Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha.

A/N: By the urging I've received from readers, I am writing this short epilogue about the life of a blind Sesshomaru. I still wanted to end this as a tragedy, but then I thought maybe this ending is more tragic than killing either character. I will leave that up to the reader to decide.

~oOo~

Epilogue:

The Sky is Blue

~oOo~

He waited anxiously for Rin to return.

Sometimes, if she were away from their home, visiting a nearby human village, she would be gone for days. Lady Rin felt it was her duty to care for her husband. She bought only the most expensive meats, the ripest fruits, and the best spices. Many of the merchants could not fathom where a small, quiet woman had acquired such a large quantity of gold to afford everything she bought, but they did not trouble her. Rumors spread far and wide Rin was the mistress of a forest demon, all the more of a reason to leave her be. Aside from her mysterious disappearances every few weeks, the villagers well liked her.

~oOo~

Sesshomaru hated to be left alone. He found absolute silence utterly unnerving, as if he were trapped in a devil's dominion of sinister nothingness. Sometimes, on those long, lonely nights when his wife was sleeping at the village, Sesshomaru felt himself surrendering to that nothingness. If death were the only way out of a personal Hell of Nonexistence, he would gladly welcome it.

But she always came back, thank Kami.

Rin's company was most preferred because he could touch her, and touching Rin always made him feel real. She reminded Sesshomaru of reality, maintaining his sanity. The loss of his eyesight troubled him deeply. How was one who lacked imperfection to cope with such a dilemma? He could still navigate the land well, but now every demon in the country knew of his weakness. Rin would always be in constant danger. If she died, it would be because of his failure to protect her. He vowed to follow soon after. A future without that girl was a dark, lonely future without a glimmer of happiness for him.

~oOo~

They lived in a small shiro, hidden well out of the path of wandering humans. Rarely did they meet another living soul besides each other. Only twice in the past year of their marriage was their home ever subjected to an attack. Sesshomaru had dealt with the offending demons easily enough.

Rin was pleased. She lived her life for the man she loved.

When she returned from her latest visit to the village, she found him on the roof of the shiro, meditating. Previously, Sesshomaru was never very religious, but due to his condition Rin believed it was best to introduce him to the art of clearing one's mind… and find peace. So far, she thought he was making steady progress.

Rin carefully climbed atop the roof using a neighboring tree, slowly covering the distance between them. She sat beside him, patiently waiting for his scolding for her rashness. She did not have to wait long.

"Why are you here?" he acknowledged her presence with a firm tone. "You could fall."

"You would catch me before I come near to hitting the ground," she answered sweetly, placing a gentle hand on his forearm. "I trust you."

"Don't," he snapped, perhaps a little more harshly than he'd meant. "Don't be so dependent on me… I…"

Rin pouted at him, though he wouldn't have realize it. "Oh, my strong husband. My handsome mate, if only you could see me. I'm such a small, frail creature."

"This Sesshomaru is aware of your bodily structure," he muttered, and a waterfall of emotions raged through him in that second. Making love to Rin was possibly the only thing that made him feel alive again, like every nerve in his body was awake and humming with electrifying satisfaction.

He knew she was only trying to convince him that he was still needed. In all honesty, he believed Rin could live comfortably on her own, or with a fully capable human husband. Sesshomaru had selfishly claimed her for himself. She had it wrong. It was not Rin that needed him; it was he who needed her.

There once was a time when he was independent…

"Hold me," Rin demanded, climbing into the inuyoukai's lap. This time he made no protest. He loved her soft, silky skin against his.

"Tell me," she said, sounding very businesslike. "What do you think about, when I am not here?"

Sesshomaru silently absorbed the question, and took even longer deliberating the answer.

"The past," he finally said, "Before my condition; before the war."

"Is it… painful to remember?" Rin whispered, hugging his neck. "Please, I want to understand."

He actually smiled at that.

"That's the thing. I don't remember. You would think, after centuries of roaming, centuries of travelling this vast terrain, I would remember what the sky looks like."

He heard her sharp intake of breath, and the grip around his neck tightened.

"Everything is disappearing," he continued, running fingers through the raven strands of her hair. "Everything I took advantage of in the prime of my life, it's all going away. I cannot stop it. It makes me feel… hopeless."

Afraid, Rin added in her mind. He is afraid. I would be, too.

"If you are at that village, and I am here, it is much worse. When I don't hear your voice, I cannot remember your face." As he spoke he lightly traced the line of her jaw with his thumb.

"I am fading from your memory as well?" she whispered, and a vile taste of sickness rose in her throat.

"My pride," he answered ruefully, pulling away. "My pride kept me from truly seeing you. I know you are beautiful, Rin. Just…" He let the sentence hang.

No, they needed to stop this heartfelt conversation! She would not let him know how deeply his terrible words tore gashes on her insides! She would hold back the tears from staining her cheeks!

"The sky is blue," Rin said fiercely, caressing his face in her much smaller hands. "Ask me anything, my lord. I can describe it to you! The sky is so very blue today!"

"And how can you describe a color to a man who has never seen blue? Or red, or green, or yellow?" One corner of his lips curved upward in amusement. "I am a hopeless situation."

"Sometimes you make me feel hopeless."

His half-smile vanished. "I do not mean to."

It wasn't an apology.

"Rin," Sesshomaru took her hands from his face. "If the Kami herself offered me one day of sight in exchange for my life, I would do it."

"Don't say that!" she hissed angrily. "That is the most ludicrous thing you could think of! You will live a long life, my lord… with me."

"I would rather die tomorrow if it meant I could see your face tonight," he replied lowly.

Rin bowed her head, sighing heavily. "Then you have become a fool."

Sesshomaru agreed to that. The consequences of his vanity were finally taking their toll, and it was only going to worsen from this point onward.

He stood, carefully carrying his dear wife to ensure that she would not fall from the roof. He was taking her to their bedroom. It saddened him that the image of her brilliant smile may be lost forever, but Sesshomaru could still cherish at least another night sleeping with his head pressed to Rin's breast.

~oOo~

End.