Title: Promise

Prompt: Happy

Rating: G

Word Count: 1,510

Timeline: Pre and post Chapter 558 of the manga.

Disclaimer: I own none of these very entertaining characters, and I'm making no money off them. Please don't sue me, thank you.

Kohaku had surprised him.

Sesshoumaru did not take people under his protection lightly. When he did choose to do so, however, he did not expect them to leave.

'Forgive me, Sesshomaru-sama,' the boy had said, a week after Naraku had been defeated, 'but it is time that I leave.'

Rin had looked distressed, immediately peppering the boy with questions, and he had darted a glance at her, which had made Jaken hush her. He had turned to the boy again, and Kohaku had continued: 'I must return to my village. Many youkai roam the land, as Naraku is dead and it safe for them to come out now. If I can rebuild the taijya village and help the people be rid of the youkai, perhaps it will go some small way to atoning for all that I have done under Naraku's control.'

Atonement. Repentance. Tedious little human emotions - but Sesshoumaru had known the boy was right. Kohaku was nearly an adult, by human standards, and now that Naraku was dead and there were no Jewel shards in the boy's neck, he had no further need of protecting him.

He had inclined his head. 'Do as you wish,' he had said, and the boy had repeated his thanks for his protection, even as Rin had been moved to tears at the thought of being parted from her friend and companion.

He thought of that now, as he watched Rin morosely thread a few flowers together as she sat at the base of a large tree. She had not been her usual ebullient self since Kohaku had left, though it had already been a week since the boy had gone. He wondered how the girl would react when he told her he would be leaving her at Inuyasha's village.

For that was the decision he had come to, after much deliberation. Kohaku's departure had reminded him that Rin would soon grow up, as well. It would not do to have a human woman with him on his travels. He had not paid any mind to the rumors that flew about his relationship with Rin—and certainly he was capable of putting a stop to those wagging tongues, should he choose—but he would not be able to tolerate hearing himself compared to his father in the years to come. Especially not when his father had let his human be the death of him.

Best that Rin should grow and live among her own kind.

He stepped down from his vantage point and moved to the girl. Jaken made to follow, and he stopped him with a glance.

'Rin,' he called, and the child turned to run to him. She smiled up at him, her usual, cheerful smile, and he wondered that the sadness that had lurked in her eyes till a moment ago had been banished so easily—by him?

'Rin, we are leaving now.'

She nodded happily, abandoning her flowers. 'Can we go visit Kohaku, Sesshomaru-sama?'

He shook his head. 'We are going to Edo.' He paused, and perhaps the girl caught the gravity of the moment, because she stopped smiling now, and looked fearfully up at him. 'From now on, you will live with the miko who stays there.'

Her eyes filled with tears. 'Sesshomaru-sama…' she said weakly, and he raised an eyebrow. 'Rin is sorry if she has annoyed Sesshomaru-sama,' she cried, clasping her hands together and clutching them to her chest. 'Please don't send me away,' she sobbed.

'Calm yourself, child,' he said, and she nodded, wiping her tears away with both hands. Once she seemed to have quietened down, he met her eyes. 'Do you not wish to live among humans?'

She shook her head. 'Rin wants to stay with Sesshomaru-sama and Jaken-sama!'

He frowned. Humans were afraid of change, this he knew, and yet…he had always allowed Rin the freedom to choose her own destiny…

The child was too young to know her own mind. It had only been a year since she had joined his retinue, it was not possible that she would prefer to stay with him than with her own kind.

'Rin wants to stay with Sesshomaru-sama and Jaken-sama,' she repeated now with more conviction, perhaps because she had seen him frown.

She was too young to make a choice now, but perhaps later…

'You cannot stay,' he told her, and her face fell. 'You must go to live with the miko, as I have said.' Her eyes had gone dark and serious at his words, and he went on: 'You will eventually have to choose one world, however, so remember this: I will come for your decision once you are old enough.'

'Promise?'

He narrowed his eyes at her. He was unused to having his word questioned, but he could smell the distress and the fear coming off her in waves. He nodded, and she gave him a watery smile in reply. 'I will wait for you, Sesshomaru-sama,' she said, and he inclined his head in acknowledgement of her own promise.

He looked down at her as they walked back to Ah-Un and Jaken. Her manner was subdued, but Rin was not crying anymore. His words seemed to have given her some courage, but then it had only been the truth. Their lives were bound now, ever since he had chosen to take her under his protection. Unlike Kohaku, Rin had no one else.

He would not let her forget him, he promised himself as they began the long flight to the village.

-o-

She was older now, an adult in the human world.

Kaede had tried to mould her into a miko, as well, but Rin had not turned out as she had hoped. The child still refused to think of youkai as the enemy, and while Kaede knew she could not have expected any different, what with Inuyasha living in the same village, she had hoped she would be able to change the girl's mind.

Of course, it did not help that Sesshomaru dropped by now and again to see Rin.

He always brought some present, some little trinket with him, and Kaede wondered for the hundredth time why he had sent Rin to her when he insisted on maintaining contact with the child.

She shook her head when Rin entered their hut with a giddy smile. Evidently the inu-youkai had come to visit the child again, though she hadn't sensed his presence. Kagome gave her a wry smile at the girl's happy humming, turning away to put some medicine into a jar.

'I'm leaving, Kaede-baba!' Rin cried happily, and Kaede looked up in shock. Kagome had stopped her work as well, both of them gaping at the girl as she started to collect her few belongings together.

'Leaving?' Kaede stammered. 'Where? Why?'

'Sesshomaru-sama has come for me,' Rin answered merrily, and Kaede frowned.

'He came for you?' she repeated suspiciously. 'What do you mean?'

'He asked me to choose between his world and this one,' the girl replied distractedly, 'and of course I chose to go with him.'

Kaede stared at her as she made a small bundle of her belongings and moved to hug her.

'Thank you so much for everything, Kaede-baba,' Rin said, and a lump rose in her throat. 'I will always be grateful.'

'Not grateful enough to stay,' she said harshly, and Kagome frowned at her.

Rin's face fell, and Kagome moved to take her in her arms. 'Go, Rin,' she said softly, despite Kaede's wordless cry of protest. 'Don't keep him waiting. I will tell Inuyasha and the others.'

Rin gave her a brilliant smile and ran out of the door without a second glance.

'What have you done?' Kaede cried, moving as quickly as her old bones would allow. She made to go after the child, but was stopped by Kagome's hand on her arm.

'Let her go,' she said sadly. 'She was only here as long as she chose to be, understand that. We had no real claim on her heart, it was always too full of him.'

'But how will she be safe with that youkai?'

Kagome frowned, and Kaede realised she had spoken too vehemently to one who was married to a hanyou. 'I'm worried about her,' she finished lamely, and the younger woman raised an eyebrow.

'If he has come back for her every year she has been away, it is obvious he cares for her,' Kagome said reproachfully, eyes flinty. 'She will be safe with him because it is obvious that she has his heart, too.'

Kaede said nothing, turning away from the younger woman. She may be unwilling to accept it, but Kagome was right. It was the truth, she had never sensed any evil intent from the youkai when it came to Rin. Perhaps the girl would be safe—even happy—with Sesshomaru.

She said a soft prayer for their happiness under her breath, turning away from the open door to go back to her usual duties of a summer night.

A/N: I…don't know how this turned out this way, it was honestly something completely different when in my head. *shrugs*

Thanks for reading, anyway. All comment and concrit is very welcome. :)

-This won first place for this round. Yay! :)