Under the Butterfly Moon

Chapter Two - Return

There were times in a certain inuyoukai's life when every rational thought seemed to fly out of his head and he could only think of murdering his retainer, knowing that his life would be so much easier if only he had Jaken's head on a spike. Now was one of those times.

The little imp cowered underneath Lord Sesshomaru's hard gaze, and his pointed mouth gaped open, then closed, then fell open again.

"If you are attempting speech, then you are failing miserably, Jaken." The voice was as emotionless as ever, and the green toad swallowed, his throat bobbing with the movement.

"Forgive me, my lord! This humble servant only meant to - "

"Silence." As the word left his lips, the silver-haired inu demon turned and continued on his way, his ears picking up nothing but merciful quiet from the toad he had so patiently put up with all these years. Pushing the previous incident from his mind - and washing his aura over himself to erase the feeling of Jaken's disgusting body pressed against his leg in fright - he calmly surveyed his surroundings.

If he remembered correctly, he was near Inuyasha's Forest, and he immediately searched for his younger half-brother's aura. "Jaken."

"Yes my lord?"

"When was the hanyou last in this Sesshomaru's presence?" If the toad was surprised by the question, he gave no indication.

"I believe it was a fortnight ago, my lord. Inuyasha has not shown up since nor has this humble servant heard anything about him, although I was beginning to wonder myself when - "

Suddenly, Jaken's words seemed neither important nor worth listening to just for the sake of listening, because as soon as he referenced himself, a strong gust of wind whipped through the fields, and Sesshomaru caught a scent that made his blood run cold. It came from deep in Inuyasha's Forest, and Sesshomaru's body made up his mind before his mind even knew what it wanted.

He was gone within milliseconds, leaving Jaken to complete almost an entire sentence before he realized that his master had left him. Sesshomaru was, by the time that the imp could take a breath to whine about being deserted, already at the well, his claws wrapped around the ledge and his upper body leaning over the lip, cold amber eyes gazing down into the darkness below.

That smell...

A small groan reached his ears, and he stared more resolutely into the well, sharp eyes finding and staying on a small silhouette at the bottom. His beast recoiled in surprise, his instincts demanding that he find an answer to this anomaly. He sniffed once, twice, three times, and his upper lip curled, a snarl working it's way up from the depths of his chest. Before he could let loose, however, a surge of pure power assaulted him, and he instinctively stepped back, away from the threat, his eyes immediately snapping over to the point from which it came.

"Step away, Sesshomaru," came a stern, familiar voice. Through the sudden red haze that settled over his vision, the inu recognized his half-brother's wench, and some part of his mind protested at the tone of voice she used with him; how dare she speak to him as though she were capable of telling him what to do. Low in his throat, his growl rumbled, but he noticed that the miko, like all the times they had met before, did not flinch nor back down. In fact, she stepped closer, her red hakama swishing as she moved. "Sesshomaru, you are losing control. I'll ask you this one more time: step away, please."

The tall inu could feel his normally stoic face twisting into a grimace of complete anger, and, before the human could take another step forward or raise a hand against him, he turned, grasped the lip of the well, and jumped over the edge with a snarl on his lips.

---*---

Kagome watched as, for the first time, Sesshomaru's iron control crumbled and fell away. His features contorted, his eyes glowing scarlet and his demonic energy flaring around his tall frame and straining against her own pure energy. She realized with a start that he was beyond her reasoning, that she might have to purify him in an attempt to shock his senses, but she was much more surprised when he vaulted effortlessly over the lip of the well and disappeared into it's dark depths.

On impulse, she began to run forward, forcing herself to stop when he re-appeared just as quickly as he had gone, the slight form of a girl slung over his shoulder. Unceremoniously, the demon dropped her, her silky brown hair falling around her face as her body hit the ground. She lay still, quiet, and Kagome automatically stretched out her aura, desperately relieved to find that her life still pulsed in her veins. A low growl reached her ears, and she turned her attention from the girl - who she feared might be who both she and Sesshomaru thought she was - and met his red gaze.

"Sesshomaru, you will not harm her, do you hear me?" She paused, and, taking a cautious step forward, allowed her aura to flare as he moved, only slightly, toward the girl, his clawed hand reaching down toward the brown mass of hair that spilled like melted chocolate in the grass. His growl continued to rumble, and he bent forward further. In an instant, Kagome had her bow strung and an arrow fitted to it, the tip glowing bright pink, arches of blue and purple jumping and flashing along it's surface. "Sesshomaru, I will warn you only once more."

For an immeasurable amount of time, scarlet red eyes watched chocolate brown, both hard and shining with defiance, anger, and, Kagome saw even confusion swimming in Sesshomaru's claret orbs. And then, suddenly, he was gone, and the only sign that he had been there were the fading sounds of his growls. Kagome wasted no time.

Dropping her bow and arrow where she stood, she rushed to the girls side, falling by her head before turning her so that her head lay in her lap. Brushing the strands of hair away from the creamy skinned face, she inhaled sharply, her deepest fears brought into the light. The face, so calm in sleep, was the same as she had last seen it, although much of the baby fat had faded and her cheekbones had become more pronounced. Placing her fingers on the girl - Rin, she had to remind herself - she slowly spread her aura into her patient, using her mind to find all the pain in the small body and using her energy to smooth the rough ends.

The small task of mending the bruises and stitching together the torn muscles was finished in the span of a couple minutes, and when Kagome opened her eyes, she wasn't surprised to look up and see Sesshomaru standing a few paces away, cold golden eyes trained on the young teen cradled in her arms. He did not look at her, and Kagome sat utterly still, aware of his struggle as though it were her own. After a moment, his hard gaze traveled upwards, and she met his stare with a calm one of her own, keeping her face immobile.

"We will have to take her to Sayuri's hut," she said, when the taiyoukai did not speak. He stared at her for a moment longer, then, slowly and deliberately, he turned and began to walk away. Staring after him, Kagome resisted the urge to yell at him and shifted Rin in her lap, moving the girl until she could pick her up, cradling the slight form in her arms as she would a small baby. Kagome stood slowly, staggered, and then, finding her footing, stumbled along after Sesshomaru.

---*---

She was back.

---*---

"Kagome, you - Who is that? And why is mutt face here?"

"Inuyasha, take her."

"Who is this? Sesshomaru what are you doing here?"

"Inuyasha, stop asking questions and take her into Sayuri's hut. I'll talk to you when I get there."

Kagome watched as Inuyasha effortlessly carried Rin into the village, heading toward the village's current priestess while mumbling under his breath. The miko sighed, shaking her head before turning her gaze to the tall demon standing beside her. His golden eyes met hers for a brief moment, then she began to walk after Inuyasha.

---*---

Rin groaned, and immediately lifted her arm to cradle her aching head. Or at least, she would have. A hand closed around her wrist before her hand could make it halfway to her throbbing skull. She opened her eyes at the same time as a squeak escaped her dry lips, but the soothing voice that met her ears immediately calmed her. Her eyes followed the sound, and the smile that graced the woman's face was so familiar that she stared.

"It's alright, you're safe." Rin found that she couldn't speak, and she allowed the woman to help her up, more than just a little confused when she looked around and seemed to be in some sort of hut. There was a straw cot underneath her, and the small fire that burned just a few feet away lit up wooden floors and walls. A small wooden cup was thrust under her nose, and the sweet smell of tea wafted up from it. "It'll help your headache," the woman said, a smile on her pretty face. Rin took the cup, a little cautiously, and carefully sipped the hot brew, finding that the warmth that spread through her did seem to help her head stop throbbing. After a moment, she ventured speech.

"Where am I? And who are you?" The kind smile on the woman's face almost faltered, but she recovered and settled back against her legs. Rin noticed for the first time that she wore a white haori and red hakama, and she tried not to frown, finding the clothes startlingly familiar.

"I'll explain where you are later, but my name is Kagome." She stuck out a hand, and Rin shook it automatically.

"Rin." Something flashed in Kagome's eyes, but it passed quickly, and Rin was granted with a full blown smile that lit up Kagome's entire face.

"It's nice to meet you, Rin," she said. "I - "

"Kagome, what - " Jumping as the straw covering the door was pushed violently aside, Rin snapped her head to the side and was shocked to see a man in red clothes standing in the doorway, his hair glinting silver in the moonlight and his eyes colored a rich, sunset gold. If the claws gripping the doorway weren't enough to confuse her, then the little ears on top of his head were definitely enough to get her thinking, and she stared at the silver appendages as though possessed, her fingers itching to rub them and see if they were as soft as they looked.

"Inuyasha, how many times do I have to tell you that you aren't supposed to come rushing in here like that?" Inuyasha opened his mouth to retort, but snapped it closed in the next instant, glancing over his shoulder. Kagome stiffened in the same instant, and Rin peered around Inuyasha in an effort to see what they were suddenly so tense about.

"Remove yourself, half-breed."

That voice...

Rin found herself holding her breath as Inuyasha, after some grumbling, stepped aside, making way for a tall man wearing white. He had to crouch momentarily to get inside, but as he straightened, Rin couldn't look away from those cold golden eyes set in that painfully handsome face. She knew him.

"Rin, are you okay?" Kagome's voice sounded far away.

She could not speak, and the room seemed to grow smaller as something tickled at the back of her mind, growing into an unreachable itch. The golden eyes and striped cheeks of the man standing just a few feet away from her expanded until they were all she could see. The sound of his voice echoed in her head, bouncing around and calling that itch closer to her conscious mind. She couldn’t breathe.

Suddenly, the world went black.

---*---

As Rin crumpled, Sesshomaru's hand only twitched before the Shikon miko reached forward and caught his ward with gentle arms, her open face showing the utmost concern for the now unconscious girl. She lowered her gently to the straw mat, smoothing her hair away from her face before closing her eyes and placing her small hands on Rin's head.

Sesshomaru's senses tingled as her miko powers went to work, a wave of warmth washing over him as her healing gently wafted over Rin's still body. He sat completely still, and was not surprised when the miko opened her eyes and looked directly at him, a gentle reprove in the chocolate orbs. He resisted the urge to scoff at her attempted correction of his actions, and stared back, unwavering, until she spoke.

"She'll be fine. The shock overcame her." He did not break his gaze, and, after staring at him for a while, Kagome turned to Inuyasha, who had been blessedly silent thus far. "Inuyasha, can you go get me some water, and fresh cloths?" Sesshomaru watched his half-brother from the corner of his eye. The hanyou nodded after a moment, and noiselessly left the hut, something about his aura causing Sesshomaru's nose to twitch. Calm was not an emotion Inuyasha normally displayed. As if thinking the very same thing, Kagome watched him leave, a small frown on her face. However, she quickly dismissed the hanyou's uncharacteristic behavior and turned her eyes once more to Sesshomaru. She did not speak.

"Miko, you have yet to explain the reappearance of yourself and Rin." He was almost surprised at how easily Rin's name slipped from his lips, and took it as a good omen; perhaps his mind had already accepted that she was truly back, although his body couldn't believe it's eyes. His musings were interrupted as Kagome shifted, and he waited semi-patiently as she wrung her small hands together and pulled her bottom lip between her teeth.

"I - "

"'Gome, I'm back." Inuyasha's voice was loud and brash as ever, as though his trip had cured him of whatever ailment had kept him subdued. Sesshomaru watched as the hanyou walked into the hut, sat the pail of water at the miko's side, and handed her the cloths before seating himself and folding his hands into the sleeves of his haori. The small miko only glared slightly at him before turning her attention back to Sesshomaru.

"I don't know why we've been brought back," she began, a small frown crossing over her features before she turned away and busied herself with wetting and laying one of the requested cloths over Rin's forehead. "But I can sense that there is some unrest here."

"What do you mean, unrest? There ain't been unrest since we defeated Naraku!"

"I know that, Inuyasha, but there is something going on somewhere that called me back." There was a brief silence, and Kagome met Sesshomaru's steady gaze again before speaking. "I don't know why Rin was brought back, but I have a feeling that her presence in my time might have disrupted something, so she's been brought back here to balance it out." She worried her bottom lip, chewing on it softly before sighing very lightly and turning her attention back to Rin.

"I'm goin' for a walk," Inuyasha grumbled when the silence had stretched out. Kagome nodded, and the hanyou stood and left the hut without another word. Sesshomaru did not move, and he kept his eyes locked on the still form of his ward.

---*---
Author's Note
I hope you enjoyed, and reviews are much appreciated! Oh and I wouldn't mind of you would kindly spread the word to a few more people who might like to read and review *hint**hint**wink**wink*

Sugar0o: Well I'm very proud of myself if I've kept you hooked so far! I'm njot positive that this chapter will be as hook-able as the last two, but my fingers are crossed! Thanks for the review!

And thanks to all of you for reading!