'…Where am I? ... It is so dark… I cannot see a thing…

The blackness…the silence...

…the air…

…everything, it grows so cold…'

"Rin? Rin…wake up dear! Hurry, a demon just came!"

She was so tired still, but reluctantly awakened from her slumber as the news Kaede just told her sunk in. Usually when a demon attacks the village, the Inutachi and Kaede would take care of the demon while she attended to anyone that was hurt. It was odd that one came so early in the morning, though. Nonetheless, she rose from her futon rather quickly.

"Where is it? Are Kagome and Inuyasha there yet? What about Sango and Miroku?"

"Yes, they came and destroyed it," Kaede assured, "but beforehand a villager got hurt trying to fight it off, he is badly injured. Kagome and Inuyasha are with him now, let's get the herbs and help!"

Rin moved with Kaede, not bothering to change into her normal kimono from her lighter one to sleep in, and ran out of the hut. A few minutes later, and the sixteen year old Rin made it to the hut holding the injured and burst in, Kaede a ways behind her. The first person she saw was Inuyasha, standing by the door giving his mate some space. She looked up at him.

"Where is he?"

After moving out of the way to the village man, Inuyasha let the smart and helpful women work. Rin met with Kagome who was already attending to the poor person, with big gashes on his arms, legs, moaning as he couldn't even move.

Kagome was the first to speak.

"It happened before we arrived, a bear demon came out of nowhere to the fields. This gardener tried to fend him off, only to be swiped into a tree nearby. I fear his left arm and shoulder is broken."

The man moaned some incoherent words, but out of the murmurs they both heard "I'm sorry."

"Hush," Kagome soothingly said, "You were brave, you did nothing wrong."

Rin handed a Kagome an herb to try and heal some of the smaller wounds as she tended to his arm. After putting a brace on him and wrapping his wounds, they left him to rest and walked out with Inuyasha. He let his sadder feelings of guilt show.

"I should have gotten there earlier, or at least have smelt his presence."

Kagome looked at her husband, "Inuyasha, please, we were both sleeping when we heard the villagers yelling, there was no possible way to know, love."

Inuyasha wrapped his arm around her and kissed the crown of her head.

"I know, but sometimes I still feel to blame." He sighed as he whispered into her hair. "So much for waking up peacefully."

Kagome chuckled, "Trust me; we will have many more peaceful mornings." She looked over at Rin, who was wearing a melancholy expression on her face. "What's wrong? If it is about the villager, he will be fine, we will both be checking up on him throughout the day, right?"

Rin looked over, and in Kagome's eyes were pure concern, but somewhat knowing. She masked her sadness. "Oh I know, I'm fine…just tired."

Kagome and Inuyasha didn't look like they believed that, but they went along with it.

"Why don't you come over for lunch after you finish with some of your morning duties, Rin? I'll be with Miroku in the next town over; apparently they have been experiencing weird appearances by something."

"Yes," Kagome added, "I would glad if you came; we haven't really talked in forever!"

Rin agreed, and told the sweet couple she'd be there in a few hours. After they split up, she started her way off to one of her favorite places: the meadow in the middle of Inuyasha's Forest to collect some more herbs. She took one last glance at the happy and oddly matched couple, the look of exhaustion and loneliness apparent upon her face.

She couldn't help but feel longingly for what they had, a deep true romance, passionate and eternal, and thought that everyone should be able to feel it, too.