Summary: Rin has a bad dream and Kagome comforts her.
Heaving a sigh, I looked over at Rin who was walking beside Ah-Un and was practically falling asleep. We had been walking all day and didn't stop, not even for lunch. Sesshomaru was determined to keep going and not stop, saying he wanted to be the one to defeat Naraku not his idiotic, half-breed, half-brother, Inuyasha. My stomach grumbled and Rin looked like she was about to collapse from exhaustion but she didn't seem to be complaining. She didn't have to, though; the expression on her face was enough. Walking over, I picked her up and placed her onto Ah-Un's back and she nodded off.
I had been traveling with Sesshomaru and his little group for well over a few months now, ever since Inuyasha decided to let Kikyo join the group and was constantly around her. It was enough to make everyone sick seeing them kiss and him holding her possessively. I had been officially replaced. Hurt, I had left for a while to gather my thoughts by a hot spring and decided that since Kikyo was there, I didn't need to be. Inuyasha had hurt me enough, having not being able to decide between the two of us. This decision was enough of a message: I wasn't needed.
I had gone back and explained to my friends who did care about me; Sango my dearest demon slayer friend who was like a sister to me, Miroku the perverted monk, Shippo the little kitsune that I had come to see as my son, and Kilala, Sango's beloved demon cat who I came to love as well as the rest, that I was leaving. They hadn't been thrilled with my decision and I couldn't blame them but I didn't really have a choice, so I grabbed my backpack along with my bow and quiver of arrows, told them I was heading home through the well and said goodbye before heading off.
I remembered trying so hard not to cry all the way back to the well but a tear slid down my cheek and soon another followed. However, I never did make it to the well because soon I happened upon little Rin picking flowers and singing to herself. I had approached her and recognition shone in her eyes. She had asked me to help her pick flowers and, honestly, it was hard to say no to those adorable, brown, pleading eyes. I had helped her as we picked flowers for awhile. Then, out of nowhere, we were attacked by several boar demons. I shot arrows at them as Rin screamed and hid behind me, I killed two but none of them seemed to hit the others. I had been so sure we were goners as the other three were almost upon us.
And then, the miracle came. Lord Sesshomaru had appeared out of nowhere and destroyed the demons in two seconds flat.
'How embarrassing' I remembered thinking.
I had thanked him and picked Rin up, placing her on my hip. He had asked me what I was doing so far from his idiot half-brother. Funny how I never even defended Inuyasha when Sesshomaru called him an idiot and I had replied
"The retarded, idiotic jerk of a bastard you call Inuyasha in no longer my concern, he chose to let Kikyo join the group so I up and left."
Sesshomaru had then noticed Rin on my hip and a relieved look flashed through his eyes. His eyes then met Rin's when she called his name and they held a silent conversation. In my opinion, I thought it was a silent argument. Soon, he had looked back at me and informed me I could join their group, as long as I helped to protect Rin. I had been startled and unsure but Rin's pleading look made me agree and the rest, as they say, is history.
Hearing Jaken complaining about being hungry behind me, I decided to confront the 'Ice Lord' as Sango and I had come to call him. Walking ahead, I fell in step with Sesshomaru
"Sesshomaru, I think we should stop and set up camp for the night. We're all tired and hungry" I said
"No" was his only reply.
Growling, I stepped out in front of him stopping him in his path as I held my hands out in front of him and glared at him
"Priestess, you will step out of this Sesshomaru's way" he ordered
"No. Not until you agree to stop for the night."
The demon lord of the west growled and stepped around me, resuming his walking. Time to pull the Rin card
"Sesshomaru, Rin hasn't eaten and she's barely awake. Would you really let your ward starve to death?"
He stopped—c'mon—turned around and glanced at Rin who was whimpering on Ah-Un's back. Sighing, he nodded and I inwardly cheered before turning to the other three
"Lord Sesshomaru said we're stopping" I announced.
Jaken collapsed in relief and Ah-Un lay down. I rifled through my backpack and found a few apples. I handed one to Jaken who began to eat it, one to Ah the other Un, and I woke Rin, who ate hers eagerly albeit tiredly. Pulling out an apple for myself, I sat down and bit into it, sighing. No one spoke and the only sound heard was everyone—save Sesshomaru—munching on their apples.
After I had finished, I began to set up camp along allowing everyone rest and Sesshomaru disappeared, presumably to get dinner. Rin was still hungry so I gave her a bag of chips to eat while we waited for dinner. I frowned after handing out the chips realizing I was going to have to make another trip home soon to restock on supplies. I snorted, like Sesshomaru was going to be pleased about that. Shaking my head, I sat back and waited for his royal Iciness to return.
Humming softly to myself, I watched as Rin and Jaken argued about something completely pointless. Chuckling quietly to myself as I had gotten used to them, I closed my eyes and snoozed for a few minutes. A while later I felt like I was being watched and opened my eyes to find ten sets of eyes on me
"What?" I mumbled, yawning and stretching
"Kagome…um…Rin doesn't know how to cook" Rin replied.
It was then I realized that Sesshomaru had returned with dinner and someone—Rin and Jaken—had built a fire pit to cook the dinner over. Getting up, I began to make the dinner and half an hour later, we were all quietly eating. After dinner, Rin had asked me to play some of the hand clapping games I had taught her from my times and I was only too happy to oblige
"So which one first?" I asked
"Um…Rin's wants to do Miss Mary Mack" she replied.
We sat in front of each other and began to sing while performing the hand clapping game
"Miss Mary Mack, Mack, Mack
All dressed in black, black, black
With silver buttons, buttons, buttons
All down her back, back, back.
She asked her mother, mother, mother
For fifty cents, cents, cents
To see the elephants, elephants, elephants
Jump over the fence, fence, fence.
They jumped so high, high, high
They touched the sky, sky, sky
And didn't come back, back, back
Till the fourth of July, July, July
She ran upstairs, stairs, stairs
To say her prayers, prayers, prayers
And bumped her head, head, head
Now she is dead, dead, dead-dead"
"Rin thinks that song is weird."
I giggled. Who could blame her? I had learnt it from a girl who had come to Japan on holiday from Australia. She and her friends sang it when they were in elementary school
"Ooh, Rin wants to play Somebody Oscar"
"Jaken, we need you."
The little toad grumbled but came over when Sesshomaru glared at him. We all sat in a little triangle with Jaken by my right knee and Rin by my left. I placed my right hand on my knee and Jaken placed his left on top, palm up. His right was placed on his knee and Rin placed her left on top. Rin's other hand was also on her knee and I placed my hand on top of hers. All our hands were palm up. I began by gently hitting Jaken's hand with my own and it went around the triangle as we sang
"Somebody Oscar e dios ma dios ma dios E o, e o dim, dim, dim (on dim, dim, dim that person would lightly hit the other person's hand three times) E o, e o dim, dim, dim. 1, 2…3"
Jaken missed and Rin cheered, Jaken left and it was the two of us left
"Somebody Oscar e dios ma dios ma dios E o, e o dim, dim, dim, E o, e o dim, dim, dim. 1, 2…3"
"No" I cried
"Rin wins" the little girl cheered
"Rematch."
The two of us continued to play, while in my mind, I wished we had the others with us so there were more people. Soon, it was getting late and I told Rin it was time for bed. She whined saying she didn't want to go to bed but as soon as she lay her head down in the sleeping bag I had given her, she was out like a light. I laughed to myself quietly before setting out my own sleeping bag, kicking off my shoes and crawled in, falling asleep myself.
Hours later, I heard the sound of whimpering and rolled over trying to ignore it and continued to sleep.
Hearing the sound again, I opened my eyes and sat up wondering what the noise was. I then noticed Sesshomaru sitting beside Rin and trying to get her to keep quiet. Slipping out of my sleeping bag, I tiptoed over so as not to wake Jaken and Ah-Un who were snoring to their hearts content. Sesshomaru looked up at me and I sat down beside Rin, pulling her out of the sleeping bag and into my arms
"Rin, sweetie what's wrong?" I asked quietly
"Rin… (Sniffle)…had a bad… (Sniffle)…dream. Lord S-Sesshomaru… (Sniffle)…was killed… (Sniffle)…by demons, and you were… (Sniffle)…too" she replied.
I held her to me tightly but not too tight, letting her cry a little
"Sweetie, we aren't going anywhere" I looked at Sesshomaru "besides, it would take a lot of really powerful demons to take down Lord Sesshomaru"
"You promise?"
I hesitated. I couldn't promise the girl that I wouldn't die because chances were one day I would but for now, I wasn't going anywhere. And as for Sesshomaru, well I couldn't see him abandoning Rin anytime soon
"Yeah, I promise. For now" I looked at the demon lord
"Hn" he seemed to agree.
Rin continued to sniffle and I thought of a way to calm her
"Rin, I'm going to sing you a song. It's a song about two parents who reassure their child that no matter what, the child will always be loved" I told her.
Rin seemed to look at me interest in her eyes and out of the corner of my eye, I saw Sesshomaru remain seated and curiosity flashed through his eyes. I helped Rin back into the sleeping bag and lay on my side beside her as Sesshomaru moved a little closer to Rin's other side. I began to stroke her hair as I began to sing
"Constant as the stars above
Always know that you are loved
And my love shining in you
Will help you make your dreams come true
Will help your dreams come true
The lamb lies down and rests its head
On its mother's downy bed
Dolphin plays in the moonlight's glow
And butterfly dreams of a violet rose
Dreams of a violet rose
I'll cradle you in my arms tonight
As sun embraces the moonlight
The clouds will carry us off tonight
Our dreams will run deep like the sea
Our dreams will run deep like the sea
Constant as the stars above
Always know that you are loved
And my love shining in you
Will help you make your dreams come true
Will help… your dreams… come… true…"
Looking down, I noticed Rin was asleep and I smiled. Rising quietly to my feet, I moved away from her and to my sleeping bag
"This Sesshomaru believes you did well, priestess" I heard from right behind me.
Turning, I smiled tiredly up at him
"Thanks. I sang to Shippo when he couldn't sleep. And sometimes sang to my brother, Sota, back home" I said.
Then Sesshomaru surprised me. He leaned down and kissed me lightly on the lips
"This Sesshomaru also believes you will make a wonderful mother. Having already done that for Rin" he told me.
Wait a minute, did Sesshomaru, Lord of the West just compliment me? Honestly, I was too tired to give it much thought. I yawned and smiled at him again
"Goodnight" I crawled back into my sleeping bag and just before I fell asleep, I heard
"Hn, a good night indeed."
The End
Song:
Constant as the Stars Above- Barbie as Rapunzel