Warning: Follows all the developments in the manga, so spoilers for nearly everything. NOT consistent with the manga ending Chapter 558 , though.

Orginally written for the Spring challenge at the Moonlight Flower site, with 'spring' being the prompt. Won third place. :)

Disclaimer: None of these characters, nor the universe they inhabit, belong to me, and I'm making no money off this, so please don't sue me, thank you kindly.

--

She stumbled a little over her feet, and clutched at a tree for support.

It hurt to walk, the villagers had finally caught her near the lake. Well, it had to have happened sooner or later, it had only been a matter of time. She leaned against the rough bark for a moment, trying to catch her breath as she gently lifted up a corner of her kimono to have a look at the worst of the bruises on her legs.

She hissed in dismay at the sight. No doubt the bruises would be more painful the next day, and what would she feed the youkai in the woods now if she could not climb the trees to pluck the fruits she often ate?

He had no one else. And her mother had always told her to be kind to those in need. She bit her lip in worry, crying out when her teeth sank into the still tender flesh of her split lip.

A pale pink blossom drifted to her feet, and she blinked, looking up at the tiny buds just beginning to appear on the trees. Spring had arrived, and she hadn't even noticed.

The wind shifted, and another cherry blossom drifted down to her. With a smile, she opened her palm and caught it as it danced past her on the breeze.

This winter, like the others, would pass soon enough.

Smiling now, she set the flower in her hair, and pushed herself away from the tree to make her way down the road to the little hut in the village she called home.

--

He stifled a growl as he shifted against the rough bark behind him.

The pain was still there, maddeningly present, when he was used to his wounds healing in a few hours, at most. But then it had been his father's fang, he thought wryly. Had he expected anything less?

He shifted again, testing his muscles, willing them to respond, to heal faster so he could leave this human infested place as soon as possible. Even now, he couldn't be sure the child wasn't bringing him another offering of burnt and unappetising fish.

A ghost of a laugh whispered past his lips as he contemplated the girl again. That she had fearlessly walked upto him as he lay there, delirious and clearly feral, and emptied a bucket of water over his head, thinking she was helping him in some manner…

The human was unique, undoubtedly. The first of her kind that had managed to surprise him.

A twig broke somewhere, and he leaned forward, trying to identify the source of the sound. A whiny little voice could be heard muttering to itself, and he stiffened. With a mighty effort, he called on all the jyaki flowing through his veins and pulled himself upright. Narrowing his eyes, he willed his wounds to close.

When Jaken broke into the clearing a moment later, he was standing off to one side, already tired of waiting for the little youkai.

'Sesshomaru-sama!' the toad cried as he fell to his knees. 'I was so worried! I looked everywhere for you!' His eyes bulged as he grew more excited. 'That filthy hanyou will rue the day he got the best of the mighty—'

He broke off as Sesshomaru swung his head around, and while ordinarily the terror in the toad's eyes would have amused him, there were more pressing matters to deal with now.

There was a stench of wolf in the air.

It came from the direction of the human settlement, and for a moment he was locked in indecision. The child was there.

But what was she to him?

He only wished to assure himself that she was well. She was interesting, for a human. A momentary whim, and one easily accomplished. Ignoring Jaken's gabbled apologies, he made his way down the lane, the stench of human blood and wolf growing stronger with every step.

Then he saw her.

She lay a few steps ahead, clearly dead. The smell of death and blood permeated everything, even the stink of burnt fish he had begun to associate with her. He stopped and looked down at her. It seemed she had been running this way—toward him—when the wolves had come upon her.

Why him?

Had there been no one else for her to turn to for rescue? Had she truly been as alone as he thought her to be?

Well, it mattered not, not anymore. The child was dead now. Unless…

Tensaiga. Would his father's fang resurrect a human? He had seen its effect on a youkai—his glance slid to Jaken—but a human?

The sword pulsed at his hip, and he drew it from its sheath. He looked down at it, and he could hear his mother's exasperated voice in his head again: Sesshomaru, your curiosity will surely undo you one day.

'A test of the sword,' he intoned, though he had no need to explain himself to Jaken. He had learned that sometimes it was better to demean oneself to offer explanation rather than suffer the stream of questions that poured from the toad youkai when he was confused.

He swiped the blade through the imps of the underworld he could now see, watching them dissipate as if they had never been. When the child opened her eyes again, he felt a surge of pleasure. Tensaiga had triumphed. Perhaps it was not such a useless sword, after all, if it could defeat death.

He set the child on her feet, expecting her to beg him to save the others in the village. He turned and started to stride away before she could start crying and pleading, but she surprised him once again.

He heard the light pitter patter of running feet behind him, and he knew that she followed.

So be it.

--

The summer storm was sudden and fierce, breaking over them with no warning.

It did not stop Sesshomaru-sama.

There were only three oni standing now, out of the ten that had threatened them just a short while ago. Each of them stood five times as big as her lord, but he had not changed form to fight them, he seemed to enjoy the challenge of swordplay.

She knew it was a game to him, he had not unleashed the true power of the Bakusaiga, he was using the blade only to slash at his opponents, cutting and thrusting and parrying until they fell to his sword.

It was at times like these that she missed Kohaku, though he had been buried these ten years. He had been a warrior, he would have been able to help somehow, instead of cowering in a safe corner with Jaken, as she was. She uncurled her form a little, peeking over the edge of AhUn's saddle.

'Rin!' She was pushed to the ground again, and she hissed in annoyance. 'Stay down!' Jaken cried imperiously. 'If anything were to happen to you—'

The toad youkai gave a terrified gulp at the thought, and she opened her mouth to argue, to say that the very least she could do was to watch the battle from a safe distance, since she was never allowed to help—

There was a boom of thunder, and the heavens were rent open. The sudden deluge caused her to gasp, and Jaken squawked in protest beside her. They huddled closer together, seeking the warmth of each other's bodies, the toad youkai not protesting at their proximity for once. She turned again to her lord, shoving wet strands of hair out of her eyes, searching for him desperately.

What she saw made her breath catch in her throat.

His head was thrown back, sword raised in the air as the lightning flashed around him, and he was laughing. He was laughing in delight as his blade danced through the air, and another opponent fell to the ground, as he spun to face the others and his hair whipped gracefully around with the movement…

In that moment, she knew that he was nothing less than the storm come to life, they were the same; elemental and terrifying and unutterably beautiful.

Her heart gave a throb.

I love him.

This, then, was the meaning of the strange new sensations that had kept her awake those nights she had spent tossing and turning, haunted by the memory of his golden eyes on her, burning with the urge to feel his flesh against hers…

This truth she had kept hidden for so long from everyone—even herself—pounded through her blood now, in tandem with the thunder that boomed overhead.

I love him.

He must never know it.

--

Something was wrong.

It bothered him, a phantom voice calling to him that something was not right. It had taken him a few days to accept it; when the sense had come upon him suddenly for the first time, he had dismissed it. If any danger had been making its way to them, he would have smelled it out long before it had become a threat.

But it had returned now, as strong as ever. They had just settled down for the night, the fire put out and Jaken already snoring in a corner when it came upon him again, and he was forced to take note. He was not one to ignore his instincts.

They were in no physical danger, of that he was certain. No strange youkai scents hovered over the area they had chosen to make camp, he had found no traces of monks or miko in the area when he had gone hunting. All was safe. And yet his instinct urged him that something lay just below the surface, if only he would see…

Uneasy, and disliking the feeling, he took off into the night. He leaped easily from treetop to treetop, eyes probing the night, wondering if there was something he had missed. A few minutes of fruitless search followed before he was forced to admit defeat.

He returned to his earlier spot at the base of a nearby tree, frustrated and on edge. He laid one hand on his sword, turning his eyes to Rin. From his position, he would be able to react quickly if anything were to threaten the safety of their camp.

The sound of a soft sneeze made his brows draw together. Even as he watched, Rin raised herself on one elbow to draw her blanket closer about her, and he saw then that the one blanket she had been provided with was not sufficient.

He could not let her sleep thus unprotected. Humans were frail creatures, and while Rin was stronger than most, her body was not impervious.

He stood, making his way to the shivering girl.

'Rin.'

She looked up at him blearily, and he blinked at her overly bright eyes. He sniffed, and hid a grimace. He could smell the sickness in her, she had gotten what the humans called a fever. Evidently the sudden downpours that were so common in the summer months had caused her more harm than he had anticipated.

'Come.'

She got to her feet wearily, staggering a little in her sudden weakness. He waited until she was steady on her feet before turning away and moving to the tree he had been sitting against. He sat down, and she followed him, leaning back against the rough bark next to him with a weary sigh. He motioned her closer, and she shifted toward him hesitantly. Her skin was uncomfortably hot, burning even through the silk he wore, but she shivered against him as if she were still cold. With a shrug, he drew her closer, curling his pelt about her body to her keep her warm.

She looked up at him, unfocused eyes having gone wide at the contact. 'Sesshomaru-sama—'

'Go to sleep, Rin.'

She nodded, turning her face into the crook of his shoulder, her breath hot against his skin. He was startled when one arm drew itself about his waist a few moments later, and then he understood that the 'fever' had made the normally reticient girl unaware of her actions.

Her other hand curled itself into his pelt, and then he felt her burning lips whisper against his flesh before she gave a contented sigh, and slowly went limp. Her breathing grew even, and he realised then that she was asleep.

Yes, something was wrong.

And now he knew what it was.

--

Spring was her favourite time of the year, but autumn was special in its own way.

It was a joy to be outdoors in the day, with the sunshine warm and pleasant on her upturned face, turning the fallen leaves that carpeted the ground into a blaze of red and gold all around them.

If she could never wear the colours of her lord's house, she would content herself with carrying them instead. It brought her a bittersweet ache, but still she twirled a red leaf in her hand as she walked with AhUn and Jaken.

'I hope we stop soon,' the toad youkai muttered to her as he strove to keep up with her longer strides, trying to keep his voice low and inaudible to Sesshomaru-sama. A small smile quirked her lips as her lord stopped near a small clearing; she knew he had heard Jaken, though he had given no indication of it.

AhUn gave his strange honking cry as he lay down and closed his eyes, Jaken immediately lowering himself to the ground and making himself comfortable on the large piles of leaves at the base of the trees around them. She smiled at the picture they made as she moved deeper into the woods to collect firewood. She knew that Sesshomaru-sama would have caught some little woodland creature for their lunch by the time she had returned.

She was making her way back to their camp when she saw it.

A single golden leaf, perfect in form, lay at her feet. With a small cry, she dropped the firewood aside and stooped to pick it up. Carefully, she turned it around in her fingers. She had never thought to see the colour anywhere else in the world, it was the same shade of gold as Sesshomaru-sama's eyes.

Wonderingly, she traced the points of the leaf with a gentle finger. Tears choked her then, the hopelessness of her devoted love brought home to her suddenly and inescapably. This was the closest she could ever hope to come to him; she would never know true oneness with him. To him, she was much like the leaf she held in her hand, a sudden blaze of colour that would fade from his life as soon as the seasons turned.

Youkai were not given to love, she knew this, knew that she could not hope for more than companionship and protection and concern—and he cared for her, she knew he did, for had not his actions shown her that, time and again, when he had dropped everything to come for her when she had needed him—but her reckless human heart still longed for more.

It was not to be.

A quirk of fate had brought her to him, and they had so little time together. For that she would treasure every moment she had with him, so that when the end came, she would go in peace—save the regret for her one hopeless dream.

Tears clouded her sight, a sob shaking through her frame as she fervently pressed her lips to the leaf in her hand.

Then she wiped at her cheeks, taking a shuddering breath in an effort at bringing her tears back under control.

She gently pressed the leaf into her kimono, folding the cloth over it so that it would be safe as she stooped to pick up her discarded firewood. She bent her face to the end of her kimono and wiped her eyes.

Her lord would not understand her tears if he were to smell them, and there was nothing she could say to explain them.

--

For the first time in his long life, he found he was not content.

It had been many months since he had first realised that Rin loved him. It had surprised him then, the lack of disgust in his instinctive first reaction to the knowledge. No, he had been intrigued.

His father had died for love of a human woman, and his half brother would have done the same—for either of his priestesses. And the hanyou would still do it now for the woman that had become his wife, the miko from the future.

He, himself, had never been able to accept it, though he had often sought for understanding. Humans had never been anything other than an insignificant race to him, living only for their next meal, incapable of anything great or worth remembering.

But not her.

No, Rin had been different, even as a child, and wasn't it that which had first drawn him to her? And she had proved it time and again since then, proven that she was utterly unlike the rest of her kind; unafraid and trusting and forgiving and fearless in giving away her heart.

And now she had caused a restlessness in him, some change that he knew was coming upon him whether he wished it or not.

He found that his gaze had begun to slide to her more and more often, these days. The knowledge of her feelings had lit a fire in his mind, now whenever he looked at her, he saw her not as Rin, the little girl who had first begun to follow him, but as this strange new creature in her place; this woman grown who sighed for him when she thought he didn't know, who hungered for his touch, his glance, who dreamed of him in the nights she called out his name so softly in her sleep...

His instinct screamed at him to take her, to claim this willing female that waited only for him.

And yet.

She was human, of that he was all too aware. It was an insurmountable barrier, one that his pride would not let him cross. There were some things that could not be changed, and this was one of them. He could not make a hypocrite of himself, no matter how much he had begun to wonder what it would be like to make her call out his name as she writhed in his arms.

He closed his eyes for a moment, striving for calm. Behind him, the sounds of his little camp continued, Rin calling to Jaken that dinner was ready, and would he add another log to the fire, it was beginning to go out, and it was so cold in these winters. The toad youkai snapped back at her, she replied to Jaken in kind, and now he could hear her moving about, no doubt she was throwing AhUn a portion of the food.

He remained at his position in one corner of the place they had set up camp, looking out into the endless night. Winter's grip on the land was slowly easing away, spring was on its way. Already he could notice the first signs, his keen sense of smell could perceive the faint fragrance of cherry blossoms on the wind as the first buds flowered somewhere.

A cloud slowly drifted across the moon, and gradually, silence descended behind him. Jaken's snuffling snores soon followed, and then he heard Rin toss and turn as she tried to wrap the blanket more tightly about her form.

He frowned as the noises continued, she seemed to be having some little difficulty. He turned, and moved to her.

She stopped her fidgeting as his shadow fell over her, staring up at him with wide eyes as he looked down at her.

A chill breeze drifted past them, and she shivered. It carried the heavy scent of the cherry blossoms with it, and he wished it would stop. He had never been overly fond of the fragrance, and he narrowed his eyes as the wind picked up in strength. A small smile crossed his lips at his own foolishness; for all his power, this was something he could not control. The seasons turned every year whether he wished it or not.

He looked down at Rin again. Her skin was silvered in the moonlight, her lips parted and cheeks flushed now as she nervously wet her lips.

Forces of nature bowed to no one, even something as mighty as the earth changed.

Was he any different?

No, he thought as he gave in. He was not.

'Rin,' he said softly, and she started at the low sound. 'Come.'

She nodded, rising to her feet and following him as he led her away from their camp.

'Sesshomaru-sama—'

Her voice was small and frightened, and he turned to her once they were far enough away from Jaken and AhUn.

'Rin,' he said softly, and she went silent. 'Do you wish to return to your kind?' She blinked at his question, an immediate negation springing to her lips, and he raised a hand so that he could continue. 'You have travelled with youkai most of your life, do you not wish to have a life like that of other humans? You could live in Edo, you would be welcome there.'

'No,' she said, shaking her head frantically, taking a step forward in her desperation. 'No, I do not want to leave you, my lord! I will die if you send me away!' Her voice had risen by the last words, and she took a deep breath to regain control, repeating them more slowly, giving them the ring of truth. 'I will die if you send me away.'

He nodded. 'So be it.'

Then he stepped forward until his hand was on her cheek, her face raised to his as he looked down into her shocked eyes. She didn't flinch, but her lips parted gently, and he could see in the dim light that her eyes had dilated. Slowly, he leaned forward, hearing her breathing growing shallow as he drew near.

And then his lips were on hers.

She went stiff with surprise, and he gentled his touch still further, slowly coaxing a response from her. Gradually, her mouth opened to him, and he slipped his tongue inside, learning her taste. A small muffled sound came from her throat, and his jyaki flared.

Her excitement was evident now, he could smell it in the air, could hear it in the way her heart hammered a tattoo in his ears, moving in time with the blood pounding in his veins…

He drew away to look down at her again, and his body quickened at the awakening sensuality in her eyes.

He raised her hands to his shoulders, and she clutched at him as he drew her into his arms again, meeting her mouth with his own open one. The taste of her was indescribable. Sweet, spicy, profoundly and utterly feminine, it bewitched all his senses. When he deepened the kiss, Rin gave a soft cry and raised her arms to twine them around his neck, the musky scent of her arousal calling out to him maddeningly.

With a low growl he pushed her away, and she blinked at him for a moment as he began to tear at his armour, before realising his intentions and moving to help him. Within a few moments, it was off, and he had tugged her close to him again, ignoring her gasp as their their bodies were pressed together from chest to hip.

Now he could feel the taut little nipples that lay under her kimono, could feel her heart thundering against his, could feel her tremble as he pressed his hips into hers. He raised a hand to her kimono, and with a slash of his claws, had bared her to her waist. She gave a gasp and clutched at the ruined cloth, but the angry nip of his teeth to her neck had her arching her back and seizing his shoulders again.

His arms snaked about her waist to move her a little away so that he could look his fill at her. She was lovely in the moonlight, a fine sheen of sweat making her almost glow, breasts small but perfectly shaped, nipples red and inviting…

He touched one with a thumb, and she writhed. 'Oh, my lord—'

A satisfied smirk touched his lips as he allowed his thumb to glide over her again, and he felt her tremor of response. He could feel his teeth lengthening, he knew he could wait no longer.

Keeping her breast cradled in one palm, he lowered her gently to the ground. She tangled her fingers in his hair as he lay down over her, gazing up at him through her lashes. Her wide eyes were filled with wonder and longing and a touch of fear.

'Do not fear,' he said to her softly, and she nodded, looking trustfully up at him now. He kissed her again, hands moving down her legs and drawing away the ruined kimono until she lay bared to him completely. With quick, impatient movements, he shrugged his own clothes off, her trembling hands colliding with his as she tried to help him.

'This will hurt.'

She nodded, eyes still so full of trust and wonder and love that for the first time, he wished he were capable of being more gentle. Gritting his teeth, he eased into her, hissing at the incredible heat and tightness that assaulted him. Her nails dug into his back as he pushed himself more fully into her, tears filling her eyes and spilling down her cheeks.

He lay still once he was inside her, rising on his elbows to lick away the wetness on her face. She gasped at the movement of him within her, muscles tightening around him involuntarily, and his control began to slip. He rolled his hips as he drew out of her, and she gasped at the sensation, back arching as he surged back into her. He slid a hand down her body to her leg, grasping a thigh and curling it over his now pistoning hips.

A gasping moan tore itself out of her throat as his hips began moving instinctively, pushing her deeper into the ground beneath her, her fingers raking themselves down his back as her gaze met his, eyes wide with wonder at this new sensation, and he could not resist, he leaned down to sink his teeth into the flesh of her neck. At that, her muscles clenched all around the length of him, the painful pleasure enough to trigger his own fall.

He came to himself many moments later, withdrawing from her to curl up on his side and bring her close to him. She clung to him, her arms going about his waist. The smell of sex and blood hung heavy in the air as he spoke, the words ringing with finality.

'You are mine now, Rin.'

'I was always yours, Sesshomaru-sama.'

--

When she awoke early the next day, it was to the novel sensation of feeling a puff of warm air against the bare skin of her back. As she raised herself on her elbow, various muscles protested, but she turned inspite of the pain, looking back over her shoulder to meet mildly curious golden eyes.

A giddy smile she could not control spread over her face.

Sesshomaru-sama did not respond, but the look in his eyes became more gentle, and a smile shimmered in their depths.

'I was just checking that it wasn't a dream,' she told him, and he tightened his arm around her waist, his pelt curling itself more carefully around them so that it now covered them both completely.

'It was no dream, Rin. Sleep now. I shall be here when you wake.'

She turned back to her original position, her smile growing wider as the sun broke through the clouds above them and warmed her face. Something pale pink drifted past her on the gentle breeze that had sprung up, and she reached out a hand, catching the cherry blossom as it danced past her.

Winter had passed, and spring had come.

With a contented smile, she curled her hand under her chin, still clutching the cherry blossom to her, and closed her eyes.

--

A/N: Readers of 'Encore', sorry to keep you waiting. I haven't forgotten about the story, it's just that I wanted to see if I could work the manga ending into the storyline. I'm working on the next chapter even as I write this.

Many thanks for reading, all comment and concrit is very welcome. :)