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Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha or the characters, but I do own Akemi, my another OC's, and this tale.

Chapter Three

"Lady Akemi, please let me wash your hair!" The young girl, named Rin, asked excitedly, "I've never seen hair so curly!"

Akemi blinked at the girl as she moved the soap over her arms, she had just cleaned her wounds. When she had examined them after jumping into the water, they were partially healed, which was extremely surprising. Rin had voiced her opinion in saying that they would be gone by tomorrow, "I.. don't see why not, go on ahead." Her hair was a giant black fluff ball of quarter sized curls(1), even the tips of the fur on her tail curled. Her hair was more wild than normal, due to her... eventful day.

The brunette grinned and moved through the water to sit by the half-demon, soap in hand. "Thank you, Lady Akemi!" She hummed softly as she applied the soap to the dark curls, the water had a hard time weighing down her hair.

The noirette sighed, enjoying the feeling of her hair gaining attention, "There's no need for the 'Lady' part, it's way too formal for me."

"Oh, you aren't nobility?" Rin seemed genuinely confused, causing the girl to quirk an eyebrow.

"No, why do you ask?"

"I.. had just figured since La- I mean, Akemi was so pretty." The girl frowned.

The noirette flushed at the compliment, her ears twitching, "M-Me? I'm not that pretty, but thank you.." She wanted to sink into the water.

"What do you mean? Akemi is the most beautiful woman I've ever seen!" Rin smiled brightly, "Especially with your curls!"

Her curls had always been ridiculed... called ugly, messy, and wild... How were they all the sudden pretty? "I-I.. uhm.. t-thank you," Despite not believing that she was pretty, Akemi would accept the compliment, nonetheless.

After the noirette had introduced herself, Rin had insisted that she take a bath and had somehow managed to convince Sesshomaru to find a hot spring, which had taken quite awhile of silent walking. The young girl had said something about the warm water being better for cleaning and the demon couldn't deny that. However, he wasn't happy, not in the slightest. She felt he had slight satisfaction in knowing that the warm water would sting her burns.

Not to mention there was how she had been called a half-breed... She couldn't quite understand how she was half-human now, but her physical differences couldn't be denied. She was far too animal-like. The ears, the fluffy tail, the sharp fangs, and even her claws.

She stared down at her claws with a frown, despite her physical differences.. she didn't feel much different than before. The only true difference she could feel was- what she had named -demonic energy. It was as if a warm breeze that blew inside of her body and if she wished it, she could bend the winds to her will. The winds were more focused on her wounds, it felt as though the warm breeze was repairing her skin. It felt nice. All these changes were odd, but the more she focused, the more she could feel the slight differences in her senses.

Looking down at her claws brought back the memory of blood and death. Just the memory was making dread and nausea settle in the pit of her stomach. Perhaps it was her imagination, but she thought her hands still smelt like blood.

She had tried to convince herself that this was all a dream, but the pain she had felt with the witch and when... Sesshomaru had tossed her around like a rag doll.. it was all too real.

She couldn't stop thinking back to when she had almost died by the silver-haired demons hand. She was sure that she had more wounds than just her burns, it hurt to breathe. She was, at least, bruised. She had been so terrified.

"Akemi? Are you okay?" Rin asked, snapping the girl from her thoughts. It wasn't hard to tell when the noirette was upset, she was very expressive, unlike a certain silver haired demon.

Akemi turned her head to look back at the younger girl, "Hm? Oh, I'm okay." She flashed a small smile, but the young girl wasn't convinced.

"If you say so.."

XXXXxxxxXXXX

"This will be short on you, but it should work." Rin returned back to the hot spring with a light blue yukata, just as Akemi had just finished cleaning the blanket. It still had some blood stains, but it was clean. Her hair was still wet, it would take awhile to dry without a hair dryer.

"It'll be perfect, thank you." The noirette smiled, she was just happy to have some proper clothes.. even if she didn't have underwear. She slipped the yukata over her shoulders, hissing a bit as it agitated her burns, as the younger girl handed her a royal blue obi. She was glad that had to wear a kimono so frequently, otherwise, she wouldn't have known how to tie an obi.

Rin hadn't lied when she said that it would be a little short, it fell just past her knees and the sleeves just past her elbow's. It was simple and mostly solid in color, but royal blue clumped at the bottom slowly splitting away to show royal blue flower petals. She loved it, it was pretty, she only wished it fitted her better.

Akemi winced as her tail bent funny, the fabric was constricting it. She looked down at her claws and wondered if she could cut a hole. She frowned and reached to her lower back. Her claws easily slipped through the fabric, it only reminded her of how easily she had killed the woman. She banished the thoughts and cut a hole that was only slightly bigger around than her tail, to make room for her fur. With quite a bit of struggle and a lot of wincing she finally managed to direct her tail through the hole.

"Are you finished, yet?" Rin's curious voice reached the half-demon.

"Ah, yea." She walked through the bushes and frowned a bit, "I'm sorry, I had to cut a hole in the back, to make room for.. my tail." That was by far the weirdest thing and it was even weirder saying it.

"No, no, it's okay. I had figured you would need to do so," The girl smiled brightly, "It looks good on you!"

Flustered, the noirette gave off a smile, "Thank you.."

Rin hummed with a nod and grabbed a hold of the half demon's hand, the one that wasn't holding the damp blanket, tugging her in the direction that they had set up camp.

"Hey... Rin?" The half-demon spoke walking side by side with the girl.

"Yes?" The girl looked back to Akemi a curious expression plastered on her features.

"How did you come to be with... Sesshomaru, a.k.a. ice cold?" Akemi asked, figuring it was okay to talk freely.

Rin quirked an eyebrow, "Ice cold?" Her expression suddenly relaxed and she giggled a bit, "Yes, Lord Sesshomaru does seem so to others."

The half demon's eyebrow's raised, "Seem?"

"Oh, yes, he seems very rough." She smiled widely, "However, Lord Sesshomaru was kind enough to save me when I was a child."

"And so, you stayed with him?"

"Of course! I pledged my loyalty after that and he granted me the position of his ward." She grinned.

The noirette only sent the girl a confused glance, he seemed to despise anyone that wasn't himself, how could he care for a child? When they reached the fire, the sun was on the horizon, Jaken was roasting some meat over the fire and Ah-Un was munching on something, she didn't wish to know what.

"Would you like some food, Akemi?" Rin asked, turning to her.

"No, I'm not hungry." She told the truth, she didn't get hungry very often, but usually.. her mother forced her to eat.

"Okay!" The girl smiled and bounded close to the fire as Jaken took the food off the flame.

"You shouldn't hang around such filth, Rin!" Jaken's voice whispered causing to the noirette to flinch and her ear to lower as threw the blanket over a tree branch. She felt as though she was going to get more hate than Jaken's words in the near future, but she couldn't understand why she deserved such.

"Why is Akemi filth? I don't understand." The brunette asked, after swallowing a bite of meat, as the noirette sat next to the tree.

Akemi felt someone's eyes and looked to the side, only to meet Sesshomaru's gaze. He sat on the other side of the fire, watching her with cold eyes, he was on guard. She felt fear and her gaze snapped away from him, to look into the fire. She squeezed her arm, her anxiety rising a bit.

"How can you be so oblivious? She's a half-demon!" Jaken hissed out, but Rin only shrugged.

"Well, I like her!" She proclaimed, gathering Sesshomaru and Akemi's attention. The half-demon smiled softly, it felt nice to know that someone liked her.

Jaken gasped, seemingly appalled, "How can you be so foolish-"

"Jaken." Sesshomaru silenced, "Leave Rin to her opinion." He may not be happy with her opinion, but she was still entitled to it.

Akemi frowned at the tall demon as Jaken bowed his head, apology after apology flowing from his mouth. He was 'kind' to Rin, could it be they got off on the wrong foot? ... No, there was no way. She hadn't spouting off anything salty, until after he attacked her, but why did she deserve such attack? She sighed and stared into the bright flame as the the sun fell.

"Akemi..?" Rin's voice spoke up, catching the attention of the half demon, she held a large fur blanket. "Do you mind if I sleep next to you?" The girl fidgeted nervously.

The noirette blinked, almost confused, "... No, I don't mind at all."

A bright smile spread on Rin's features and she set the fur blanket next to the Akemi, she laid down and pulled some of the blanket over her body. The young girl shifted closer to the warmth of the half-demon and sighed softly. The older girl smiled softly and gently ran her fingertips over the girl's hair, careful of her claws, she didn't want to hurt the girl.

Her heart warmed, she had always wanted a little sibling, but her dad had died before she was born and her mom never remarried. Her mom had always said, 'deciding to be with your father, meant that I would forever be his'. It was something that always made her wonder, but when you find true love, no one else can fill that space.

Sesshomaru watched the exchange with interest, Rin didn't even show the Priestess from another time this much attention. He was beginning to think bringing the half-breed wasn't a bad idea, if it kept Rin entertained. However, the green-eyed fox didn't seem to be just entertainment. He remembered Rin's earlier statement on how she 'liked' the half-breed and the older seemed to return the affection. Despite him not favoring the thought, perhaps... she could be permitted to stay.

Akemi turned her eyes to the sky, as Rin's breathing smoothed out, but her hand continued to move over the girl's hair. She had always been fascinated with the stars and, if she didn't already have her ambition, she would have turned to astrology. Her eyes widened and her jaw went slack at the beautiful sight, she was in awe. There were more stars than she could have ever dreamed of, and they continued to pop out of hiding as the night progressed. The stars of her time were nothing like this, not even in the country where pollution was in the least. It reminded her of the pictures that had been taken from space, except she was seeing them in person.

However, this was spring, of the year 1549.

She sighed, wondering how her mom, brother, and best friend were doing. She would never see them again and just that thought made it so she had to fight off tears. She missed them. She didn't know how her change of destiny affected the future and she was worried. What if it killed her off? Her mom would be devastated. She swallowed thickly, the weight of her sadness made her ears droop. What if it had made it so she hadn't been born? At least no one would have to miss her, which is a good thing, but.. Somehow, it made her feel worse than if they did miss her. The thought of them moving about their lives not even aware she ever existed, while she missed them, was devastating. It was selfish, but she wanted others to feel the way she did. She wanted to be missed, just as much as she missed them.

Her eyes burned and she couldn't stop her tears from falling. Even if it had only been a short time, she was crestfallen. She would never again hear her mother's sassy comments or be teased by her brother or drool on her best friend.

As Sesshomaru continued to watch the odd half-breed, he noticed her depression before her even ears reacted, it was heavy and thick in the air. He didn't care much, she was just a half-breed, but he frowned as the smell of salt fell into the mix. She was crying? "Half-breed."

Akemi's gaze snapped to him, her fear of him was clouded through her sorrow, and she was glaring through her tears, "M-My name is Akemi."

He ignored her glare and her words, "Why are you crying? Do you not know that such an action is weak?"

She gave a pitiful laugh her glare lessening as she tried to wipe her tears, "Being strong is facing your emotions, being weak is hiding from it." She managed to calm her tears, but the action of wiping them away worsened the puffy and redness, "To avoid my sadness would make me a coward. I am not a coward."

Sesshomaru frowned even further. Emotions were for humans and humans were weak, but did that make emotions weak? There was no strength in crying, but was it, even more, cowardice so to avoid such emotion? It made sense, but it contradicted everything he believed.

Akemi looked up at the stars and silence enveloped them, after a few moments her quiet voice reached his ears, "I miss my home and my family... I won't be able to see them e-ever again." Her voice hitched as a lump formed in her throat, she swallowed it down, "They aren't within my reach anymore.."

He didn't like guessing another's past, but it sounded as if her family died. He couldn't relate much, but he did know how heavily it weighed on her.

She sighed and ruffled her dry curls, the weather wasn't affecting her hair as badly as she had thought it would, "I'm sorry, I doubt you cared to hear a half-breed's troubles." She bit out, still bitter over the word. She knew it was a racial slur, it hurt and irritated her that she was being called a derogatory term.

Sesshomaru felt the urge to correct her, but he held his tongue. Despite his wishes, he had started to accept her into his pack and it was an alpha's instincts to keep his pack content, as well as safe. He hadn't minded hearing her troubles, not in the slightest. It eased another's troubles to speak of them, that was something he had learned when spending time with Rin. However, while his years with Rin had softened him, his stubborn pride was still far too large to admit such a thing to a half-breed.

(1) Her curls are a lot like Merida from brave, but instead of red, it's black. For good view on what she looks like, look at the cover, it was drawn by yours truly~

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