Nothing

"Don't be rediculous...She's just a reminder of my power. She means nothing to me."

Rin covered her mouth upon hearing the words. Her precious Sesshoumaru-sama was glaring at the younger demon, the hanyou, Inuyasha. Inuyasha wore a startled expression.

"How can you say that about her! It's obvious to the rest of the world that she fucking adores you, but all you can say is 'she means nothing'!"

Sesshoumaru looked at the younger demon in disdain. "What right do you have to judge me, hanyou!" He snarled, his hand going to his sword.

Rin felt tears rolling down her face and a sob was ripped from her chest.

Both demon's looked at her in shock, and Sesshoumaru's anger dissolved in an instant, his hand moving from where he kept his sword. He would have went to her, but Inuyasha popped him good across the face. When he looked up again, the girl was gone. He frowned deeply, wiping the bit of blood from his mouth, then glared at his younger brother. He straightened, then walked away from the hanyou, finding the girl sobbing underneath the dragon, Ah-Un. His eyes narrowed a bit in concern.

She felt his prescence and turned, looking at him, her eyes shiny with tears. She saw him stop and then his gold eyes met hers. She spoke brokenly, uncertain. "Did Sesshoumaru-sama mean what he said to his brother...am I nothing?"

He glared at her. "Perhaps nothing was the wrong word. Since you question me, I have dropped you to less than nothing."

She quaked, and another tear fell down her face. She steadied herself and crawled from under the dragon. "T-then...I wish to be left at a human village." She said softly.

He froze, turning towards her. "What?"

She rose her face to his. "I love Sesshoumaru-sama." She said simply. "But if I am less than nothing to him, then I want to leave him." She clenched her jaw, trying to keep her lower lip from trembling. "I will remain in the next human village we come to." She said, then moved across the campsite, preparing for bed.

"You will do as you're told." He snarled, his hand winding around her soft throat. He saw her big brown eyes lift to his and forced himself to remain angry. "And it is my desire that you remain."

She lifted her gaze to look at him and merely nodded, her fingers crossed inside her kimono sleeve. She heard Jaken return, starting a fire, and silently went about preparing their dinner. She reached into her kimono, pulling out some opium that Sesshoumaru had once aquired for her to help her sleep. She quietly poured some of it on his meat once it was prepared, knowing he wasn't watching her any longer.

After all, she was nothing.

They had all finished eating and Jaken had immediately gone to sleep. Then, as she lay awake in her bedding, she heard Sesshoumaru slowly fall asleep. When his breathing was slow and even, the thirteen year old girl stood, walking towards him. She knelt, pressing the briefest of kisses on his lips. Then, she ran from the clearing, tracking where the great demon's brother had gone to.

She reached them and as she walked towards their camp, Inuyasha jumped down from the trees to greet her. She looked up at him, feeling lost, delicate. "Could you guys take me with you?"

Inuyasha looked down at her, his eyes narrowing slightly. "You sure?"

She nodded. "If I leave him now..." Her voice broke. "I still might lead a somewhat normal life, I can get married..." She looked at the ground.

He nodded, leading her towards where they had made camp.

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Sesshoumaru woke with a start, looking around the clearing, trying to reassure himself of Rin's constant presence. She would never leave him. Not against his orders. Yet, as his eyes moved, fear began to grip him. He tried to stand, but he felt weak. He winced, feeling a dull headache throbbing and winced. What the hell! He was a demon! Why the hell did he have a headache!

He looked towards the fire and saw a small bottle of opium he'd gotten to help Rin sleep, and to kill the pain from her cycles. His face darkened. Had she drugged him to buy herself time to escape. He forced himself to his feet, and kicked Jaken. "Get up." He snapped. "Rin ran away."

Jaken jumped to his feet, smarting from the swift and unexpected blow. Jaken jumped up onto the dragon, suspecting that whatever the girl had done to anger Sesshoumaru that time, she was in for a world of hurt.

They reached the other camp and Sesshoumaru stormed towards it. He caught sight of Rin helping Inuyasha's mate tear down a feeble form of dwelling. He walked swiftly towards her, only to be intercepted by his brother. He knocked him out of the way without a second glance.

Rin gasped when a hand roughly grabbed her by the wrist hauling her to her feet. She looked up, seeing Sesshoumaru's beautiful face holding the wrath of hell. She looked away, to the older girl, of twenty.

Kagome stood, and called upon the powers that were five years in the making. She looked at Sesshoumaru, her face annoyed. "Let her go!" She snapped, and Inuyasha stepped up behind her, followed by her friends, each of them holding their weapon in their hands.

Sesshoumaru glared down at the child. "I thought I forbade your leaving." He snarled, his eyes flashing in anger.

She glared back at him, her teenage rebellion filling her. "I thought you said I meant nothing to you." She snapped back. She saw the shock on his face and his hand dropped her as though burned. "I wont go back with you, Sesshoumaru-sama. You'll just have to kill me."

Kagome gasped at her words, looking at Sesshoumaru.

The demon glared at the young human who was staring at him, unafraid and with defiant eyes. He gave her a short shove, throwing her away from him, then turned, walking away, his eyes narrowing. Like he could actually kill her. Why would he waste his time.

Rin fell to the ground, holding her hands over her chest. She looked towards Kagome and her husband and smiled faintly. "I knew he wouldn't kill me." She said evenly. She stood. "I'm his reminder." She mocked at his back. She saw him pause, but he didn't turn towards her, didn't even glance in her direction. She glared at his back as he left the clearing, then felt a tear fall down her face. It was unwanted, and she hurried to brush it away.

Kagome dropped to her knees, embracing the girl gently. She looked up at Inuyasha. The half demon was wearing a soft look on his face. "Let's take her to Kaede-san..." She said, watching as her friends nodded a bit.

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Rin settled quickly at the village, living with Kaede, training with Kagome. After a few months, everyone in the village loved her. Soon, she had pushed the ugly events the last time she'd seen Sesshoumaru to the back of her mind. And in four years, she had blossomed into a beautiful (or that's what her 'brothers', Inuyasha and Miroku called her) woman.

Several of the young men in the village were vying for her attention, but she always hesitated, whenever she feared she might be getting too close to them.

Well, until-

"Rin-chan!"

She turned towards the boy who had been growing quickly closer to her and blushed faintly. He had flowers in his hands and he'd said he had something important to talk to her about. She smiled brightly at him. "Ah, Hojo-kun!" She flushed happily. (AN: Just so you know, I mean Hojo-kun from Inuyasha's time...not Kagome's...long time ancestor, ya know...See 2nd Inuyasha movie for questions or confusion)

He came to a stop right in front of her, catching his breath. He handed her the flowers, smiling brightly. "Ne, Rin-chan..." He looked at the ground as they walked side-by-side. "I know that I'm a good bit older than you...but I was wondering if you would...like to be my wife." He stopped, to look at her.

She looked up at him in shock. Marraige? She lowered her eyes, thinking. "I am not sure, Hojo-kun..." She said softly, turning, looking towards the forest. She sighed. She had been hurt by Sesshoumaru's words, had fought off her feelings for anyone, praying that no one ever made her feel again. She didn't love Hojo. She knew that much for sure. But he was a dear friend, and she did like him. Finally, she smiled. "Yes, Hojo-kun, I would like to be your wife." She said softly.

Then, a movement caught her eyes. Someone with silver hair moving into the forest. Someone with a big, strange fluffy thing over his shoulder. Her heart clenched and she turned towards Hojo, as his arms wrapped around her, she pressed her face into his shoulder. Why was he here!

Rin looked over Hojo's shoulder, watching the demon disappear into the treeline.

"RIN! Are you okay!"

Inuyasha appeared, his face worried. He looked around, glancing into the trees.

Rin pulled away from her fiancee, nodding. "I'm fine, Inuyasha-nii-chan." She said. "Now let's go back to the village. I think we need to have a celebration!"

Hojo nodded. "Rin-chan accepted my proposal." Hojo said happily.

Inuyasha looked at her and saw the conflict on her face, hidden behind her cheerful smile. He frowned, and knew she'd seen his full demon brother. He watched as Hojo ran down into the village to make party plans and looked at her, his face serious. "Do you love him?"

"No." She said honestly. "I don't love Hojo-kun. But I think he'd make a fine husband, so that's good enough." She felt her psuedo brother give her a quick hug.

Inuyasha hugged the young girl genlty. "It's never good enough without love." He said softly, ruffling the young girls hair. "You're still young, Rin...don't rush into this." He gently guided her down the hill, back towards the village. He crossed his arms over his chest, glancing towards her, his face serious. "And whatever you decide, Kagome and I are going to support you."

She smiled up at him greatfully. "Thank you, Inuyasha-nii-chan."

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The party was a smashing success. Everyone had recieved a mask upon entering, and so each person was dancing with a complete stranger. Well, besides Inuyasha, who was easy to identify with his silvery locks.

Rin laughed, having the time of her life. She glanced towards the forest, and saw a masked figure emerging. The figure wore the mask of an ogre, and he was walking directly towards her. She stood, suddenly uncertain. His hair was hidden, underneath a long sheet of black silk that was attatched to the mask.

He stopped, directly in front of her. "May I have this dance, my lady?" He asked softly, bowing and offering her his hand.

She blinked, and put her hand in his. "Why certainly, sir, I would be happy to dance with you." She said politely. She was suddenly pulled against a hard chest and gasped, looking up, trying to see the eyes on the other side of the mask, but they were hidden in shadow. She thought she caught sight of a glowing pupil and felt the urge to fight him off. The figure held her tightly as they danced, his hands flat against her back, holding her far closer to him than she felt comfortable.

When the dance was over, he stepped back, merely holding her hands in his. Then, from behind the mask, two words fell on her ears. "I lied."

She blinked, looking at him, tilting her head to the side. "Do I know you, sir?"

He gently guided her away from the crowd. "I am sorry." He said simply. "I...I must go."

She blinked, staring as he began to walk away. "Wait, sir! If I may have your name-"

"My name is not important anymore, little Rin." He said, pausing only slightly. "Have a happy life."

She ran after him. "Sir, I'm sure you'll find that I can be very persistant!" She called, her face annoyed. She pulled off her mask, looking at him. "Sir, PLEASE-"

He turned towards her, grabbing her roughly. "I can't give you my name." He said softly, pausing. He gently caressed her face, tilting his mask up and pressing his lips against her cheek.

She blinked at the gentle kiss and flushed greatly. Before she could further object, he walked into the treeline and disappeared.

Inuyasha watched from a short distance away. Hmph. He'd thought so. Sesshoumaru had returned, but wasn't letting himself known to the girl. He'd spotted him days before watching the girl sit with Hojo, who had been attempting to court her for about a year. He had smelled him long before that. He walked up to Rin, deciding to play along with his brother. After all, he did owe the bastard for that one time he'd saved Kagome.

"And who was that, Rin-chan?" Inuyasha asked slyly, grinning at the blushing girl.

She blinked, looking towards her older brother. His mask was up on top of his head and he was wearing a devilish grin that rivaled any of the wicked looking masks. "I...I don't know...I have never met him before!" She admitted.

"I was afraid I was going to have to tell Hojo-kun you're cheating." He teased gently, poking her in the ribs. "Come on back to the party."

She nodded, letting him lead her back, all the while, watching the place where the mysterious man had disappeared.

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"Oi, Sesshoumaru." Inuyasha watched as his brother jumped, as though shocked. "What's the matter, didn't smell me coming?"

Sesshoumaru scoffed. "Not with the human stench covering you." He snarled, turning towards his brother, his claws ready. He saw the faint smile on his brother's face and his face darkened. "What do YOU want." He snapped.

"I want to know what kind of game you think you're playing with Rin. She's engaged now, and if you just planning on breaking her heart again..." Inuyasha's face darkened. "That girl's like a sister to me and Kagome." He didn't elaborate.

"Shut up, hanyou. You have no idea how I feel."

"Um...guilty? Miserable? Like you made the biggest mistake of your life?" Inuyasha grinned. "No, I don't have a clue."

Sesshoumaru stood, turning towards the half-demon, ready to rip him to pieces. How dare he speak to this Sesshoumaru in such a way. He was about to attack him when Inuyasha let all the wind out of his sails with a grin.

"No need to get violent. I love Rin like a sister. And I want her happy. You're my brother, and inspite of you being a complete jack-ass, I think you'd make her happier than Hojo would." The half-demon looked at his full demon brother, and his face darkened a bit. "Don't bother asking why, but she doesn't love Hojo. I really can't stand him, not that I can stand you. You don't deserve her, but..."

Sesshoumaru looked at him in shock.

"I'm willing to give you a hand winning her back." Inuyasha glared at him, his face hard. "But I swear if you hurt her again, I'll kill you without hesitation."

The great demon glared at the hanyou with disdain. "I get the point."

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Rin sat in the field of wildflowers while Inuyasha and Kagome walked nearby. She didn't really hear any of their conversation, but she had a nagging feeling that they were talking about her. She glanced towards them when Kagome let out an irritated shriek.

"YOU DID WHAT!"

Inuyasha glanced towards Rin, then waved for Kagome to calm down. "SHHH!" He whispered, putting a hand over her mouth. "Come on, Kagome, do you really think she's going to be happy married to Hojo! You know full well how important love is!" He blushed, taking her hands, his face serious. Shyly, he looked at the ground, then back at her. "What if you'd just settled for someone else?" He asked softly.

She blushed, looking at the ground, a faint smile turning up her lips. "I feel bad for Hojo-kun. If Rin does like I did..." Kagome's blush darkened and she glanced up at him.

He grinned, pulling her closer, holding her hips against his. "Hey, Kagome, I have an idea." He said. "How about we go to that hot spring nearby and renew our vows."

She turned bright red at the grin on his face. "Inuyasha, really..." Kagome said reproachfully. "We can't just leave Rin alone here-"

He leaned towards her. "Don't worry. She's not alone."

Kagome followed his gaze and saw the man from the party the other night, the one that had danced with Rin, wearing the ogre's mask, walking towards Rin, his face once again covered by the mask. "Is that him!" She asked softly, looking from her husband to Rin, then back. The hanyou was almost grinning.

"Let's give them a little privacy, shall we?"

"Aren't you a little too trusting in this situation!" She whispered. She saw the serious look on his face and blinked. "Inu-chan?"

He shook the sand from his head at the sound of his nickname. "Kagome, I know my brother's an ass, but I don't think he'll hurt Rin. And if he does, we can kick his ass later." He drug her away.

The great demon watched as his brother drug his mate away. Quietly, he approached the girl sitting down among the flowers and sat down beside her. "Rin."

She blinked, looking towards him. "Ah! You again!" She watched as he slowly lifted a hand to the mask. She smiled. "Are you going to give me your name this time?" She teased faintly.

"No." He said softly. "I understand that you are engaged?" He asked, looking at the bundel of flowers she'd been picking.

"Y-yes." She said softly, blushing a bit. "Hojo-kun will be a good husband."

"Does he make you happy?" Sesshoumaru asked, turning his gaze to her, seeing a troubled look on her face.

"Yes...But..." She looked at the ground. "No, he doesn't, not particularly. I know he would take care of me, I know he loves me...and I think I can learn to love him..." She looked at him, arching an eyebrow. "Why am I telling you all this? You're a stranger..." She looked at him perculiarly. "Who are you, anyways? I'm quite certain I've never met you before, yet you seem to know all about me...and you're constantly hiding behind this mask." She traced a finger over the wooden mask, as it searching for a hint.

He caught her hand gently, pulling it away. "Do you truly wish to know who I am?" He asked softly. "What if I told you that I am afraid to tell you my identity?" He used his other hand to gently caress her face. That beloved face that had looked upon him with such hate back then.

"Afraid, sir?" She tilted her head to the side. "Why?"

"Because I fear you would run from me." He said softly. "Besides...sometimes, it's easier to talk honestly with someone behind a mask. This way, the person doesn't need to fear being rejected."

"Why would someone reject you?"

He lowered his eyes. "If you wish to know who I am...there is a hot spring near here..."

"RIN-CHAN!"

Rin looked up at the sound of her fiancee's voice. "Ah, Hojo-kun..."

The masked man paused, then looked at her seriously. "I will show you there tonight. But only tonight. If you don't wish to know...then do not come."

She nodded, then turned towards her the direction she heard her fiancee's voice, rising. She paused, to ask the man another question, but to her surprise, he was gone. When her fiancee arrived, she forced a smile, and agreed to walk back into town with him.

Yet, strangely enough, she didn't want to. She wanted to go find the man in the strange ogre mask, and learn why he was so afraid to show her his face.

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Rin approached Miroku cautiously. "Miroku-nii-chan..." She said softly.

He looked up, startled. He had obviously been deep in thought about something, before she'd interrupted his thoughts. "Ah, little Rin!" He smiled cheerfully. "What can I do for you?"

She sat down, looking at her hands. "I met this boy...he wont tell me who he is, but he seems very sad...It's strange...I haven't even seen his face, but I feel like I know him..."

Miroku smiled, having been told the current situation by Inuyasha. "Ah, young love." He teased. "What about poor Hojo-san?"

Rin blushed. "Eto...I'm still marrying Hojo-kun...but...I feel drawn to this person. He seems so sad. I don't understand it a bit. I'm usually very cautious after what happened with Sesshoumaru-sama..." She blushed angrily.

Miroku saw the anger on her face when she mentioned her old master's name and frowned just a bit. He could tell she was still hurting from the wound he'd carelessly inflicted. Yet, there was a sadness in her eyes and he knew she was also still in love with the demon.

"I'm engaged...but I don't love Hojo-kun..." She said soflty.

Miroku rested a hand on her head comfortingly. "Rin, sometimes, our heart doesn't care what's good for it. Sometimes, it picks exactly the wrong person for us. Look at Kagome. Heck, look at Sango-chan. She married me, who she constantly professed hatred for. Kagome is in love with a demon from a completely different time. Too often, the person we love most is completely incompatible with us. But that lack of compatibility makes a relationship passionate, and without passion, well...there had better be alot of love, because it'll make both people miserable otherwise."

Rin nodded, standing. "What do you think I should do? He asked me to meet him tonight."

"I can't tell you what to do, but if you want to meet him, even to just learn who he is, then I personally would go." The monk answered honestly. "But first, I think you should ask Inuyasha to tag along, just incase it's someone you can't handle on your own."

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Rin wrung her hands nervously as she walked into the forest. Inuyasha and Kagome said they would wait for her at the treeline. When she reached the hot spring, she saw the man was wearing a different mask. This one exposed his mouth only. She could see his skin was pale, almost translucent, his lips looked soft.

He heard her approach and turned towards her. "You came..." He said softly, uncertainty gripping him. He saw her stop and took a few quick strides towards him. He caught her shoulders, pulling her gently into his arms.

Rin blushed furiously. "May I remove your mask?" She asked softly, lifting her eyes to his.

He nodded. "Close your eyes..." He took her hands, lifting them to his face, to the edges of the mask. Please, don't run away...He leaned down, kissing her lips lightly, as she pulled the mask away from him.

Rin felt his lips against hers and blushed, her breath sighing out of her. How had she fallen for this strange person? His lips moved gently, coaxing her to respond to him. But she hadn't seen him yet! She pulled back, and taking a deep breath, opened her eyes.

And met with shining gold.

She stumbled backwards, her eyes widening. It was HIM! The one who rejected her when she was young.

He saw her response and closed his eyes, turning his back to her. He had suspected this would happen. This was why he had not revealed himself to her till now. She hated him, even four years later. "Rin-"

She began to cry, but her voice didn't tremble a bit when she spoke. "Sesshoumaru-sama, why are you here?" She whispered. "I never wanted you here. I've finally moved on...Someone loves me, and I'm going to marry him."

He turned towards her. "You don't love him." He stated simply, remembering her earlier words.

She shook her head. "I'll learn to! Better to marry someone who loves me, rather than waste my love on a demon that doesn't understand the meaning of the word!"

He recoiled from her. "Now...you understand my hesitancy to reveal myself to you, Little Rin." He said softly, then turned towards her. "Rin-"

"DON'T SAY MY NAME!" She hissed. "Don't act like now, after ten years, you've finally started to care for me!"

"I always cared." He said evenly.

"LIAR!" She cried. Tears fell down her face rapidly. "I mean nothing to you!" She wanted to run away from him, but she was fixed to the spot suddenly by his firey gaze. She jumped when he stormed towards her, gripping her upper arms tightly and dragging her against him, his lips going against her's roughly in a heated kiss.

She was lost. She closed her eyes, kissing him back. She loved him still. Why? How could he do this to her again? The kiss probably wasn't more than a minute long, but it might as well have lasted forever. When he pulled back, she felt suddenly empty, like there was nothing left of her to give to Hojo-kun. This cold demon had her heart, and there was nothing left. She pulled away from him, and turned her back to him.

"Rin..." Sesshoumaru panted slightly. "If you...can honestly tell me that you felt nothing for me when I kissed you, then I'll walk out of your life now. You'll never have to see me again." He stepped towards her, touching her shoulders.

"You..." She paused, collecting herself. She finished her statement with tears in her eyes. "You are nothing to me." She said softly, looking at the grass.

He flinched, removing his hands from her as if burned. "I see..." He said softly. "I understand. I shall go..." He turned, walking towards the trees. "But Rin...so you know...when I said you meant nothing to me...I lied." He had no pride left. "I am sorry."

She listened to him leave her and fell to the ground, crying with all the pain, the agony, of lost first love. "Baka!" She whispered fiercely to herself.

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Rin sat in the hut while Kagome gently added the final stitches to her wedding kimono. She had barely spoken to anyone since her encounter with Sesshoumaru in the forest. Her marraige was supposed to happen the very next day, a day that was supposed to be the happiest day of her life.

Rin, however, was anything but happy.

Inuyasha watched over the girl the whole week following the incident in the woods. When He and Kagome had finally gone to find her, Rin was laying near the edge of the water. Her body was shaking from sobs, but there were no more tears left in her.

She hadn't spoken since then, and hadn't smiled a single time. It was like she was merely existing.

Inuyasha glanced towards her as Kagome finished up the lovely kimono. The girl smiled weakly, fakely when Kagome showed her. He cursed softly, going to look at the window. He could see his brother was among the trees and his eyes narrowed. "I'll be right back." He said evenly, then stormed from the hut, down to where his brother stood. "Why are you here!" He snarled, angry.

Sesshoumaru was silent for a long moment. Then, he looked at his brother, about to turn and leave.

"Answer me! What the hell happened that night! Rin hasn't said a word since then!" He took a deep breath, glaring at the older demon.

"Rin said I meant nothing to her." He said simply. "As I suspected she might." He began to walk into the forest. "Make sure this human she's chosen takes care of her." He continued walking, till he disappeared.

Inuyasha sighed, leaning against a tree. He watched his brother walk away, then turned to return to the hut. Rin was staring down at him, tears rolling down her face. Had she seen him? He jogged up to her, hugging the sobbing girl tightly. "Don't cry, Rin..." He said softly. "You're better off without that jerk..."

But even as he said it, he couldn't help but wonder if maybe his brother hadn't been so careless with his words all those years ago, maybe he would be with Rin now. He quided her back to the small hut.

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Everyone gathered the next morning, preparing for the wedding. Inuyasha stood as a vigilant guard in case of any demon attacks, while Kagome helped Rin into her wedding kimono. Rin still refused to speak, but she wasn't crying as much anymore. Instead, her face was stoic, miserable.

When Rin was dressed, Kagome left, waiting for the ceremony to start.

Rin sat in the room, waiting for the ceremony to begin, but she felt dead. She didn't want to marry Hojo-kun. She didn't love him. She still loved Sesshoumaru, even if the demon was colder than ice. She looked down at her hand to the ring on her finger. The ring Hojo-kun had given her the day before.

"I lied..."

Rin grasped it with her other hand, ripping it off as hard as she could. She couldn't marry Hojo when she was still so in love with Sesshoumaru. She stood up, setting the ring on the floor. Silently, she slipped from the hut, running as fast as she could to the treeline.

"Sesshoumaru-sama..." She whispered, jumping over raised roots and ducking underneath low branches. She was getting tired, the kimono was heavy, and she hadn't eaten much since the last time she saw the demon. "SESSHOUMARU-SAMA!" She cried furiously.

There he was.

Sesshoumaru looked back and saw Rin running towards him, her hair disheveled, but she was beautiful, anyways. He turned around, catching her as she threw her arms around him. "Rin..." He said softly, embracing her.

She wound her arms around his neck. She pressed her face into his shoulder, sobbing. "I'm sorry!" She cried. "I lied!"

He looked down at her in surprise, then lifted her off the ground, spinning her around. He didn't speak, chosing instead to hold her gently, setting her down once again, then kissing her lips tenderly. Then, he pulled away, looking down at her. "I forbid you from leaving me ever again." He said softly, cupping her face in one hand.

She nodded, smiling a bit. "I don't want to go anywhere without you, anyways. I love you, Sesshoumaru-sama..."

His eyes smiled at her and he picked her up, carrying her from the clearing, away from the village, away from the wedding that would now never take place.

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Later, Kagome went back to the room to retrieve Rin, only to find the ring carefully placed in the middle of the room, and the girl gone. She smiled a bit, looking towards Inuyasha, who grinned back. "You knew, didn't you."

"I had an idea." He said evenly. "I knew Rin wouldn't marry Hojo if she didn't love him. I just hope they're happy enough that they stay out of OUR hair." He shook his head, putting his arms around his wife and kissing the tip of her nose. "You know, sweetheart..." He smiled wickedly. "I don't think we've mated in this hut, yet..."

"INUYASHA! OSUWARI!"

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OWARI

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AN: This was an idea I'd had for awhile. Please excuse the major OOC Sesshoumaru. I wanted him to have to practically beg for her back. Shakes fist at fluffy in anger That's what you get for being a jerk in the beginning of the story!