Rin ran back out to Ah-Un, never stopping once with her new found energy. The sky was now half purple, half dark blue as the sun traveled further beyond the horizon. She stopped before Ah-Un, out of breath as she leaned on her knees.
Ah-Un simply looked at her as she said, "Ah-Un, great news!" She continued to try to catch her breath before continuing. "But I can't tell you yet, it's a surprise! Now let's get back."
Ah-Un arose heavily before Rin climbed on.
Back at the palace, Sesshomaru had returned to the courtyard to check on Rin. She wasn't there, and he did not like that. He noticed that Ah-Un was also gone, but he wanted to be sure.
"Jaken," he shouted sternly. Jaken quickly appeared, running as fast as he could to come to his lord's side.
"What is it, Lord Sesshomaru?" he asked, gasping for breath.
"Where is Rin?" he demanded.
Jaken looked around. "Ahhh-" he began, now extremely nervous and afraid for his own safety as he realized the girl was gone.
But Jaken was saved as the gates again opened. Rin jumped from Ah-Un's back so she could slip through as quickly as possible. She ran to Lord Sesshomaru and clung to his legs.
"Rin, where have you been?" he asked, looking down at the girl. He wasn't sure why she was clinging to him and thought something might have happened.
She looked up, smiling. "I went with Ah-Un to get something to eat," she explained.
Sesshomaru's nerves were calmed. He often forgot about Rin's regular need to eat until she brought it up.
"So, is there anything you wanted to say to me?" she asked, wondering if Yua had already gotten to him or not. Sesshomaru was confused as to why she was so overjoyed. He supposed it was because she was happy to be alive and with him again.
"No," he answered blatantly.
"Ok," she replied, letting go and beginning to run off to play in the garden again.
"Rin," he called out sternly.
She whirled around and stopped, rocking back and forth on her feet. "Yes, me lord."
But Sesshomaru did not address her next. "Jaken, take her to her room," he instructed before he retreated to the castle.
"Right away, my lord!" he squealed. "Come on Rin, don't dilly-dally, now!"
She lifted her arms up at her sides and ran past Jaken, into the castle. Jaken didn't like that he was now behind, and was even more irritated when she proclaimed, "Well come on, Master Jaken!"
The castle had fallen silent and Sesshomaru sat outside his room, looking up at the stars. The doors to his bedroom were open to the sand garden. He sat cross-legged upon the boards just outside his room, one leg stretched just beyond the other.
Suddenly, he caught that heavenly scent.
He followed it to the courtyard where he found Yua, holding Un's face in her hand as she looked into it adoringly. Without looking over, she said, "So there you are, Lord Sesshomaru."
"To what do I owe the honor?" he asked darkly.
"I was going to visit you in a dream, but you hardly ever sleep, so I made a personal trip." Before she looked to Sesshomaru, she reached out to touch Ah's face, who responded by reaching his neck out in an effort to receive a pat. "How is the girl?"
"She appears to be fine," he stated.
"Good," Yua replied. Though she knew how the girl was already, she still used this as an icebreaker. "That girl is one of the sweetest souls I have seen, filled with innocence, grace, and happiness—which this world is desperately lacking. I'm here to tell you, you must protect her."
Sesshomaru kept a sharp eye on her. "You don't need to tell me that."
"Then will you keep her with you, or return her to a human village?" Yua slid her hands down over Ah-Un's reins. She was again in her simpler robe, her arms exposed and hair cascading over one shoulder.
"I haven't deiced yet," he conceded.
She finally turned to face him. "Do you know what the girl desires?"
He took a moment, as always, to go over his words before he spoke. "I know she wants to stay with me."
"Well, that's why I'm here," she replied, dropping the reins and stepping toward him. "Adults often think they know what is best for children. This does not allow children to adequately express their needs." She approached him slowly as she spoke, skimming the closed flower buds with her hand. As she passed one that refused to close in the moonlight, she plucked it at its stem, then placed it above her ear. Yua stopped, very close to the demon, and looked up into his eyes. "She needs to be with you."
He said nothing, but kept his eyes locked on her. She glanced briefly at his hilt, then resumed eye contact with him. "I see you have a sword of healing. Why, therefore, did you ask my assistance?"
"It only allows me to revive a mortal once," he answered indifferently.
There was but a second of silence before she calmly responded, "That's what I thought." Quickly, she reached up, maintaining eye contact as she grasped his father's fang, drawing it from his hilt. Sesshomaru watched unconcerned, as Tensaiga posed absolutely no threat to him.
But it was not him that she turned the blade on. She watched her other hand, closing it around the sword as she began to run Tensaiga through her grasp. Her deep red-violet blood smeared along the edge of the blade.
That's right, Sesshomaru recalled. She is of the heavens, not of this world. Tensaiga can cut her.
Before the fang had completely slipped through her fingers, Tensaiga had absorbed her divine blood. She held it out to him. "Here, it should be able to revive whenever you will it to now, so long as the life energy from the soul itself has not been drained." Sesshomaru glanced down at his sword, presented to him atop the tips of her fingers. Her hand was again unmarked. Yua went on, "Though she can be brought back, every time she is revived her natural life shortens. I trust you can put that together."
He reached out, taking the handle and examining the blade briefly before restoring it to its sheath. She turned and began to walk away. Sesshomaru watched her for a minute, then called after her, "Wait."
Yua twisted slightly to glance back at him over her shoulder.
"Why did you strengthen my Tensaiga?"
"I sensed you don't like asking others for help, no matter who it is," she responded innocently. "Now you have one less thing to ask for." With that, she glowed brighter, thinning to a tall strand of light, which then shot up into the night sky.
Sesshomaru watched it, his attention again brought back to the stars.
