Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Inuyasha characters. I do own the plot for this plotless fanfic, though! Wait... I guess that means I own nothing, ne..? Le crap... ¬.¬;

Author Note's: Ahem-hem... -clears throat- In spite of running rumors, this Ruby is still alive... o.o; But I don't think you, people, care, ne? xD Anyway, after what's felt like an eternity, I present you the fourth chapter of Unraveling Melody! Enjoy! :D

Unraveling Melody

By Ruby Moon

Chapter 04: Signs of Fondness

Silence would rule over the meadows where Sesshoumaru and his acquaintances set camp at, had it not been for the soft sound of the wind blowing through the scarce foliage on those lands. Rin had further engaged into her entertaining antics, running around the edges of the lake where she had been searching for food for the last half hour. Jaken kept a vigilant eye on her, though she often tried to evade from his sight. As for the lord of the Western Lands and the undead priestess, they had long resigned to merely observe their companions, sparing each other no words whatsoever; that rare moment of peace would be better appreciated quietly, after all.

"Jaken-sama, if you continue scaring the fish away, Rin's gonna throw you into the lake!" The girl complained yet again at the green creature.

"I'm not doing anything to scare them away!"

"Jaken's face is ugly enough to scare anything away…" She whispered while glancing at the toad youkai from the corner of her eyes, beads of sweat running down her forehead.

"I heard that!!" He brandished his two-headed staff in the air as several angry veins popped up all over his skull.

"Shh, Jaken-sama, be quiet! Look, there's a big one over there, see?" A small hand pointed at a red-scaled fish swiftly moving inside the water. "It looks yummy… Rin's gonna get it!" As soon as those words escaped her lips, Rin leapt into the lake, swimming as fast as her arms allow her to.

Mahogany eyes widened in concern upon realization of what the little girl had just done. Getting a hold of her bow and arrows, the priestess came to her feet in a graceful motion and strode toward the lake, her eyebrows furrowing at the sight of Rin seemingly struggling against something with vicious strength. "Rin, what are you doing?" She kneeled down and tilted her head sideways in confusion.

"Aww, it escaped!" A disappointed Rin replied, bringing her petite arms crashing down against the water's surface in sheer frustration.

"It escaped? You mean that fish?" The raven haired woman pointed at the fish Rin had previously tried to capture, which was now dashing away at a fast pace.

"Hai…" The soaked girl slowly came out of the lake, head hanging low in distress. "Rin was trying to get it, but Rin's not very good at this…"

"No wonder." Kikyou placed a comforting hand on the child's shoulder. "Fish are rather sensitive to any sort of movement inside the water, Rin-chan. You could never catch any by using those methods…"

"Hai… Then how can Rin get a fish?"

Kikyou's pale hand reached for her quiver and drew out one of her arrows, carefully placing its dull end up against the string of her wooden bow. Earth-brown oculars ran up and down the water's surface, seeking out their prey with much caution. Another second flashed by and the arrow was fired, easily piercing through the target. Taking a few steps forth, she leaned over and grabbed the tip of her sharp weapon, removing the dead fish from the lake. "Well, perhaps my arrows will do the trick." She spared the child a kind smile upon noticing the look of bewilderment plastered on her face.

"Wow, that was amazing, Kikyou-sama!"

"Thank you. Here, hold this for a second." She handed over the fish and turned her attention back to the lake, preparing to shoot yet another arrow.

"Hai!" Rin nodded cheerfully, waving her soon-to-be meal in the air. "Is Kikyou-sama gonna get another one?"

Cutting off Rin's speech, Kikyou's arrow came flying rapidly towards the lake, its sharp end perforating the hard scales of another fish. This one was slightly bigger than the previous, and seemingly stronger too, though it was pinned to the bottom of the lake just as easily.

"Looks like I just did."

"Hai!" The girl nodded vigorously, beaming at the miko. "Ooh, this one is big!"

"Yes, it is." She rolled up the long sleeves of her hakui and dipped her hands in the water, handing the catch over to Rin. "Why don't you light up a fire to roast them and get yourself dry? I'll be here fishing some more, alright?"

"Hai! Rin will show them to Sesshoumaru-sama!" That said, she dashed towards the silver haired youkai, one fish in each hand.

The demon lord had stopped paying attention at the two humans moments earlier. The pain he was feeling before had gotten even worse, and the poison had spread through his hand, reaching up to his wrist. Not even a couple of hours' rest had managed to make him feel better - on the contrary, the searing pain only got stronger, much to his concern. "Naraku…you shall pay for this." He thought to himself, taking another silent look at his burning claw.

"Sesshoumaru-sama! Look what Rin got!" The girl's sweet little voice interrupted the taiyoukai's musings as she took a seat right next to him.

"…What happened to you…?" He enquired in his whisper-like tone after regarding a dripping Rin for a few seconds or so.

"Huh? This?" Rin looked down at herself, as though just realizing her condition, then engaged on performing a series of random movements with her arms, which Sesshoumaru took as an attempt to mimic an archer. "Rin was trying to get some fish with her own hands, but then Kikyou-sama came and got them for Rin with her arrows!!"

Amber oculars traveled swiftly towards the priestess; she was standing calmly near the lake, seemingly trying to catch Rin's meal-to-be. He had grown so tired from struggling against the poison that insisted on spreading through his arm that, until that moment, he hadn't even noticed Kikyou had approached the little girl, let alone that she was still carrying her weapon of choice. That woman could be dangerous, yes, though he was relieved she hadn't tried to hurt Rin while he was absentminded.

"Why is Sesshoumaru-sama always looking at Kikyou-sama?" Confused as to why her lord had been staring at the miko for so long, Rin tilted her head sideways and blinked cutely. "She's very pretty, ne?"

Sesshoumaru was taken off guard by that sudden comment. His only reason to spare furtive glances at Kikyou was his lack of trust in her. She was a very powerful miko and, as far as he knew, the only opponent Naraku actually feared, but above everything else, she was a human, which he took as reason enough for mistrusting her actions. He had never bothered to regard her as anything other than his best chance to destroy the hanyou fiend or to see her merely as a woman… until then.

Now that he had his attention driven towards that matter, the taiyoukai had to admit that miko wasn't bad looking, not bad looking at all… for human standards, that is. Locks of long, raven hair blocked her sight as a gentle breeze blew right through them, though pale fingers soon reached up to the stubborn strands and tucked them neatly behind her ears, her free hand keeping a loose grip on her bow. Her earth-brown oculars revealed some sort of peaceful aura, even though he could sense hints of misfortune and sorrow that made that woman altogether beautiful. A pleasant sight to contemplate, he thought.

"Rin thinks Kikyou-sama is very pretty!" She retook her speech, unaware of the slightly different gaze the demon lord now spared the tragic beauty. "And very nice too! She has already saved Rin's life twice!"

That was right; the priestess had already saved Rin twice in altruistic actions. The girl was somewhat of a stranger to her, yet she spared no efforts when it came to keep her away from harm. In such a small amount of time, the two had developed a bond of sorts and seemed to grow fond of and trust each other.

Trust… Rin apparently held as much trust for Kikyou as she did for Sesshoumaru, but did that mean that he could do the same? There had been plenty of opportunities for her to hurt and kill the little girl if so she wanted, yet she chose not to do so; instead, she treated her with utmost kindness and sweetness, in spite of her indifferent attitude towards the taiyoukai. Perhaps he already found her pretty reliable, but had failed to realize it until then.

Sesshoumaru gave a small, nearly inaudible chuckle. The very thought of actually trusting Kikyou was frighteningly amusing. No human other than Rin had ever earned that from him, let alone someone with strong enough powers to rival his. It can't be, he thought. The poison in his arm was what rendered him confused by such groundless feelings…

"Oh, Kikyou-sama is done with the fishing!" Rin squealed in delight as the priestess approached them. "Rin's gonna roast some fish now!"

"Fine." He muttered under his breath and looked away, trying to get the miko out of his sight. After all, the fact he was sparing her so many of his precious thoughts had begun to annoy him.

"Did you light up a fire yet, Rin?" Came her soothing, motherly tone as the perky young girl frolicked towards her.

"Aaaiyee! Rin forgot! Gomen ne, Kikyou-sama!"

"It's ok, we can light one up now."

"Hai!"

"We're going to need some firewood…" Kikyou looked at the taiyoukai's silent form from the corner of her eyes. "Do you think he would mind if we went into the woods to pick up some?"

"Hmm…Rin will ask him!" The girl ran back to the demon lying under a sakura tree.

"Alright, I'll wait here." She replied with a brief nod.

"Sesshoumaru-sama!" Rin tugged on his long sleeves, trying to get his attention. When he turned to her and opened his eyes, she carried on. "Can Rin go pick up firewood with Kikyou-sama?"

Sesshoumaru threws a quick, suspicious look at the priestess. "Go." Came his short reply as he turned back and let his long eyelashes flutter closed once again.

"Arigatou, Sesshoumaru-sama! Rin won't be long!" After a brief bow, she dashed back to Kikyou and the two of them merrily proceeded to make their way into the deeper areas of those woods.

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In a matter of a couple of hours, the tasty smell of roasted fish filled the air in a welcoming fashion, tempting even human-hating youkai - such as Jaken - to join the two females sitting around a small campfire, waiting patiently for the meal to be ready.

"Hmm..!" Rin rubbed her hands together, licking her own lips. "This is looking good!"

Kikyou chuckled softly, sparing her young companion a compassionate smile. "I'm guessing you're very hungry…"

"Hai! Rin's so hungry she could eat all the fish in that lake!"

"Then you must be starved!"

"Well…" Rin gave an embarrassed smile, a small blush creeping across her face. "Rin kinda is…. Jaken-sama says Rin is a glutton, but he's just trying to get Rin ticked off!"

"Rin-chan…" She added an endearment suffix to the little girl's name, unconsciously acknowledging how fond of her she had grown. "You remind me so much of Kaede…"

"Who?" Rin tilted her head sideways, looking puzzled.

"My little sister, Kaede."

"Oh, Rin didn't know Kikyou-sama had a little sister!"

'Or at least I used to…' Kikyou lowered her head, bangs of raven hair shadowing her features. "She's the only family I have."

"Kikyou-sama has no other family? No parents, no nothing?"

"No." Her tone sounded sadder than usual. "My parents died long ago, and I have no siblings other than Kaede. I haven't seen her in a long while, though."

"Then Kikyou-sama must miss her a lot…"

"I do." Even though one could not tell, her eyes became misty with tears.

If only that was the sole thing the sorrowful beauty missed… If only she didn't long for returning to those days way back in the past when she would play with her sister in the river and pick up flowers on the grassy fields around her village. Oh, how she yearned for once again having warm talks with the villagers in the evenings and seeing the grateful look on their faces whenever she took care of the sick or injured, how she genuinely wanted to be surrounded by the happy children who showered her with love and seemed to so deeply admire her for everything she did for their people…

But that was half a century ago. As hard as it might be for her to admit, Kikyou was fully aware she would never be able to retake those joyful days, or simply enjoy the little things in life. Yes, she no longer belonged to the world of the living, and the only reason why she still walked among them was her intense desire for revenge against the one who took all that happiness from her. Stealing souls from dead people was her means of carrying on, and hate the only feeling left in her.

Wrong. Hate was basically what kept her "alive", but she was still able to love. Her new body had been made of her ashes and burial soil, yet it still had a heart hidden somewhere, one that could still bear such emotions as love and hope. No matter how arduous she struggled, though, the enigma of her own feelings remained, feelings that would not let her become a vengeful monster full of hatred and kept a small fraction of her being alive.

"Aww… Don't be sad…" Rin cupped both hands over Kikyou's in a comforting fashion. "That'll make Rin sad too…"

"Gomen ne, Rin." She smiled faintly, finally raising her eyes once again and running into the girl's pleading expression. "I didn't mean to."

"Then Kikyou-sama won't be sad anymore?"

"No, I won't." For Rin's sake, the miko forced a smile and patted her head gently. "I'm sorry for bothering you with my issues, Rin-chan."

"Kikyou-sama didn't bother Rin!" She shook her head vigorously and crawled over to the older woman, sitting right next to her and hugging her knees. "Rin has no family either… They all died when our village was attacked… That's why Rin understands how Kikyou-sama feels!"

"I see…" She trailed off, feeling somewhat guilty for making her companion remember such memories from her own life. "I'm sorry."

"It's okay!" A wide smile sprouted on Rin's face as she looked up at the priestess. "Sesshoumaru-sama and Jaken-sama and Ah-Un are Rin's family now! Oh, and Kikyou-sama too!" That said, the chocolate-eyed girl lunged at Kikyou and literally clung to her arm, cheerful as usual. "Kikyou-sama wants to be part of Rin's family, ne?"

For a split second, earth-brown hues widened ever so slightly at that sudden display of affection, though they soon softened as Kikyou's lips curved upwards in a genuine smile. "I'd be more than glad to be part of your family, Rin-chan." She idly played with the girl's dark bangs for a moment and took a peek at the campfire. "Oh, I think your fish is ready!"

"Fish!" She let go of Kikyou's arms and grabbed the stick in which the biggest fish had been impaled, taking one huge, eager bite. "Hmm! Delichioush! Rin wash vewy hungry!"

Kikyou brought one had to her lips and gave a small laugh. It wasn't just the sight of the little girl talking with her mouth full and how funny it sounded, but there was something about Rin that made her feel happy. Maybe it was just the innocence and enthusiasm that were so commonly witnessed in a child's behavior, or maybe it was because she reminded the priestess of her old times with Kaede. Whatever the reason was, she really enjoyed being with that kid, for she made things much more pleasant to deal with.

"Here!" In an abrupt motion, Rin held a fish right before Kikyou's face. Upon noticing the miko's confused expression, she went on. "Kikyou-sama must be hungry!"

"Hungry…?"

Hunger… Kikyou couldn't really feel hungry anymore. Eating was something the living needed to do in order to remain alive; she, however, was long dead. Food was not necessary anymore, for her sole source of energy was that of dead people's souls. Eating was a pleasure reserved only for the living, yet another fancy that was no longer hers to crave. "Thank you, Rin, but I'm not hungry." She politely declined.

"But it's good…and Kikyou-sama hasn't eaten the whole day! Besides, Rin always eats alone and she hates it…" Her tone became sullen and she looked down, in a display of sheer disappointment

"Oh… Well, maybe Sesshoumaru is hungry." She tried to cheer her up, seeing as it was, unfortunately, the only thing she could do. "Why don't you go offer him some food?"

"Sesshoumaru-sama never eats…He says he doesn't eat this kinda food…"

"Oh… So that's why you always eat alone, huh...?"

"Hai…" She nodded, her features growing gloomier by the second.

"Hmm…" Kikyou hooked her index finger under her chin, plunging into deep thought for a moment. When one last resort to cheer Rin up came to her, she retook her speech. "Let's have a deal, then. If Sesshoumaru declines your invitation for lunch, then I can, at least, keep you company while you eat."

"Hai!" Her innocent eyes sparkled brightly once again as she grabbed some roast fish and beamed at Kikyou. "Rin'll take these to Sesshoumaru-sama and will be right back!"

One quick bow was performed and Rin frolicked her way towards the demon lord, waving the fish around cheerfully. Kikyou spared her yet another smile and turned her attention to the silver-haired youkai, who was resting quietly under a sakura tree. Too quietly, actually. As a matter of fact, he hadn't moved since they had returned from firewood searching, which led her to believe he had fallen asleep.

"Sesshoumaru-sama!" Came Rin's joyful voice as she approached her favorite person in the world. "Rin brought you some fish!" After a few moments, she got tired of waiting for a reply and tried again. "Um… Sesshoumaru-sama…?" Nothing. He would just remain there motionless without making a single sound. Taking another step closer, she insisted. "Sesshoumaru-sama, what's wrong…?"

The fish fell to the grassy floor with a small thud and a loud, despair-filled scream broke into the atmosphere.

"Rin-chan?" As her ears picked on that shrill cry, Kikyou turned abruptly around and focused her attention on Rin, her tone surrounded in concern. "What's the matter?"

"K-Kikyou-sama!!!" Rin stuttered, not being able to move a muscle even. "Come take a look at Sesshoumaru-sama!!"

In one swift motion, the raven-haired woman stood up and nearly glided towards them, wondering what had rendered Rin so scared. "What happened, Rin?" She looked down at the girl and inquired, paying little to no attention at Sesshoumaru's immobile form.

"It's Sesshoumaru-sama!" Came her exasperated response as she pointed at the demon lord. "Look!"

Kikyou's lips parted in a small oval shape and she held her breath for a moment, in a sign of sheer shock. Her mahogany eyes widened to their fullest extent and her over-dilated pupils quivered, in a mix of fright and surprise at the dreadful sight they had to witness.

-- End of Chapter --

Author's Notes: Brief explanation on why this long-due update took me so long, for those who care. One, I've been over-swamped with work and college stuff. Two, I had to re-write the entire chapter, because I didn't like the way it was before (and as you probably have noticed, I'll be writing in past tense from now on; present tense is a pain in the $$. Get used to it! :D). And three, I got caught up with other fanfics and kinda put this one on hold for the time being. One of them was a challenge, so it was a matter of honor for me to finish it in time! (It's a Sessh/Kiky story as well, so if you're a fan of the pairing, go read it! xD -shameless plug-)

Anyway, I wish to thank everyone who's read and reviewed this fanfic for their patience and support. It means a lot to me, guys! :D Also, I hope you have enjoyed this chapter, and I promise I'll try my best not to neglect this story again. Stay tuned for future updates, as well as my upcoming Sess/Kiky songfic, "Sayonara". -shameless plug #2- xD Bye!

R&R!

--Ruby