Wishes

The field of flowers gave the air around her a sweet yet pungent odor. There were countless colors and varieties to pick from, she found it hard to choose just a few—her hands could only carry so many. When the Staff of Heads weaved and wobbled through the higher grass, Rin smiled and rushed toward it.

"Jaken-sama!" Rin bellowed. "Have you ever seen so many flowers?"

The small green-skinned kappa demon poked his head above the grass and shook his staff adamantly. "Rin! I told you not to run off like that. Sesshoumaru-sama will kill me if anything happens to you."

"I'm not a little kid anymore," she replied with a frown. "I'm much taller and even stronger than you now."

Jaken grumbled and lifted the staff, turning it so the male head was facing her. "Stronger you say? What if I were to—"

Rin picked up the staff and held it high above his head, grinning mischievously down at him. "Perhaps not strong with weapons as you, but I am strong, yes?"

"Yes, yes, yes, fine. Give me the staff, Rin!" Jaken huffed and jumped up and down trying to reach. He screeched and waved his arms frantically, his eyes going wider the higher Rin raised the staff. "Rin! I will tell Sesshoumaru-sama!"

Rin laughed and tossed the Staff of Heads aside then ran further into the field. "After all these years I would think you'd relax some, apparently not."

"Five years to a human is much different than five years to a demon, Rin, learn your place. You may be larger than I, but Jaken is still master of this staff."

She ignored his comment and waved at him. "I'm going to catch some dinner after I'm done picking flowers."

"Don't wander too far!" Jaken called out after retrieving his staff.

He vanished from sight, probably to find Ah-Un, so Rin continued through the field searching for the stream she could hear in the distance. The sun was warm and the air fresh and crisp. Days like these were nice and she enjoyed them to the fullest. Every few steps brought more flowers to her bouquet. Sesshoumaru-sama never seemed to care either way if she had flowers or not, but she felt deep down he'd be disappointed if she didn't collected them.

By the time she reached the stream, she arranged a beautiful collection of flowers. Using several long blades of grass, she fastened them together and set them down on a nearby rock. Once satisfied with the arrangement, she wrapped her kimono up in her belt and dipped her feet in the water to test it. The water was cold, but tolerable, so she waded through the stream to the middle and watched for fish.

Long minutes passed and Rin grew slightly agitated at the lack of activity in the water. She moved further down the stream past large rocks and several fish bones until she came upon a large dip in the ground. A school of fish was nestled together near some plant life. Rin yelped and thrust her hands under the water scurrying to catch one…or hopefully two. The fish squirmed and darted left and right. Rin leaned forward; the bottom of her kimono began soaking up water. Scales slipped through her fingers and with a grunt, she grabbed one by the tail and hoisted it up out of the water. "Ha!"

The fish wiggled and struggled in her hand but her grip was firm, she'd become quite resourceful over the years, catching fish was her forte. After tossing the fish to the bank, she slowly and carefully moved further down the stream following the school. When the group of fish settled once again, she eased closer then forced her hands back underwater. One of the fish leaped out of the water. Rin stumbled back. Two fish swam between her legs and with their hard scaly bodies cut into the flesh of her calf.

"Oww!" she cried and jumped to the left. Another fish bolted out of the water and Rin began to loose her balance. She reached out her hand to catch herself on a rock but the other fish still in the water continued to cut her legs. "Jaken-sama!" Rin fell hard against the rock; the thud-crack sound reverberated in her head. As the cold water saturated her clothes, she began to feel dizzy and weak. Her body began to float downstream with the current. Looking up at the sky, her vision grew fuzzy and her thoughts began to stray. Maybe they weren't normal fish, she thought. Her arms and legs wouldn't respond, she felt trapped in the water. Rin's head felt heavy and her eyesight continued to fade as the water continued to carry her away from her captured fish and flower bouquet. "Ses…shou…maru…sa…ma"

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"Jaken, it is time to go home," the deep stoic voice called into the night air. The Lord of the Western Lands walked passed Ah-Un, his steps paced evenly and with great focus.

"Home, Sesshoumaru-sama? Do you mean…" Sesshoumaru paused a moment, his head tilting slightly downward. Jaken stammered and ran up behind his master and fell in step. There isn't much reason to stay anymore, is there? With the jewel destroyed there is no one left to fight. He grabbed the reins and guided Ah-Un down the mountain. Sesshoumaru had become the strongest and most powerful demon years after the defeat of Naraku. When the sacred jewel was destroyed, all the yokai dispersed and found realms to live out the rest of their existence. There was nothing left to do in the lands of humans; therefore, it was time to leave. Still, Jaken had yet to repay his life debt, and thus he was bound to follow his lord until he could. Jaken would have it no other way; he had followed Sesshoumaru for many, many years, now he would finally see the lands his lord claimed.

Jaken followed silently for hours. The weather grew troublesome, darken clouds from the south were approaching. Some of the scenery seemed familiar but most did not. He knew the general location of the lords realm, but had never been privileged enough to know exactly where. As he led the two-headed beast through a sparse scatter of trees, he glanced up to Sesshoumaru, his mind still curious.

"All our business here is done, yes?" he asked quietly.

"What more is there to do?" Sesshoumaru stated evenly and stopped before the open field. The trees thinned out completely and in the distance stood a small village. Jaken noticed Sesshoumaru searching the area, and when his right hand moved to the hilt of his Tokijin, he halted quickly almost bumping into his lord's leg.

From the darkness of the pathway and figure appeared. The samurai, clad in grey and red armor, gripped his own sword and stared down the inugami lord with intent and courage. Sesshoumaru released his hand and raised it up slightly in front of him. His fingers extended, and then curled together with a devilish crunch. "Hmph."

The samurai unsheathed his sword and took a stance, blocking the passageway. "You have no business here."

"You are obstructing my path, move."

"Demons do not belong here!"

"My lord!" Jaken howled.

Sesshoumaru lifted his hand, the poison aura of his claw surrounded his fingers causing it to glow green. As he pulled his hand back ready to strike another voice called from nearby, and before he could focus on it, a wisp of air rushed passed and the samurai fell to the ground.

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"Forgive him, your path is clear," a young woman said from a bowed state on the ground.

Jaken moved close, his staff ready to strike. "I will deal with these cretins for you, my lord."

Sesshoumaru approached and kicked Jaken to the side. Ignoring the shaking samurai cowering in the distance, he moved to the woman. He felt no fear from her. He glanced down at her; something was drawing him closer, something familiar, and something from long ago. When the woman lifted her head and met his eyes. Sesshoumaru gasped softly, his eyes widening at the sight. The woman indeed had no fear in her eyes but beyond that, no recollection of who she was looking at. She stared at him as if he were a stranger yet offered him nothing but respect. His mind flashed back to the day they met.

"Rin?"

"What?" Jaken screamed and jumped up from the ground. "Rin! What…how? Rin?"

The woman blinked slightly and slowly rose to her feet, her eyes locked on Sesshoumaru's. "My name is Rin, yes…do…do you know me?"

"How can you say such a thing to us!" Jaken cawed and bounced up and down next to his master's side. "Of course we know you! You were with us for years!"

Her eyes suddenly lit up and she took Sesshoumaru's hand in both hers. "You know of me? You know of my past? Please, can you tell me what you know?" Sesshoumaru stared at her and retracted his hand slightly. "Forgive me, forgive me." She spat quickly and returned to the ground genuflecting before him. "Please, stay in our village; we will shelter you from the approaching storm."

The Lord of the Western Land stood before the woman as the memories flooding his mind. When she looked up again, he simply nodded and silently followed her into the village. Rin, alive, how? The samurai rushed back to the village and a flux of activity rose up in the air.

"Lady Rin!" A young man approached the group his head bowing slightly.

She paused and raised her hand slightly. "We have a most honorable guest this evening, have the rooms prepared."

"But, my lady…" he protested, taking a step back.

"You heard me; I do not like repeating myself!" She placed her hands on her hip and the young man vanished from sight. The slight sinister chuckled from behind caused her to turn. Sesshoumaru half-smirked at her. "Forgive the people…they have not had much reason to trust yokai."

"And you do?" he asked, watching her carefully.

"I have learned to rely upon my instincts, and they have yet to lead me astray. I do not think you are a threat," Rin responded confidently and continued down the road to the village. Once past the threshold, people began looking out windows and doors to see the demon. Sesshoumaru paid them no mind and followed her to the largest and centrally set house in the village. "I am the lady of this village. My late husband was lord and the people still look to me and his family to protect them."

"Husband," Sesshoumaru repeated softly.

"Though the threat has subsided much in the last several years, we still come under attack from bandits and demons."

"How did you come to this place?" he asked and stepped closer.

"Come, we will have tea and talk." She responded, lifted her kimono, and quickly moved up the steps.

"Jaken, see to Ah-Un," Sesshoumaru icily ordered.

"But, my l-lord…Rin…" he choked. Sesshoumaru turned around and Jaken jumped ten feet in the air. "Yes, my lord, of course, my lord…right away." He bowed and moved back, dragging his face along the dirt.

When Sesshoumaru diverted his attention back, Rin was standing in the doorway watching Jaken cower in retreat with a confused yet humorous expression on her face. Have you truly forgotten, Rin? Have you been here all along? She looked at him again and smiled softly before heading inside the home. Inside the setting was warm and content. It was sparsely decorated for human comfort, various lamps hung from the ceiling and paintings from the walls. In the back room, Rin knelt rigidly on a large pillow, her delicate hands pouring the sweet scented tea into the cups set on the table. Sesshoumaru walked passed and made himself as comfortable as possible on the cushion.

"Will you drink?"

"Human food…" he began.

"Doesn't suit you," Rin finished and set the kettle on the table. Her brow furrowed and her lip quivered. "I…I do know you, don't I?"

"Tell me how you came to be here." His voice rumbled through the room and again, he noticed she was unafraid. What happened to you, Rin?

"It was…almost fifteen years ago. I woke up on the side of waterfall one morning. My head hurt, I was tired and cold. Everything was fuzzy and I couldn't remember much of anything." Rin reached up and rubbed the side of her temple. "I wandered through the woods for a while and found a group of children playing in the woods. They asked me so many questions, but I had no answers. They brought me to the village doctor, he found the lump on my head and said I had probably lost my memory from an injury. It was true, I only remembered my name."

"Fifteen years," Sesshoumaru muttered under his breath and closed his eyes. Sesshoumaru-sama! I cannot find Rin, she's vanished! "You stayed here with theses…humans?"

"The master forger took me as his ward. He and his wife never had children. They cared for me and raised me as their own. I continued his business when he died."

"Now you are the lady of this village."

"Yes, my late husband was the village sentry. I crafted his weapons, he taught me to fight, and we…eventually married." She glanced across the table her eyes flashing with slight recognition for a moment, and then slowly faded from her eyes. Turning away, Rin stroked back her hair. Sesshoumaru could see small scars on her neck. "Several years ago we had a deluge of yokai cross into our borders. We lost many good people, my husband included."

Shikon no Tama's destruction scattered thousands of yokai across the lands, no area was safe then. Sesshoumaru opened his eyes and nodded slightly, remembering the years of fighting that came before the calm. "And you don't remember how you came here?"

"No…" she replied and glanced up again. "I was hoping…since you knew my name, perhaps you know? Do you, my lord?" She lowered her head.

Sesshoumaru turned his gaze toward the window; the clouds were black and ominous, not unlike the feelings rising inside him. "I was injured; you unsuccessfully tried to feed me. Then I found you dead in the forest and brought you back from the netherworlds with my sword Tenseiga. You told me bandits killed your parents. You followed Jaken and I for many years, then one day…you were gone."

"Gone?" she blurted softly. "Did I leave? Was I taken? You don't know what happened to me?"

"No, I do not. You were…gone." He turned to her, taking in her face again. Her eyes were the same, though wiser and more mature. They were bright, still youthful, and full of life. However, something was missing. Her past was missing. He was missing from her memory, and he was surprised to feel the slight sting in his chest.

Rin bobbed her head gently and finally took a sip of her tea. She wiped the side of the cup with a cloth and tilted her head to the side. "I thank you for telling me what you know. It has long been a wish of mine to learn of my past."

She doesn't remember. Who am I to tell her what is missing. He scoffed faintly and rose from the floor, the tea untouched.

Rin jumped to her feet and rushed toward his side. "Can you tell me more?"

"Why do you wish to know, aren't you happy with this life?"

"I…yes, I am, but I have always felt…" Her voice trailed off softly and she looked away. Sesshoumaru cupped her chin and tilted her head back. When her eyes met his again, he felt a lump form in his throat. Having her so close, her face near, stirred his blood and caused him to release her quickly.

"You know the truth of your past now, you should not dwell on memories either ones you have or wish you had."

"…something was missing." Rin finished through a painful murmur. She drew in a ragged breath, stepped back, and bowed her head. "You and your servant are welcome to stay."

Sesshoumaru paused at the door and dipped his head before heading out to find Jaken.

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Rin followed him to the exit and watched from the doorway as he descended the stairs. Something about the way he walked made her quiver. She pulled at her mind, how could she forget such a person? His aura of white grew smaller. The small yokai accompanying him rushed over.

"Sesshoumaru-sama! Is it really her, is it Rin?"

Her body froze and her eyes went cloudy. I don't need it. I told you, I don't need anything. What happened to the wound on your face? The scene flashed in her mind and she winced at the pain on the side of her head. "Sesshoumaru-sama." She quietly called his name willing herself to remember. Nothing came. The lord and servant vanished into woods and Rin felt her heart sink.

She retired to her room and rested back on the futon pulling the covers tight to her neck. Somehow, she knew he was nearby. It comforted her and slowly she drifted off to sleep.

Floating. Her body felt light and free. She was a little cold and very weak, but she felt soothed and calm. Slowly she opened her eyes in time to see large rocks and trees rush by. Rin tried to lift her head, but it was too heavy. Water covered her face suddenly and she spit and choked, then realized she was floating down the stream. How long had she been sleeping? Where was she? Where was Jaken-sama and Sesshoumaru-sama? She tried to call out but each time she opened her mouth it filled with water.

Her limbs were unresponsive; her whole body was weak. The water's current grew wilder and started to rush with unnatural force. Rin carefully tilted her head to the side and averted her eyes downward, the stream seemed to disappear, and that only meant one thing…waterfall. She tried to move her arms and legs. She tried to swim toward the bank but the water was too strong. As her body slipped over the edge of the fall, she screamed with every bit of strength she had.

"Sesshoumaru-sama!" Rin bolted up in her bed and everything rushed back to her like a blast of lightening.

Jaken followed Sesshoumaru through the trees until he finally found a clearing fifty feet from the village. Surprised his lord wanted to stay instead of continue their travels, Jaken remained quiet for once not sure what to say. When Sesshoumaru settled against a large tree, Jaken planted himself nearby, watching his lord warily.

"She does not remember."

"So it is possible it wasn't Naraku? Hmm," Jaken mused. "Still, he got nothing less than he deserved. Did you tell her the truth?"

"Truth, Jaken?"

"I mean, did my lord allow her the knowledge of her past?"

"I told her how she came to be with…us. She doesn't need to know more details, she has forgotten, it is for the best." Sesshoumaru closed his eyes and rested his head back on the trunk. Aside from the numerous fights and abductions she'd endured over the years, it was the later years that preyed on his mind. She began to change and grow. Though he knew she was human, he wasn't quite prepared for what happened to her. She sprouted in height, her features began to mature, and her awkward childlikeness turned to a hasty but honest gracefulness. She was more patient and became more insightful, but she always took care of Jaken, Ah-Un, and him no matter what obstacles crossed her path. Now she was regal and beautiful by human standards. If she were to remember those feelings from the past…

"Maybe if you tell her more, she will remember on her own." Jaken blurted.

"Jaken!" He cut hard and sharp.

"I'm sorry my lord, very well, my lord. She is not to know."

"Hmph." Sesshoumaru grunted and cast his eyes toward the village. He could feel her strongly still. Her scent had changed over the years, as had her eyes, her smiled and even her voice. She had seen pain and struggle. She had loved and lost. She lived, like a normal human. His stomach tightened and he balled his fist tight. She had not left them, something happened to her. Something took her away. He was not there to keep her safe. He had caused her to experience this suffering, but it wasn't his concern anymore. She was an adult, and she didn't remember so it mattered little.

Jaken slumped over a tree root and began snoring. Sesshoumaru looked toward the stars. Rin often stared at them, he saw little need to do it, but often wondered what she saw aside from the light. Rising from the ground, he walked back toward the village, keeping outside the walls. The lamps were dim, if they were lit at all, but Rin's home was dark. As he neared the outermost home nearest hers, he heard her mumbling through the night. In an instant he was soaring over the homes, he landed at the foot of the staircase when he heard her scream.

"Sesshoumaru-sama!" She screamed again and grabbed her head. The door to her room shattered and splintered. Rin scrambled to her knees and reached the sword beside her bed.

"You react like a samurai," his deep voice cut through the darkness.

Rin staggered to her feet and glared at him. "You…you left me!"

"That is not true, Rin."

"I fell into the stream, hit my head…I didn't travel that far! Did you even come to look for me?" She approached, the sword steady at her side.

Rin! Do not play games. Rin, Sesshoumaru is not amused!

"Did you?" she cried and the blade in her hand began to shake.

I could not find your scent. Too many flowers….the stream, yes...I followed it for days. "It is pointless for you to be concerned now, it is in the past."

"How could you let me just vanish and not try to find me? Did I ever mean anything to you, Sesshoumaru-sama?"

Her words cut him unlike any sword. His name crossed her lips with penetrating sadness. Stunned, he stepped closer and caught her face in the moonlight. I was angry. Then I was worried. Then I was scared. "Rin."

"Didn't you care about me?"

Jaken found your flowers and fish abandoned by the stream bank. Jaken, Ah-Un, and I all searched. I searched for you constantly. Days, weeks, months all turned into years.

"Answer me!" She lifted the sword and pointed it at him.

We hunted every enemy, searching. We thought Naraku took you. We killed everyone who came across our path or got in our way.

"You…I…cared about you and you never came for me!"

Sesshoumaru drew in a short surprised breath and looked at her. I failed to find you…

"If you had found me, I would have remembered! I longed to find out where I belonged." She pushed the blade closer to his neck.

He watched her carefully; there was still no fear in her eyes. Here she was, this small human woman, pointing a sword at the most feared yokai, and she was breathtaking. He narrowed his gaze at her and snapped. "Enough."

"I was always missing something. I never felt whole. Why did you abandon me, Sesshoumaru-sama? Why?"

"Rin!" he growled, his nails pressing into his leg to keep from raising his hand to her.

Slowly, she lifted her head. Her eyes were on the verge of tears, but something was holding her back. "Why did you stop looking for me?"

I never did. "You were not my obligation."

A tear finally slid down her cheek as she slapped him across the face. "Bastard." She wiped her cheek, stood up, and turned her back to him.

"You are alive, Rin. For that you should be thankful." He replied evenly and turned to the door.

"I wish you never brought me back. I wish I never knew you."

"It is useless to think in such a way."
"Everything to you was always useless! Was I useless as well?"

She would pick flowers and make food. She laughed and was always happy. Rin brought a light to his life that he never wanted nor understood. He knew she was becoming a woman, though he knew little about what it truly meant. She would gaze at him with a different look in her eyes. Jaken joked—only once—that she was infatuated with him. Impossible. She was…human. He did not share that weakness with his family.

"You were simply, there." He looked back.

With a ferocious growl, Rin swung the blade of her weapon past his nose. Quicker than either could blink, he grabbed her arm and pushed her back. She stumbled slightly, but caught her footing quickly and charged at him again. "Useless demon!" She swung the sword at his stomach. Sesshoumaru dodged again and caught the brunt of her strength with the back of his forearm stopping her assault dead on. He could tell without much study that she was enraged, but deep inside her eyes she looked sad and confused.

Sesshoumaru gripped her wrist and bent it backwards forcing the weapon from her fingers. Her other arm reached out to scratch him and he twisted behind her back and bond her to his torso with his arm. "Stop, Rin. I do not wish to hurt you."

"Hurt me?" She struggled within his grasp and spat sharply, "You've already been successful in that aspect, my lord."

Though he never stopped his search, he knew it was best she was no longer with him. She was human. Her absence had an affect on him, but he could not give her a human life. "You lived among your kind—that is the way it should be." She bit his arm. He grunted and pushed her away. His felt his eyes flash red and his growl rumbled through his throat. If she were a female inugami…

She stumbled forward and dropped to her knees. He came to his senses and regretted it immediately, he knew she couldn't harm him, but it was instinct. One he had ignored most of his life. He knelt in front of her and rested his hand on his leg. His tone softened, only slightly. "Rin."

"I…loved you, Sesshoumaru-sama. Did you ever love me?" Rin lifted her eyes, a trickle of his blood on her quivering lips.

"You were a child."

"And still I loved you. The ways I loved you were always changing, but it was always…love."

"True demons do not love."

Rin hung her head, using the back of her hand to clean her mouth. With her index finger, she rubbed the blood into her skin and slowly her tears washed it away. Sesshoumaru gritted his teeth together and turned away. Even now, he disliked seeing her sad. She approached him and didn't turn away when he snarled at her with his demon face. She brought him food and drink, even though he didn't need it. However, it was when she smiled at him, innocent, fragile, flawed, and caring, that he did feel love. It too had changed, dangerously. But now…now she was confessing; the one thing he would never do. He would never submit to human emotions.

"You never loved me." She stated coolly.

He grabbed the back of her hair and pulled her to his chest. Staring down he twisted her hair in his fingers and drew her face close. "Is this what you seek, Rin?"

Her breath instantly quickened and her voice deepened to a sultry tone. "Sesshoumaru-sama…" Rin gazed into his eyes, and to his surprise confirmed the answer to his question. Unprepared for her touch on his face, he tightened at the unfamiliar sensations attacking his body. No, this was not what he wanted. He wanted her to focus on the emotion of love that which he would never surrender too. Instead, she was responding to physical need.

The scent of her hair and skin filled him, so many years without. Sesshoumaru growled, fighting the battle between his body and mind. Rin's fingers trailed over his marks and down his chin boldly. "Impossible…" he grunted and pulled her closer, his mouth inches from her flesh.

Rin removed his armor then released the knot from his sash and pushed apart his haori. "I know it was you I was always missing," she whispered softly and pressed a kiss to his damaged shoulder.

Sesshoumaru closed his eyes as his body shuddered. He didn't sleep for months. Every village, every town, every cave and hideout, and he couldn't find her scent. The pang in his body wouldn't go away. As the months went by it began to fade, but it always lingered. He missed Rin. His fingers uncurled from her hair and slowly loosened his grip but kept her weight on his arm as he stared down into her eyes."Don't tempt me further, Rin. I cannot give you what you seek."

She reached up and stroked his cheek. "I see it; you can give me everything, Sesshoumaru-sama."

A slow intense roar rose from his chest and escaped from his tight lips. He retracted his arm and Rin fell back to the floor. With two quick flicks of his wrist, he slashed the kimono from her body, scraps of cloth lingering on her pale flesh. She stared up at him and gasped softly. He leaned close and trailed his tongue from her navel to her chin. When he looked down, Rin's eyes were closed and her lips were parted with arduous breath. Her skin was sweet, her pulse rapidly surged through her veins. Sesshoumaru nipped the skin on her chin and growled as he stripped himself from his hakama. She had yet to protest, so he continued to gnaw and tastes her flesh.

His hand moved down her torso, feeling the curves of her soft human form. He had never catered to his desires in this form. He was iungami, he didn't have the same needs as humans. But when her hands moved to his stomach and lower, he roared and pinched the soft tissue of her neck between his teeth. He gripped her left thigh and contorted her body so he was between her legs. She urgently moaned his name.

Sesshoumaru's eyes flashed red and he claimed her body in a swift and frantic act of unconscious thought. Rin cried, but not from pain. Her arms fastened around his neck, her body was flush against his. With her breath on his cheek, her body warm and undulating with his, he lost all control of his senses and bayed with pleasure. He wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her up as he leaned back.

Their eyes met. She captured his mouth much to his surprise. Her lips were moist and tender. He felt the surge of carnal energy through his entire body. Her legs coiled around his lower back. He continued to guide his body, keeping her close and taut within his only arm. Her breathing pitched, her body tightened and vibrated. Again, she cried his name.

Suddenly, she contracted around him and screamed, he felt the vibration shoot through every inch of his body. When his desires came full circle, he howled full of fervor and clutched her tight. Rin fell limply against his shoulder. Her arms and legs remained secure around him, her body trembling. He held her close and rested back on the floor, keeping her full weight on his body. Closing his eyes, Sesshoumaru regulated his own breath and swept a lock of Rin's hair to the side to study her face. Sweat saturated her forehead, a smile unlike any he had seen before displayed on her lips. Softly he kissed the bridge of her nose and stroked her back until she fell asleep.

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Rin woke in the morning wrapped in Sesshoumaru's haori. It wasn't a dream. She glanced around the room only to find her shredded kimono scattered along the floor. Pulling a sash from another, Rin tied it around her waist and ventured outside to search for him. His scent surrounded her. It was on the clothes, her skin, and in her hair.

Outside the wind was cool and scented with flowers. The villagers moved about their daily chores. No one paid her any mind as she descended the stairs barefoot and ran through the scores of people. When she reached the road, she searched left and right trying to spot movement, or sense his presence.

"Sesshoumaru-sama!" she called and approached the trees. In a rushed breeze, he appeared fully dressed with his armor and two swords at his side. He never ceased to amaze her, even more so now. She bowed her head slightly until she could see his feet on the ground. His face was emotionless as always when she looked up. She couldn't help but smile. "I thought you might have gone already."

"Soon," he replied and glanced to the left. Jaken was sitting on Ah-Un in the distance.

"Thank you, my lord…"

"For?"

"Fulfilling my wishes."

"You said you wished you never met me…" He glanced down at her with a perplexed look on his face.

"No, no…not those wishes. I was angry when I said that…I," she began then waved her hand to the side. "I always wished my memory would return. You've helped me to remember my past. I know who I am now. I always wished I could figure out what was missing from the void in my heart. You filled it. And…"

"And?"

"I was with you."

Sesshoumaru nodded curtly, his eyes locked on hers.

"I have one more wish," she whispered. Her hand took his gently and she pressed her body against his. "I…I wish to hear you say you love me, but only if it's true."

He turned his head away. "Hmph."

Rin sighed and released his hand then lowered her head. "I see." She backed away slowly, pulling the haori close to her chest. "Thank you for all you have done, my lord, I wish you a safe journey." She scuffled back toward the village refusing to cry. He had fulfilled many of her wishes, she couldn't expect more. One night with him was more than she could wish for, it was one she never thought possible.

"Rin," his dark voice called out. She turned to see Sesshoumaru walking toward Jaken. "I always have."

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Most of this idea came from a day dream/dream so it actually had two endings. I've included both so you don't feel cheated. Hehe!

Alternate ending:

"I have one more wish," she whispered. Her hand took his gently and she pressed her body against his. "I wish to come with you. Travel the world like we did when I was young. Take me from this mundane life. Don't abandon me again."

"You are human, this is where you belong."

She shook her head in disbelief and released his hand. "Is that what you truly believe, Sesshoumaru-sama."

"What I believe does not matter."

"It matters to me. Did you simply give into your lust? Can you look me in the eyes and tell me you felt nothing last night?"

Do you truly wish to leave this life behind, again, Rin? I can't love you the way you need to be loved. You are human. Sesshoumaru clenched his teeth and turned away. "I told you not to tempt me."

"I saw your eyes, Sesshoumaru-sama! I saw what they wanted…me!"

"I will never tell you the words you long to hear. I will never comfort you the way you need. You are human. I am yokai. It is impossible."

"Nothing is impossible, we proved that last night. Do you intend to lose me again, forever?" she snapped and glared at him.

He turned away and closed his eyes. For a moment, the lingering pain thumped in his chest. It was torture. To be with her meant he caved to the emotions of love. To be without her would crush him.

"Answer me!" she demanded through shaky breath.

"Do as you like," he responded. He heard her sniffle and hung his head. Sesshoumaru turned his head slightly and gazed at her sideways. "I can promise you nothing, Rin. The choice to be with me is yours. I will not turn you away." He continued toward Jaken and heard her footsteps pounding on the ground following. A small smile formed on his lips. No, Rin. I will never lose you again. That is my wish.