Chapter 1: The Start
A silvery white haired lad clad half in battle armor and half in kimonos appeared over the horizon. His face seemed to hold no expression, save for a small knowing smile and a longing in his yellow amber eyes. His left hand reached… reached for-
"Rin!"
Rin's eyes flew open. Darn, she was dreaming about Lord Sesshomaru again. Still, it'd been over two years since she'd last seen him. Rin sighed and lifted her head along with her body to see who had called her. It was Hiromi, one of the twins.
"Rin, Lady Kaede says you have to help us gather chrysanthemums and then try out your yukata." The child called out to her. Rin smiled and hollered back,"Coming!" Gathering chrysanthemums again? Oh right, Lady Kaede was going to make chrysanthemum tea for the annual harvest celebration. Rin knew there was going to be singing and the bonfires that appeared every year along with a good harvest. Every year was blissfully peaceful now that Naraku was gone and only occasional demons that caused a bit of trouble appeared.
At the fields, Lady Kaede and the youngsters were telling stories while gathering chrysanthemum. Hiromi rushed off to her twin, Kazumi. When Lady Kaede caught sight of Rin, her expression turned sad. "Ah, Rin."
"Lady Kaede? Why do you not smile? Did I do something wrong?" Rin questioned, fully believing she had done something to irk Kaede.
Kaede shook her head. "Full of questions, like a child. No, Rin, you are certainly not the problem. Come help me gather these herbs, will you?" Before Rin could ask what she meant by "problem", one of the village children had pulled her aside and asked her to tell them another story.
Lady Kaede laughed gently at the children's impatience and replied, "I'll tell you the story of Rin's time with a demon." Rin's ears perked up. Meaning Lord Sesshomaru? She tentatively broke a chrysanthemum stem.
"A demon whose heart was filled with desire for power wondered about looking for strong demons to battle. His name was Sesshomaru. By his side was another demon. He was small, lean, green, and mean, but very devoted to Sesshomaru. This creature's name was Jaken."
Rin stifled a laugh, almost hearing Jaken's outraged,"Who are you calling mean?"
"If Sesshomaru likes power so much, why did he keep a small and mean demon like Jaken around?" asked Kazumi. Cause Jaken could use the staff of two heads, Rin thought silently, not interrupting Lady Kaede. And Lord Sesshomaru must've been lonely.
"Yeah, Sesshomaru sounds really cold-hearted," Hiromi joined in.
"Children, I cannot solve all the mysteries of the universe," Kaede gently told them.
"Lord Sesshomaru isn't cold-hearted," Rin spoke up, plucking another plant. The children stared at her. Rin went on, her voice soft. "He hides his feelings a lot and you can never guess what he's thinking, but he saved me many times. Lord Sesshomaru claims he doesn't like humans but that can't be all true. He kept Kohaku and me with him."
"Why do you call him 'Lord' Sesshomaru, Rin?' asked Komori, the twins' little brother.
The question surprised Rin. Jaken had always called him that; it was just natural. "Well…"
"Is it because you respect a demon?'
"Is it because you liiike him?"
The mischievous children forgot about gathering chrysanthemum, and joined hands circling Rin chanting, "Rin and Sesshomaru sitting in a tree. Doing something they shouldn't be." They broke apart giggling.
Lady Kaede interrupted their fun and saved Rin from further teasing. "I hope you all remember what YOU'RE supposed to be doing!"
Still laughing, they begged Lady Kaede to continue the story. "Alright, settle down. And Tsuruga, pull out that weed, will you?" As Tsuruga did what he was told, Kaede did as she said she would. The late afternoon's light made the river sparkle and Rin glanced at it, listening to the old priestess's words.
"Sesshomaru once saved Rin from death by using his sword called the Tenseiga. Tenseiga could save a hundred lives with one swipe."
"And what happened afterwards?" Komori wondered.
"Well he kept Rin with him. He cared for her unlike anyone else he'd ever met. Slowly, his cold heart grew a little warmer everyday that Rin was with him," Lady Kaede paused, looking at Rin.
'His heart was already warm..,' Rin thought to herself.
"Why did Jaken stay with Sesshomaru if he didn't care about him?" asked Miya, another one of the village children.
"I didn't say Sesshomaru didn't care about Jaken. But for Rin, she was more special than the toad demon." Lady Kaede looked around. "Alright, that's the last of them. Why don't you children head on home?" "Ok!" they said in unison. They dropped the baskets at Lady Kaede's hut right beside the herb fields, and ran on home.
"Come on Rin, we've got quite a lot of leaves to take off," Lady Kaede said, heading home too.
Rin nodded. "Lady Kaede, what did you mean by 'You're not the problem'? Is something else the matter?"
Rin was met with the same sad smile. Not knowing what to do, Rin started taking off leaves off the flowers in a basket. Lady Kaede started tearing off foliage too.
"You've enjoyed it here at this humble village, have you not, Rin?" Rin looked up, a bit taken aback. "Of course! Why ask, Lady Kaede? Was that really what was bothering you?"
"Rin, would you want to stay in Edo or travel the world?"
Rin cast her head down and continued pulling off leaves. "If I stay here my whole life, I might still be able to travel… Haven't you Lady Kaede?"
"I have traveled, but not particularly far. This village is my happy home and I'm needed here. Where are YOU happiest, Rin?"
An image of white hair pooped up in Rin's mind, followed by images of the love that permeated the whole village. Kagome hugging Inuyasha; Miroku's cheeks being pulled by the twins. Golden eyes. Rin felt a pang of loneliness despite the fact she was surrounded by friends. Rin shook her head. 'What are you thinking? I'm not sad because I want what they have! You just miss Lord Sesshomaru for being gone so long.'
"I'm happy here, Lady Kaede. I love the children, I love the villagers, and I love cooking with you!" Rin said seriously. "I love everything here."
Lady Kaede sighed and took another chrysanthemum plant out of a basket.
"Yes Rin," she said patiently. "But where are you happiest? With Sesshomaru or with us?"
Rin froze. Oh no.
"Lady Kaede…" she spoke hesitantly. "Are you upset at Lord Sesshomaru?"
Kaede studied the young woman for a moment before answering. "Sesshomaru and I agreed that after the harvest festivals on the year you turn seventeen, you'd have to make the choice; to go to go with him or stay here."
"But, the harvest festival is next week!" protested the Rin.
"And you've long since become a young woman capable of making her own choices," Lady Kaede replied.
Rin's head rushed with thoughts as she watched Lady Kaede calmly strip away leaves. It hadn't occurred to her that she'd ever have to make such a choice. Except that time when Lord Sesshomaru had dropped her at the village, promising he'd be back. How could she forget?
"If I choose to stay here, Lord Sesshomaru will still come to visit me right?" Though lately, there'd been no sign of him.
Again, Kaede smiled sadly. "Rin, you've noticed how long he's been gone?"
Rin tried to focus on her work, which was becoming increasingly difficult to do, even though it was rather simple. She was well aware it'd been two years since she's had any contact with him. Kaede sighed again and stood up. Rin was still lost in musing. Would Lord Sesshomaru really be here next week to see her, finally? But then what? Did she want to be by Sesshomaru's side or here? Which was home?
Rin shivered when the truth hit her. Both were home.
Noticing that she needed a change of subject, Lady Kaede offered Rin a chance.
"Rin why don't you go to Kagome's and get your yukata. I think she's done stitching it."
"But the chrysanthemums-"
"Never mind them; I'll take care of that on my own."
Rin nodded and disappeared behind the door flap. "Rin," Kaede murmured. "Can you not see your own desire?" She looked down at the chrysanthemum Rin had picked and groaned. The flowers were all half torn. "Much like Rin's heart in this situation," Kaede realized.