Rin's Ultimate Question
It was a warm summer day like any other – the trees rippled with a passing breeze, birds sang, and humans were off at war in some distant territories. Sesshomaru didn't think this could possibly be the day that would leave his mind tormented for eternity.
"Lord Sesshomaru! Lord Sesshomaru!" Jaken screeched to a halt at his master's feet. "It's – I – Rin, she's – "
"Spit it out."
"She's asked a question!"
"That's not unusual."
"No, no, she asked the Question!"
Sesshomaru blinked.
Jaken scooted in closer as if disclosing the next military secret instead of a child's inquiries. "Rin asked if I knew where babies come from!"
"Oh." The demon lord actually leaned against a tree. He cleared his throat. "So why didn't you tell her?"
"You want that child to know the repulsive manner which humans mate?!"
All right, this was getting ridiculous. "Fine, I shall explain it." Then he muttered "Idiot," squishing Jaken as he went to see about Rin.
–
"So Rin," Sesshomaru was seated on a boulder while the young girl was picking flowers. "I heard you had a question."
"Huh? Oh yes, m'lord. Why are babies made?"
Sesshomaru resisted the urge to blame a stork, but here was Rin – his little Rin who had been too innocent to differentiate between a snarling demon and a creature in pain – asking how humans reproduced!
He inhaled deeply. "When two adult humans, a male and a female, are left to their own primal devices–"
"Oh, I already know about that. Master Jaken said people come from spores."
Sesshomaru gaped. Spores?!
Rin continued, "But I think Master Jaken misunderstood. I don't care how babies are made."
The daiyokai's brow furrowed. "You don't? Then what's your question?"
"I want to know why babies are made. Why are we born? Why are we here? What's our purpose? And why are you twitching, Lord Sesshomaru?"
Sesshomaru had spent close to nine hundred years on the earth and still grappled with the very same question. "A-are you sure you don't want to know about the process of human reproduction?"
Rin shook her head. "I want to know why."
Of course she does. "Ah, one moment, Rin." Sesshomaru stood, dusted off his fur, and zoomed off over the next hill.
Unfortunately, there wouldn't be enough Advil in the universe.
–
Presently, Jaken was confronted by his young ward again.
"So you see, Master Jaken, that wasn't my question at all." Rin smiled.
"Oh," Jaken sighed in relief. "Did Lord Sesshomaru answer it?"
"Not really." Her grin widened. "But I'm sure you know what your purpose for existence is, right?...Master Jaken? Uh, Jaken? Hey, why'd you pass out?"