I feel I should apologize for the quality of the final chapter, as the majority of it was written at 4 a.m. under the influence of equal parts chocolate and rum.

---

Sesshoumaru flew effortlessly through the sky, his true form cutting through the clouds and casting a long shadow on the ground below. Holding the crates in his mouth for so long was making his jaw ache, and the smell of the herbs scratched at his throat and tempted him to spit the offending mass out.

Acting like a common animal was humiliating, but there was no other way. At least no one else would know.

“Hey.”

A shadow made the small group pause, and the hanyou with them pointed a finger at a shape weaving through the clouds.

“Isn’t that…”

---

Jaken awoke with a start, picking his hat up and replacing it on his head. He’d been having such a nice dream too…but it was foolish to dwell on such things. He would never be that tall. He shifted his small body to get more comfortable, but just as his head bobbed down a familiar feeling made him scramble to his feet and run for the door.

“Sesshoumaru-sama! You-”

The door was flung open with all the strength Jaken could muster, and he gazed upwards, so relieved to see his master…

Scratched, bruised, slashed, bloody, dirty, and foul-smelling yet still standing proudly, Sesshoumaru glared down at the small youkai with force enough to singe his eyebrows.

“Have…returned…I have anxiously awaited your-“

“I have recovered the stolen medicine.” Sesshoumaru spoke the words with such finality, that when Jaken only then noticed the crates beyond, it made him think they might had simply popped into existence at the moment of his master’s statement.

“I-I shall summon the monk at o-once!”

Jaken bowed so fast he nearly flipped himself over, before turning and running full-tilt in no particular direction, yelling for the monk’s attendance at the very top of his tiny lungs. Left behind, Sesshoumaru took one look down at the state he was in before turning and disappearing.

---

“Mnnn…”

The unconscious vocalization, as quiet as it was, only made Sesshoumaru realize just how tense he had truly been. He’d blasted a rough basin out of a rock outcropping and filled it with near-boiling water, a simplistic spell that he knew Jaken indulged himself with on occasion. Sesshoumaru would normally have preferred a proper bath, with attendants and luxuries to suit him, but the rock kettle he was steaming in was at the moment the most wonderful thing he could imagine.

Everything he’d been through in the last day was slowly being washed away, and he sank downwards in perfect contentment. The medicine was recovered, Rin would be treated, and he would be back on the hunt for Naraku soon enough.

“Hmmm…”

Yes…soon…

A brush of his hand smoothed out the rock, making the seating muchmore comfortable. This accursed day was finally-

A branch snapped.

For some bizarre reason, his eyes tried to roll aimlessly in their sockets instead of focusing on the noise, and Sesshoumaru nearly sighed when the sound was followed by a familiar scent and voice.

“Over here!”

It appeared the day was not quite over.

“Sesshoumaru!”

Hand on Tessaiga, Inuyasha burst into view. Sesshoumaru didn’t bother getting up.

The two stared at each other. Inuyasha’s lips curled back, fangs bared and ready to draw at a moment’s notice. Sesshoumaru was too busy rubbing a tense muscle on his leg into submission to notice. More noise and voices rolled past, and soon Sesshoumaru had a full audience.

“What are you doing here, Sesshoumaru?”

“Bathing. It’s not something I expect you to understand.”

Inuyasha began to growl in what Sesshoumaru took as yet another ridiculous attempt at posturing. The attempt fell flat, literally, the human girl giggling at his remark and eventually invoking some spell after Inuyasha began berating her for it.

The monk and the demon-slayer were much more reserved, obviously realizing that any kind of confrontation would be utterly pointless. The slayer carefully stepped around Inuyasha, still spitting dirt from his mouth, with the monk staying close by her side.

“I find it difficult to believe you simply took a break from hunting Naraku.”

“True. Rin fell sick, and I am waiting for her to recover before continuing.”

“Rin-chan?” The oddly-dressed girl moved up to the rim of the pool, ignoring Inuyasha as he stood and began to complain. “So she caught the disease the youkai were spreading?”

Sesshoumaru’s eyes flicked back to the slayer, registering a sudden tension that she seemed to be trying to hide.

“What do you mean?”

“We heard that a sorceress was spreading a plague to extort tribute from the countries’ lord. But when we went to speak to him about it-“

“-The human was long dead.” Sesshoumaru finished for her. “Replaced by the witches’ servant.”

“So it was you!”

Sesshoumaru nodded and sank deeper into the pool, watching the intruding group turn and babble amongst themselves without any regard for the situation. Really, wasn’t there any way to be rid of them that did not involve leaving the water?

Yes!

“You’re sick, aren’t you?”

“Huh?”

The slayer straightened, shifting the weight of her weapon onto her back. She had set it down for just a moment, but it was long enough to show she was not carrying the weapon as easily as she normally did.

“Sango, is that true?”

“I’m fine, Miroku!”

“The temple in the nearby village has medicine to treat the illness.” Sesshoumaru intoned flatly.

The monk immediately began tugging on the slayer, insisting that she go to be treated immediately. The slayer protested, her strength obviously a point of pride. The other human girl joined in the argument, and between her pushing and the monk’s tugging the slayer was slowly but surely dragged away.

That left Inuyasha, glaring at his half-brother. Sesshoumaru pointedly ignored him and sank deeper into the water. The hanyou opened his mouth again, but was mercifully interrupted by the girl calling to him, demanding his presence.

Inuyasha kicked at the dirt uselessly before scurrying off, glaring at him over his shoulder. The last movement Sesshoumaru would make for some time was to renew the spell, raising the pool’s temperature and letting himself sink deeper into the water, silently swearing to be absolutely merciless to whatever might disturb him next.

---

Rin’s fever broke the next day, and a much cleaner Sesshoumaru was waiting with Ah-Un as Rin walked out of the temple, leaving a irate Inuyasha behind complaining that Sesshoumaru would regain the lead because Sango was too sick to travel. Rin closed the door behind her to the sound of something impacting the floorboards at high speed, walking slowly down the path to Sesshoumaru’s side.

“Rin.”

She smelled normal, now, and her skin had returned to it’s usual color.

“Jaken-sama told me you fought to get the medicine for me. Thank you, Sesshoumaru-sama!”

Sesshoumaru didn’t reply, turning around and beginning to walk away. Rin reached up and grasped Ah-Un’s saddle, trying to lift herself up and failing, stumbling and falling backwards.

A hand caught her before she could hit the ground.

“S-Sesshoumaru-sama?”

He lifted her up, setting her down gently on Ah-Un’s back, holding on to her as she settled in, and once they had left the village a few minutes later, Rin never heard what Sesshoumaru had said under his breath, too quietly for anyone to hear.

“It’s nothing…”