The four inhabitants of the mansion ate in silence knowing today was the last morning meal they would have after all today was offering day, Rin felt quiet. She smiled to herself thinking to herself 'Stupid your always quiet your mute.' She sighed to herself and wondered was it weird to talk to yourself when you can't talk to anyone but yourself as a mute, unless you use hand or body signals 'I feel like if I could talk I wouldn't something in there air just doesn't feel right… too much tension?'

Rin looked at her rice and her miso soup she didn't have much of an appetite but she knew she needed to eat, she looked at her rice and used her chop sticks to poke around and find the biggest bunches of rice. Once she picked them all out she took a few drinks of her soup and looked at Jankostu, he simply nodded she always looked and waited for him to excuse her.

Since she no longer had a voice she hurried to her room and looked around 'I might have hated it here but at least I was safe…safe-ish? I guess.' Rin walked over to her desk and pulled out a piece of paper and a vail of ink and paint brush. She decided she would right a short goodbye for her parents, Jankostu told her that the new village chief would speak to the tribute then they would get to say goodbye to their families.

She laid the brush down and watched the ink dry, once it was dry she folded it up and put it in a envelope. Rin walked out of her room she took in a deep breath and hard the floor boards creak she walked over to where she knew one of her guards would be at and smiled seeing her night guard, she looked up at him and handed him the letter with the word family on it.

He looked down at her with saddened eyes "Rin it pains me to see a girl I watched over for eleven years being prepared to die." Rin didn't want to think about it and sighed 'I will keep my family's honor and be a tribute… so I am prepared.'

She looked at him and pointed outside then at herself then to him and formed a 'X' with her fingers, he looked at her "Rin I'm not sure If I can let you outside alone." She looked down and then smiled up at him and put on her begging face, he sighed and then walked over her and patted her shoulder "I suppose you won't leave after all tonight is the night. I will watch you from the window and if you run… Not even going to finish that young lady."

She smiled and hugged him in a way ever since he carried her to safety after she tried running away the last time, Rin couldn't help but see him as a father like figure. Nodding she turned her back to him and went to her room, slowly sliding open the door she walked over to where her yukata stand stood with a box with a comb on top. She walked over to her mirror and looked at her reflection, she had dark brown hair down to her waist and dark brown eyes that almost looked black in some lighting.

She but the comb in her hand and with slow long strokes began brushing her hair up in a high bun on her head. Rin smiled and took a breath she looked at a small box on her desk and opened it to reveal her make-up she used to have to wear it all the time, but after a while Jankostu let her just not wear it all the time. She reached in the jar holding her white foundation and used her fingers to rub her foundation in circular motions, when she looked in the mirror she had an all-white face.

She looked over at her other makeup and began to paint the rest of her face using pinks and purples for her eye shadow making it look like it turned colors. Rin put pink powder on her cheeks and a tiny brush to do long winged eye linger for a cat eye effect, then did her bottom eyelids.

Lastly she put on ruby red paint of her small beautiful lips, looking at herself in the mirror she was both happy and sad 'I look beautiful… but I don't look like me, and soon this beauty will be gone.' A tear threatened to fall she looked up at the ceiling until the feeling pasted and then walked over to her wedding yukata hanging up it was a white yukata with pale pink flowers and petals, with pale yellow flowers mixed in, her pale pink obi was tied tight and a beautiful flower and a couple of flower pins held her hair together. Then a beautiful ribbon decorated in her hair she sighed and went to put on her tabi socks and white sandals.

Looking in the mirror she smiled 'I look beautiful.' Suddenly there was clapping from behind her she looked behind her to see Jankostu standing there "I'm glad you wore and did your makeup how I told you. Rin you may not want to know the purpose of your tribute, but you are offered as a concubine to the lord of the west. He has sent us letters after we offered a woman once named Keade, you see Keade was missing an eye. Inu no Tashio said if we offered him another woman who was not beautiful enough to be his concubine then he would take all the village women. That is why it is so important that you look your best."

She looked down she was a woman now as of two years ago and her chest was still growing some, she was always tiny and petite 'What if I'm not perfect because of my chest size?!' He looked at her and smiled as he turned to leave her doorway "Don't worry so much my dear."

She took in a breath and walked outside she always wanted to go to the wild flower field at the edge of the tree line surrounding the mansion keeping it hidden. Rin's eyes widened as she smiled picking up her yukata and running to the flowers she smiled picking a pink one and inhaling its scent smiling happily 'My last day as a semi-free woman will be spent how I want.'

Rin closed her eyes the flowers reminded her of the past, she took a breath as her surroundings faded away and all that was left was the living memory of her time with the children in the village…

Twelve years ago a little girl with hair to her shoulders smiled as she ran around in a flower field she picked up a hand full of flowers and threw them high in the air smiling and giggling. She looked down at the boy who was with her his midnight shoulder length hair spread around on the flowers and his dark purple yukata with yellow cranes and light blue pants "Would you please stop that?" The girl looked down at the boy and kneeled looking at him, he had his eyes closed she smiled as an idea entered her mind.

She plucked a flower and placed it on his night black hair the boy felt something on his lips and opened his eyes to see a flower on his lips, and a girl looking at him with a huge smile "Naraku is so pretty now!" He blushed and looked up at her "Hey Rin I have a secret." Rin tilted her head and smiled her hands raised in excitement "Tell Rin! Tell Rin!"

He laughed and smiled as his eyes looked around "Okay, but you have to come down here." She looked at him raising a tiny brow and put on her pouting face "Why?" He smiled looking up at her his dark brown eyes meeting her's "I don't want to move all the flowers you gave me."

Like it clicked in her head she jump up and nodded as she crouched right beside him her head was close to his enough to hear a whisper as she looked in his eyes, she had the most serious face as she whispered "Tell Ri-."

Rin's eyes widened when flowers flew up around her she saw Narkau's eyes closed and felt his hand on her back as he kissed her, she looked at him and closed her eyes kissing him back and blushed 'Her first kiss.' Suddenly she felt a hand on her shoulder she pulled away and looked at who it was to see Kohaku with tears in his eyes "Rin don't kiss him!"

With that she was suddenly ripped from Naraku's arms and pulled into Kohaku's arms and felt her lips being taken again she blushed and stood stock still. Then Kohaku fell backwards and Rin fell on her but she looked up to see Naraku and Kohaku on the ground rolling around and hitting eachother.

Naraku screamed "Stay away from my Rin!"

"She's not yours!" Kohaku yelled.

"I'll marry Rin!"

"No I will!"

Rin glared at the two boys with tears in her eyes "BAKA!" The two rivals of Rin's love stopped to look at her crying, Naraku smiled and gave Kohaku a noggey "Oh Rin we are just playing, Boys play rough like this." She stopped crying and pulled her hands away from her eyes staring at the two and smiled "Playing?"

Kohaku followed Naraku and they both nodded "Yea, wrestling for your love." She giggled and blushed picking a flower and looking at them "But Rin loves you both." The two boys both blushed and looked at the little cutie they both wanted, Kohaku yelled "Yeah but who do you love more?" She sighed and knew the answer put smiled and picked a flower, and looked at them as she pulled away one petal "Kohaku."

Then another petal "Naraku."

"Kohaku."

"Naraku."

She looked at the flower picking another flower petal getting closer to her answer, "Kohaku.

Then another petal "Naraku."

"Kohaku." She looked at the flower and showed the boys the same flower "Naraku…" Kohaku glared and picked a flower with three petals "Naraku, Kohaku, Na-Kohaku! Yea me!"

Rin crossed her arms and tapped her foot "That's cheating! Fate of my flower says Naraku!" Kohaku threw his flower down and tears formed in his little brown eyes as ran off into the woods crying, Naraku walked over to Rin hugging her with a smile. She blushed and hugged him back…

Rin looked at the wild flower bed and up at the sky looking at the bright blue sky she smiled remembering a day under the sky she would always love.

Naraku and her were in the village and since Rin was a small child and everyone but her knew she was an outsider they would sometimes bully her. She walked out of her house and down to the market curious hearing travelers had come, she smiled running and lot looking where she was going fell on her but after hitting something.

She shook her head and looked up to see a boy looking down at her he huffed and glared at her "What an outsider like you doing running around in OUR village?!" She looked up and smiled as she stood up and looked confused "Sorry Rin didn't mean to bump into you." He took a step toward her and pushed her back "Why do you always call yourself Rin? We are a small village you don't need to tell everyone your name every five seconds we aren't idiots you know!"

"B-But Rin was just s-saying sorry."

He walked towards her and pushed her on the ground hard she fell in the mud the night before it had rained a little, her lips trembled as tears swelled in her eyes. She was wearing a yukata her mother said was once her's "This is mommy's yukata…now it's muddy."

"That's what you get for being stupid, you outsider!"

"Is there trouble here?" A monk looked down at Rin who looked up at him and nodded, he then looked over at the boy who shook his head "No, good monk." Rin looked up at him, he gave her a sad smile and offered her his hand. After a sniffle she took it he glared at the boy "A man should never hurt a woman, especially a little cutie like this. Shame on you and dishonor on your family." The man walked with Rin as she told him that she had wanted to see the market "So lovely what is your name?"

"Rin."

"I see well I have a question for you. When you are an adult do you want to bear my child?" She ripped her hand from his and blushed a whole new red and shook her head "No! No! No! Rin is taken! Naraku and Rin are-!"

She looked to see Naraku buying something from a young merchant an child like herself, the child had strange hair like straw and green eyes with red lips and a hat on. He smiled and laughed and took whatever he bought and put it in his pocket.

"Naraku?"

The monk looked in her direction "Oh well… Rin go get him." Rin looked up at him sniffling and had tears in her eyes "What?" He smiled and nudged her toward Naraku "Go give him a hug or a kiss and act cute, that girl will leave him alone then."

Her eyes widened "Really?!"

With nod she was off Naraku turned around and she hugged him tears still in her eyes he pulled her away to look at her "Rin your covered in mud! And your arm and leg are bleeding! What happen!" She looked away at the ground and took a gulp if she told she would be bullied more "Rin slipped?"

"Rin why are you asking me if you slipped? Wait! Did someone do this to you?!" Her head hung low he glared at her "Who?" She didn't speak he grasped her shoulders a little harder "Who?" A minute went by and he knew Rin wouldn't tell, he looked at her arm and leg. He bit his sleeve tearing a strip off to wrap around her cut leg, then ripped another strip off to cover her arm.

"Rin climb on my back I'll take you home." She blushed as he bent down there was no way she could piggy back ride with him. Not in public! Naraku stood up straight and sighed picking her up in his arms and carrying her bridal style, he had no parents and so he had to do all the household chores on his own making him stronger than a normal four year old.

She blushed and looked up at him as he looked down and kissed her forehead "Even covered in mud you're still pretty cute."

As a light gust passed by as saw a purple flower petal rush in front of her eyes as another memory came back to her…

Naraku and Rin were holding hands walking through the village, they went to the outskirts where a rock pile with a large rock with the name 'Kikyo,' engraved in it was, through the rocks dozens of beautiful purple wild flowers sprouted. Naraku pointed at the grave and smiled as he picked a purple flower and walked back to Rin "Hold still." She blushed and nodded "Okay," she closed her eyes and he tucked the flower behind her ear and smiled when she opened her eyes not feeling the kiss she expected "Uh?"

"My Rin looks so beautiful."

She blushed and walked over to him and kissed his cheek before grabbing his arm and smiled skipping "Come one Naraku, let's go explore!" He smiled and nodded as was lead to valley were some wild flowers were blooming as well as cherry trees "Rin what is it with you and flowers?"

She smiled and shrugged "Rin don't know something about them calls to Rin." He smiled and looked at her as she bent down and started grabbing flowers to make a tiara "Naraku will you play prince and princess with Rin?" He nodded how could he say no to her?

Rin quickly threaded flowers together and made him a crown of white flowers "Here, a crown!" He bent his head down so she could place it on the top of his head, he stood straight up and smiled "How do I look?" She giggled and hugged him and blushed when she pulled away "So beautiful." He frowned with a pouting face and crossed his arms "I want to look honorable not beautiful."

This cause them both to break out in laughter and Naraku took Rin's hands in her own as they twirled around in the cherry blossom orchard together frolicking with their young love blooming more each day. Rin got dizzy and tripped over her feet and landed on her back Naraku did the same and they giggled looking at one another as flowers fell around them from the cherry blossom trees over head.

Naraku crawled over to Rin and smiled "Rin I love you." She blushed and looked up at him as he kissed her lips with a cute sweet and quick childish kiss full of deeper meaning, he pulled out something from his sleeve and handed it to her "What is this?" It was a chain with a purple jewel on the end "It's a marble the merchant I bought it from said it's a sigh of love. Rin I love you, promise me we will be together forever and ever?"

She nodded and had tears in her eyes "Always and forever…"

The memory faded away as a lone tear fell from her eye 'Naraku… I still love you. Forever and always, Right?' She jumped out of her thoughts hearing a rustling in the bushes as her head darted to see what made the noise a man appeared his black hair fell over his shoulders and his brown eyes widened…

AN: what do you think guys?! I think childhood love is so cute, but Rin and Naraku?! ADORABLE!