-1Author's Note: This is my first fan fiction. I have read some wonderful stories, but I hadn't seen anything like what I had in mind. So…I though it would be fun to try my hand at story telling. I hope you enjoy this.

Chapter 1: Farewell

A cool breeze molded the kimono around the little girls body, but she didn't appear to notice. Fall was her favorite time of the year. The leaves were a brilliant orange, yellow and red as the wind tossed them around like so many brightly colored snow flakes. Dancing through the swirling leaves, Rin smiled at her beloved demon lord who was currently watching her out of the corner of his eye. Rin loved her lord with her whole being, she would have done anything, given anything, even her life, if it would just make him happy. But for now she was just happy to be near him. The demon lord on the other hand was considering if Rin actually remembered how to walk. Rin hopped, Rin skipped, Rin jumped, leaped and ran, but Rin did not walk. With an inward sigh Sesshomaru decided he had had as much gleeful exuberance as he could take for one day.

"Rin, we will camp here for the night. Stay with Jaken until I return." He commanded, much to Jaken's dismay.

"Lord Sesshomaru, where are you going?" Jaken screeched.

One glance was all it took to stop the annoying toad from whining any further. The toad had a very developed sense of preservation, and knew when bodily harm was imminent.

As Sesshomaru turned to leave something odd about the sky caught his attention. Stopping and looking up he watched as the clouds, that had been bright and cheery a moment ago, abruptly turned a stormy gray so dark as to almost appear black. The wind kicked up blowing the long strands of silver white hair around him as he watched lightening flash back and forth through the clouds.

Feeling a slight tug on his sleeve, Sesshomaru looked down to see Rin nervously gripping the silk of his sleeve.

"There is no need to worry" He informed her.

"I'm not worried." Rin assured him, but there was no trace of her usual smile.

"Hn." She received in response.

Resuming his scrutiny of the clouds, Sesshomaru was not as unconcerned as he appeared. The clouds had moved in too fast to be a natural occurrence. Something was wrong, he could feel it in the air.

"Lord Sesshomaru! what's that?!" Rin cried pointing toward the far end of the clouds.

Directing his gaze to where Rin was pointing, Sesshomaru noticed a small dark object separate from the clouds and rapidly advance in their direction.

"Rin, get back. Stay close to Ah-Un and don't move until I tell you." Sesshomaru instructed Rin as he moved forward to greet whatever was approaching.

"Yes my lord" Rin called back as she ran to where the large dragon waited behind them.

Rin watched her lord turn to meet the oncoming object with same indifferent expression he always wore when facing down potential danger. Although Rin knew her lord was the most powerful demon alive and nothing could possibly ever defeat him, she couldn't shake the feeling of dread as the thing got closer.

Narrowing her eyes against the wind, Rin could start to make out the shape of the thing coming at them. It was shaped like a similar to a man, but it was very dark, as though covered in some sort of metal. The hair, at least she thought it was hair, looked silver. but not the same metallic look as the body, and it had what appeared to be wings. It was by far the strangest thing she had ever seen. Turning her attention back to the demon lord, she could see him drawing his sword and waiting calmly as the creature came into range, probably planning to finish it with one sweep.

The creature was getting closer and moving at an incredible speed. Lord Sesshomaru drew back his sword preparing to strike. The creature seeing this smiled and dived directly for the demon lord.

Rin shivered and drew closer to AhUn. The thing was going toward her lord but it had been looking at her. It was watching her, why?

Sesshomaru seeing that he had the creatures undivided attention, released powerful waves of energy with one sweep of his sword. Returning the sword to it's sheath, the demon waited for the inevitable demise of the unknown adversary. A moment later his golden eyes widened in disbelief as the creature dived through the energy waves as though they weren't there. A second later the creature hit him. Perhaps hit isn't the best description. It moved through him like phantom, coming to stop in front of Rin, who was now cowering behind the dragon.

Sesshomaru felt a numbing coldness sweep through his body, but his only thought was to destroy the creature that had dared try to harm one who belonged to him. Snarling, the demon gave into the rage boiling up inside of him, his golden eyes changing to red as the sheer power of the beast within whipped around him, lifting the heavy silvery hair as the energy swirled around him in tornado like winds.

The creature turned it's gaze back toward the demon, curious as to sudden increase in power. Strangely, the creature appeared curious but not afraid. A small smile quirked the corner of it's mouth as it watched the changing form of the demon.

Jaken, who had been hiding up until now, hissed to Rin " Get out of there, stupid girl!"

Rin abruptly came out the terrified stupor she had been in and raced over to where the little green toad was indicating, still shaking as she ran. She had gotten a good look at the creature when it had stopped in front of her. The creature didn't look like either a human or a demon. The body which was definitely male, was covered in some sort of ornate dark armor, confirming her original impression. It did indeed have hair, but it gleamed, impossibly bright, like molten silver. Although basically human in form it was more delicate than a human would be, yet that didn't disguise the unnatural eeriness of it, or the frightening strength lying just below the surface. What it might be or where it came from she could only guess. The most disturbing thing was how beautiful the thing was. Even though it appeared to be male, beautiful was the only word that came to mind. Until now she had always thought her lord was most gorgeous thing alive. Still, no matter what it looked like, it had been the eyes that had truly terrified her. They were completely silver, with no pupils. In those eyes was something so inhuman it chilled her to the bone.

"Rin! Hurry!" Jaken hissed at her.

Rin finally reached Jaken and gratefully sank to her knees beside him.

"Master Jaken, do you know what that is?" Rin asked, looking at the creature in question.

"No, but it's not a demon." Jaken replied.

"Are you sure?" Rin asked. She hoped maybe she was wrong about it being unnatural.

"I've seen many things while traveling with lord Sesshomaru, but I've never seen anything like that." Jaken replied. He was worried, his lord was not looking so good. Even as he was starting to change into his beast form, Jaken could tell something was wrong. Sesshomaru was moving stiffly as though every movement was difficult.

Jaken couldn't have been more right. The coldness that had swept through Sesshomaru after the creature touched him was increasing. Even with the increased power of his beast he couldn't shake the coldness. It was almost paralyzing. And the creature. It just stood there watching him with it's eerie silver eyes. Why didn't it move, attack? It just stood there, like it knew it had won. The demon lord returned it's stare, challenging it. Did this thing think it had beaten him? He, Sesshomaru, was not so easily defeated. With a surge of power the transformation began.

Rin, hiding beside Jaken, felt the surge of power as her lord began to transform. A movement from the creature drew her attention. It was no longer standing silently watching. She could sworn it looked like it was enjoying itself as it turned slightly lifting it's arm parallel to the ground. Cupping it's hand, palm side up, it brought the hand back toward it's mouth and blew gently, causing a glittering black dust to fly toward lord Sesshomaru. The black dust was quickly drawn into the winds swirling around the powerful demon, covering him in the glittering black particles. His transformation immediately halted as Sesshomaru fell to his knees with an agonized gasp. Rin's horrified cry went unheeded as Sesshomaru's body darkened to a mottled blackish gray color that spread rapidly from his torso outward to his arms, legs and face.

The creature, evidently deciding the demon was no longer of any interest turned back to the girl, only to find itself far to close to a small smelly green toad, who was currently pointing an oddly curved stick at him. Stepping back slightly to get a better look at this new foe, the creature cocked it's head to one side.

Jaken in a moment of unheard of self-sacrifice pointed his staff at the creature and called on the flames residing within.

"How dare you harm my lord Sesshomaru! Do you think I am harmless because I am just a mere servant?" Jaken squawked in his most menacing voice. " Think again!"

Jaken released the staff's power with an impressive roar of fire.

The creature watched with interest as the little green toad waved the stick about menacingly, while screeching in a horribly high pitched voice. After much waving and shouting, fire shot from the stick. As flames engulfed the creature, instead of the expected scream of pain, the unnatural thing seemed to be enjoying itself. Of course the fact that it wasn't burning may been the reason for the lack of screaming. The creature lifted it hand, watching the flames race along it's skin and them turned it's silver gaze back to toad and smiled.

Jaken, his courage spent, fainted.

Seeing the toad was out cold, the creature turned back to the girl once more. Tired of playing, the creature motioned to the dragon to move away. The dragon tried valiantly to resist the mental command but lost to a creature to whom mental control was as natural as breathing. With nothing left to defeat the creature walked to the cowering child. Stopping in front of her he extended one graceful hand.

Rin fought the desire to take the creatures offered hand. The desire was not coming from her. Rin knew it was the creature clouding her mind, but as the fear slid away, she reached up and placed her small had in his. Seeing the creatures smile, she knew she just lost an important battle, but couldn't remember why.

The great demon lord of the western lands watched helplessly as Rin, placed her small hand in the creatures. She turned and looked at him one last time as the creature picked her up. As the cold darkness spread to Sesshoumaru's eyes, the last thing he saw was Rin's blank unblinking stare watching him as the life drained from his body.