Something to Protect by midnight_vanilla

Down the Rabbit Hole

Something to Protect

Chapter 1

"Sesshomaru, is there something you want to protect?" His father had asked him, his back still toward his son.

"Something, to protect?" he asked, his voice questioning. Something to protect.

That moment played vividly in his mind over and over again. Lately he could not get that out of his mind, it plagued his thoughts daily. At the time, he didn't understand what his father was talking about. And even now, he still didn't completely understand it.

"Hnn, why would I need something to protect," he mumbled to himself. In his mind, having something to protect just seemed like a burden that would slow him down from doing what he needed to do. It would just cause more harm to himself, and it would cause for him to care for someone. That was something he did not want to waste time on.

In his mind, he didn't want to get screwed.

The only two he had ever let close enough to himself was Rin and Jaken. No matter how much the imp pestered him, to a point, he didn't mind having him around. Rin… she was different. Is this was my father meant? Or was there something more to it? He shook his head at the thought.

"Lord Sesshomaru, is something wrong?" Rin asked worriedly, looking up at him.

"I'm fine," he replied with his monotone voice.

She moved her lips to speak again, but stopped when she saw the look on her master's face. If only for a second, he looked sad. Whether it was really there or not, she would never know, because the look was gone just as soon as it had come.

"Leave him alone, girl," the imp commanded, waving his staff in her face.

"Jaken-sama!" Rin called out to him as she tackled him from behind. "I want a piggy-back ride." His legs started giving out as he tried to keep them both up.

"Get, get off me!" he wailed. As soon as he said that they both fell forward, Jaken face first into the grass.

"Jaken," Sesshomaru's voice warned.

He quickly got out from under Rin and sauntered behind them, mumbling how unfair it was under his breath.

"Sesshomaru-sama, can I sit on top of fluffy?" the little brown haired girl asked innocently as she hurriedly got up and walked up to Sesshomaru. Fluffy was another name for the long white fluff he carried around his shoulder. It reminded the girl of a soft, fluffy cloud.

"Hnn." In seconds he had picked her up and placed her on top of it. She quietly hugged it and nuzzled into it.

They continued walking, Jaken following behind them.

Sesshomaru could tell something was just not right about today. It was too quiet. There wasn't one demon that tried fighting him, and there was not one thing out of the ordinary. Maybe he should consider it a good thing.

With his one arm, he rubbed his head as if he had a horrible headache. His eye sight focused on the ground in front of him.

Rin opened her eyes and sat up. "Sesshomaru-sama?"

His ears twitched slightly and his eyes looked around aimlessly until they settled on a clearing ahead of them. He gently set Rin down on the ground and rushed over to whatever was attracting his senses.

In the clearing he saw a giant bear demon attacking a younger girl. He bolted in-between the bear demon and the girl, taking out his sword and getting ready to attack.

"Sesshomaru?" he heard a confused voice ask. The voice sounded oddly familiar, but he didn't have the time to figure that out right now.

"Stay back," he commanded as he jumped forward, slashing his sword up the demon's stomach. The bear demon stumbled back, a grin forming on his large features.

"You think you can beat me?" The bear demon started to laugh, almost hysterically. The pain had to of been getting to his head. The demon lunged forward, ready to smash the taiyoukai under his palm. The bear demon was huge, towering over both of them in size and length.

Sesshomaru smirked, gracefully jumping up and sending his sword mercilessly down his arm, cutting it off completely. You could hear its' scream echo off deeper down the woods.

"Why are you helping me?" the girl asked, her back scooted up against the well. He glanced back to see who was speaking, and now he could finally match the voice to the person. It was Inuyasha's girl, Kagome.

"Hnn." He paid little heed to answer her. His concentration back on the demon.

Rin and Jaken watched from the sides, both of their little bodies hidden behind a bush with their faces peeking out.

"Wow, Sesshomaru-sama is strong." Rin said in awe.

"Of course he is!" Jaken bloated.

Not trying to make this go on for any longer, Sesshomaru took one last look at the pathetic demon before lunging at it one more time, his sword slicing right through his head. The large demon screamed as his body started to disintegrate to pieces.

Kagome stood up, brushing off her skirt before going to Sesshomaru. "Uh, t-thank you." She blushed, trying not to look him in the eyes.

"Hnn."

Jaken and Rin moved to hide behind the well, trying to get a better view of what was going on.

She seemed a little annoyed. "That's all you have to say?"

"Shouldn't it be the other way around? I did save you."

She had a comeback, but decided to keep it to herself. She backed away, and not noticing the well behind her, fell down backwards. Sesshomaru, being quick on his feet, went to grab her.

But it didn't go as smoothly as he hoped.

He grabbed onto her arm, trying to grab her and pull her up, but the weight pulled him down and sent them both flying down the well.

"Ahh, Lord Sesshomaru!" Jaken peeked down the well. "Huh? Where did they go?"

Rin also glanced down. "That's weird. Jaken, go get him!" The little girl pushed him down the well. All you could hear was Jaken screaming and than a loud thud.

"Why didn't that work?" she asked herself and then shrugged.

"Rin! RIN! Don't leave me down here, help me!" The imp yelled at the top of his lungs at Rin's retreating figure.

xxx

"Ow," Kagome mumbled. She rubbed the back of her head to try and ease the pain. She could feel a sudden headache sneaking up on her. All of a sudden her back started to hurt, she could feel a prickly pain run up her spine.

"Get off me, woman," said a gruff voice from underneath her.

She looked beneath her to see Sesshomaru. "Ohh!" She quickly got up.

"Hnn." He jumped out of the well as soon as he was free to move. His eyes got big as he surveyed his surroundings. From behind him, Kagome made her way up the well.

"Wow, what a fall..." Her voice suddenly faded out.

"Where are we?" Sesshomaru's whispered, as if he couldn't speak any louder.

"This looks like-"

"Kagome! You're back!" An older voice spoke. It sounded like...

"Grandpa?" She tilted her head in confusion. Oh no, this can't be good. He can't see Sesshoma-

"DEMON!" He screamed.