the air gathering. A fight was coming and she needed to be ready.

She'd stayed too long here, she scolded herself. She'd become attached and now the demons here listened to her and called her Hime. It was no surprise that a powerful demon sought to kill her now, he probably wanted to take the land and make it his own. After all, that was how things worked in the world of the demons.

She would slay the beast and get going, this way the remaining demons could live naturally (and hopefully peacefully after her influence).

She took her braided ponytail and pinned it into a small tight bun atop her head before pulling on her hooded mask; a gift another slayer had given her in case she'd ever come across a demon who spewed miasma.

Just then another young fox demon busted into her hut unannounced.

"Hime!" he screamed. "He has Misuri! He's going to kill her!"

She channeled the anger that reigned through her and nearly growled her response. "Take me to him."

"Please My Lord!" Another demon begged him. "She's just a child, she does not yet understand to whom she was speaking!"

"Then should I take your life in her stead?" Sesshomaru offered.

The demon paled considerably and bowed in resignation.

He stiffened as he felt a sudden presence behind him.

"Try it and your head will roll at my feet." A cold muffled voice replied.

A sword swung at his hand and he dropped the small demon in his possession to dodge the attack. He hissed in surprise, how could he not have noticed the slayer come up behind him. She jumped back as well and braced herself for his counterattack, her feet landly softly on the ground barely making a sound.

She was light on her feet, Sesshomaru observed, it still doesn't explain why I didn't smell her from behind me.

"Hime!" the word was gasped and echoed amongst the crowd of demons.

Sesshomaru's nostrils flared, he would teach them obedience in her death and their subsequent torture, of this he would make certain. He drew his sword and rushed at her using his top speed knowing she wouldn't be able to counter at that speed.

She drew her blade in time to use it as her shield against his attack.

His surprise didn't slow him as he flanked to his left and prepare to slice through her midriff. Surprise stilled him as her sword met his again. He jumped back though she was too slow in her response.

She was too slow to follow his movements and yet she'd countered his attacks as if she knew they were coming. She flanked his right at what he assumed was her top speed and brushed her fingers against the sash at her waist before producing a sickle and chain. She launched it at him and he moved with no effort to avoid it, she swung three more times and as he went to dodge on her forth, she shot senbon needles from her right hand before swinging the chain in the other direction.

She was clever, she was using his speed and momentum against him. Another day, if he had the time, he would have humored her, but today he was in no mood to draw out the hopes of his prey before crushing them. With no effort at all he pulled to his other side and sent her own sickle flying back at her, she jumped up to dodge but couldn't manage completely as it grazed her ankle and exposed her flesh and blood.

Sesshomaru leapt then, to come over her and cut through her mask and into her skull until at the last possible second he smelled her blood.

Understanding and shock coursed through him just as he angled his sword and tore through her mask.

She gasped as her mask was split in two and as her body hit the ground with a thud. Miraculously she was, for the most part, unharmed.

"Hime!" she heard them screaming and whispering.

Despite the pain that shot up her back and threatened to paralyze her, she leapt onto her toes, drew her second sword and spun around to face her opponent.

She felt as though her world had come to a full stop and she stood there immobilized.

Seshomaru had already sheathed his sword and simply gazed at her dispassionately, as if he were already bored of what had to be the most daunting moment in her life.

"Run Hime." A little demon whispered from behind a rock.

"Now my Lord," Jaken said, "This is your chance to kill her."

Sesshomaru said nothing and continued to look at the woman before him.

Tears flooded her eyes as she fell to her knees.

"Forgive me," she cried. "Please forgive me Lord Seshomaru."

Sesshomaru made no move towards her and the demons in the woods watched on in shock, before following her example and bowing to him.

He took one last look at the girl before turning to leave.

Jaken watched as Sesshomaru walked deeper and deeper into the woods, leaving the woman, his enemy alive.

He turned to look at the woman and and scowled.

"He has shown you all mercy this time!" Jaken shouted. "But let this be a lesson to you, your loyalty belongs to Lord Sesshomaru and him alone!" he said before taking off after his master.

The large demon set the woman down at her hut and smiled.

"Thank you." She whispered.

She thought she could see the large demon blush.

"Of course Hime." He replied.

"Sagine." she called after him gently.

He turned to face her.

"Yes Hime?"

She sighed, "I wish you would all stop calling me that, that's not my name."

"But you are stong, kind, and beautiful like any Hime should be." He reminded her.

"My looks and my strength will fade with time," she said solemnly, more to herself than the demon in font of her. "And you are not my people to rule, you are demons, you only serve those who are more powerful than you and after the battle today-"

"We do not call you Hime because you bested Kimimaru in battle, though that is part of the reason, we call you Hime because your greatest strength has been your unyielding kindness. That strength has made these woods a safer place for demons and human alike. Do not doubt your power because you could not best Lord Sesshomaru in battle."

"Why didn't anyone tell me these were his lands?" she asked.

"Why didn't you ask?" he replied.

She shot him a baleful look and he smiled.

"Good night Hime." He said before leaving her. She walked tenderly into the hut and undressed as she prepared to bath in the waterfalls a short distance away. Sagine had attended to her injuries delicately but she was in no mood to allow them to heal patiently. She wanted to leave, as soon as she could. She would bathe, hunt, and leave.

He would be long gone by now and she knew she hadn't a chance of catching up to him. She scolded herself for the errant thought. She hadn't thought about him in so long, for as long as she cared to remember and now…after all that had happened she was sure of the one thing that had nagged her for years.

She wanted to go home; to Kaede, to Kagome and Inuyasha, to Kohaku…..to her friends and family. Her journey had come to an end.

She walked sorely to the waterfall and bathed in its refreshing waters, she let it soak her hair and body as she sobbed silently into the pouring pools of water.

Just as she had slipped into her kimono she heard a rustle and whipped her head to see Sesshomaru standing by the tree. Jaken popped up from behind him and smiled cruelly.

"You thought he was done with you?" Jaken boated. "You foolish mortal, you will-"

Jaken was cut off as he was met with a rock to the face.

The woman stood there, vulnerable and scarcely dressed before the demon whose eyes looked hungry. She dared not to move.

"Has so much time passed since I last saw you, Rin?" Sesshomaru asked.

Jaken sprang up off the ground in shock as he looked at the young woman before him again. He narrowed his eyes and tried to picture the toothy little girl who had followed them around for years growing into the woman before them.

Her hair was longer, her bust and hips full, her legs were long and strong; and though he would be hard pressed to admit it, the rumors that had preceded him of the demon slayer's beauty had done nothing to prepare him for it. She was beautiful, attractive even, and now he had to believe that this was the same Rin he once knew and scolded. It couldn't be.

"R-rin?" he said.

She blushed and smiled at him. As he saw the way her eyes lit up, he knew for certain it was the same girl.

She hung her head in embarrassment and sadness of the acutest kind.

"Lord Sesshomaru, Master Jaken….yes, it has been quite a long time since we last met." She replied.