Standard disclaimers apply.
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Always
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"Sesshoumaru-sama, will you still remember me when I'm gone?"
…
Rin watched fearfully as Naraku's hand slowly morphed into a sharp spearhead. And as it penetrated across her body, she thought of her companions…
Ah-Un.
Jakken.
Sesshoumaru-sama.
"Sesshoumaru-sama…" she whispered.
…
Kagome felt the tears stinging in her eyes. She couldn't bear to watch Naraku toss Rin aside like an unwanted rag doll. The demon then turned to her.
"Pathetic. Believing that a youkai would actually spare the effort of saving a pitiful mortal like her."
"You monster!" she screamed, her tears now flowing freely. "How could you?"
"If you pity her so much, would you like me to send you to hell as well?"
As he advanced towards her, he raised his morphed arm. Suddenly, voices rose behind them.
"Kaze no Kizu!"
"Hiraikotsu!"
Kagome winced. A few moments after, she felt the strong arms of InuYasha take her to safety. When she opened her eyes, Naraku was gone.
"Kagome-san, daijoubu desu ka?" Miroku asked. But the girl didn't seem to hear him. She looked around for Naraku's other captive.
"Kagome!" InuYasha called.
She turned to the hanyou's direction and saw that he was carrying Rin's body. She felt her heart break as she looked at the girl's serene and innocent face. Her other companions looked grim.
"Hey, isn't that the girl who always followed Sesshoumaru around?" Shippou exclaimed. "What's she doing here?"
"Shippou, that's enough." Sango scolded.
InuYasha kneeled beside Kagome and placed his hand on her shoulder.
"Kagome, let's go. We're too late. She's gone."
Kagome flung her arms around him and cried.
"Naraju did it in front of me," she sobbed. "But I couldn't do anything." She wiped away her tears but still sniffled a bit.
"I know I shouldn't cry. After all, I barely knew her. But I felt that we were kindred spirits or something. I just felt so bad for her. She didn't deserve to die."
"I know…" he whispered softly and held her. But a moment passed and he sensed a powerful presence behind them. He turned around and was shocked to see Sesshoumaru.
"What are you doing here?" InuYasha demanded, rising to his feet and grabbing his Tessaiga.
"I didn't come here to waste my time on you." Sesshoumaru said, completely ignoring him. The youkai calmly walked over to Rin. InuYasha noticed the expression of disbelief cross over his half-brother's face but immediately dismissed it.
He's too much of a bastard to care for a little girl. he thought.
His thoughts, however, were contradicted when he saw Sesshoumaru pick up Rin's body and held her quite close to him. With a final glare, he stood up a walked away.
…
"Sesshoumaru-sama! Where have you been?" Jakken ran towards him but stopped when he saw what his master was carrying. The latter continued walking.
"Come, Jakken. We're going."
"Uh, hai." His servant obeyed though still shocked at the fact that the only human that he had grown accustomed to, was dead.
…
"Neh, Jakken-sama." Rin called, looking up at the vast starry sky one night. She was sitting against Ah-Un. Sesshoumaru had just told them that they will rest the night there. It was a beautiful spot. A lone tree stood on the cliff that overlooked the mountains.
"What?" Jakken answered irritably. He was now lighting a fire using his staff.
"When I die, I want to become the wind so that I can still follow Sesshoumaru-sama wherever he goes. Demo, now that I think about it, I want to become a pretty white flower too…" she placed a finger in her chin.
Jakken looked at her, obviously taken aback. "What are you talking about?"
She giggled. "Nothing. I'm going to sleep. Goodnight, Ah-Un. Goodnight, Jakken-sama. Goodnight, Sesshoumaru-sama." she yawned and promptly drifted off to sleep. Jakken shook his head.
"Such a silly girl…"
Back from under the tree, Sesshoumaru had heard of the conversation but said nothing. He closed his eyes and continued to rest.
…
"Sesshoumaru, my son, do you have something to protect?"
Father…
…
He awoke the next morning at the sound of Rin's voice.
"Oh, it's so pretty!"
She was standing cautiously at the edge of the cliff and was admiring the sunrise. She noticed her master looking so she smiled sweetly at him.
"The sunrise is beautifu, neh, Sesshoumaru-sama?"
…
He had observed how Jakken had been slightly emotional and grief-stricken when he saw him carrying her lifeless body in his arms. He once again saw this state of vulnerability as his loyal servant diligently dug the earth next to the same spot they rested before in the past.
When his servant was finally done, Sesshoumaru laid Rin's lithe body upon the ground and did something that was new to him.
He lightly pressed his lips on her forehead.
"Sesshoumaru-sama, will you still remember me when I'm gone?"
He rose to his feet and walked away from her grave, leaving Jakken to rush behind his footsteps. The beautiful morning sun was now slowly rising at the horizon.
A soft breeze then blew a swirl of white flowers around him. Strangely enough, a lone petal then delicately rested near the corner of his mouth. A light kiss, perhaps. He closed his eyes and smirked.
"Don't say such silly things."
And he was gone.
…
Yuri-chan's note: Short but sweet. A pre-valentine gift to all you people out there.
Reviews are really appreciated! \m/