Chapter 1: Her Smile

Rin slowly opened her eyes. The blurred image before her began to sharpen.

"Uh…?" she stared up at the person cradling her. It was him...the youkai in the forest. He didn't look hurt anymore nor did he look at her coldly. He simply stared at her, cocking his head to one side as he let her up.

"Sesshoumaru-sama, did you just revive the girl with the Tenseiga?" piped an old voice by her side.

The youkai simply stood and walked away, leaving Rin to gaze at him. His long silver hair flowed like water down his back. He walked with slow but steady steps. The grey fluffy thing hung down from his shoulder, swaying gently as he went.

Sesshoumaru-sama… Rin thought. Is that his name? Did he just rescue me from the wolves? He doesn't hate me after all.

Life in the village definitely was behind her. It seemed, even for her little mind, like she had no other comfort in the world other than the youkai who had so gently held her.

Even his eyes were gentle, Rin thought. No one after Mother, Father, and Brother had looked at me like he did. And the last time he spoke to me, he had asked about the bruises on my face… He does care about me.

Rin started to follow after the youkai.

"Sesshoumaru-sama, omachi kudasai," the little youkai yelped, pitter-pattering. "Oi...little girl, what are you doing? Why are you following us?"

"My name is Rin, what is your name, sir?"

Rin thought the little green youkai looked very ugly. His yellow eyes were so big and his face was wrinkled. But he does look cute. He's smaller than me. Rin suppressed a chuckle. It was bad manners to laugh at your elders, her mother always used to remind her.

"I am known as Jaken-sama, and that is my lord, Sesshoumaru-sama, the inu daiyoukai, famous across the land and far beyond. If you had any sense, little girl, you would have thanked - huh?"

Rin stepped in front of her saviour who had abruptly stopped walking.

She can speak now? thought Sesshoumaru. The last time they met, she was mute.

"Sesshoumaru-sama, please accept Rin's gratitude for saving Rin's life. Rin promises not to be a bother and be of any service to Sesshoumaru-sama should he require help," Rin bowed respectfully. She looked up into the youkai's face.

Sesshoumaru-sama seems to be thinking, she thought and added, "Please allow Rin to follow you."

"Ha? Silly girl, what could you do to help Sesshoumaru-sama? You are just a ningen. A ningen child, at that. I, Jaken, am sufficient as servant to my great Sesshoumaru-sama…"

"Jaken."

"Hai?" the little youkai said, waiting reverently for his master's command.

Sesshoumaru looked forward. "Shut up."

Rin looked at her toes. The little youkai was being mean, she thought. I did help Sesshoumaru-sama when he was injured in the forest.

"Ikuzo." Sesshoumaru walked ahead, leaving Jaken gaping and Rin smiling widely.

The two followed the great youkai along the forest path. Jaken slowed down his pace, though, being slighted by his master. For all the years he had served Sesshoumaru, having to follow commands he could not comprehend was normal – he felt a sense of duty and great servitude towards his master. But never had Sesshoumaru taken the side of a ningen.

In fact, Jaken mused inwardly, Sesshoumaru-sama has never conversed with any of them…not that he ever needed to – those ningen fools who had tried to slay Sesshoumaru-sama with their lowly weapons had been dead in matter of split seconds. So why did Sesshoumaru-sama use his Tenseiga on this little girl? Why not turn her away?

"By the way, my name is Rin."

Jaken snorted. "You've told us already."

"Sesshoumaru-sama has recovered," said the little girl. "Rin is very happy."

Happy… Sesshoumaru thought. She's happy for a youkai. The little ningen child is a strange specimen of the race he so hated. A ningen child worrying over a youkai. Sesshoumaru could not understand why he had revived the girl from her death. Even though he had never used Tenseiga's power, he never doubted his father's memento. He knew in his heart that Tenseiga could revive the dead. But he, Sesshoumaru, had never seen reason to do any such thing. Youkai protected themselves. The weaker ones get slain by the stronger amongst them. It was natural in his world. As such, Sesshoumaru never understood his father's motives for forging a katana whose sole purpose is to revive the dead.

The weak ones die, he thought. Kono Sesshoumaru is not weak… Yet, why did I revive her?

The little girl's smiling face came to his mind. Her smile, he pondered. No one has ever smiled at me.

A loud rumble shook Sesshoumaru out of his reverie. He looked down at the little girl. She was holding her tummy, blushing.

"Jaken, find some food for Rin."

The little youkai's already large eyes threatened to bulge out of their sockets. "Sesshoumaru-sama, am I the little ningen's servant, now?!"

"If you dally, I'll kill you."

"Oh, no, Sesshoumaru-sama. Rin will follow Jaken-sama, too. Rin is used to finding her own food," she tugged at the little green hand. "Let's go, Jaken-sama. Is there a river or pond nearby? We might catch some fish! But you mustn't make too much noise, or they'll hear us and swim away."

Jaken's mouth dropped.

Author's note:

Youkai – full-fledged demon

Omachi kudasai – please wait (formal)

Inu daiyoukai – great dog demon

Ningen – human

Ikuzo – let's go

Katana – Japanese sword

Kono Sesshoumaru – This Sesshoumaru