Tomoe was in her slumber for four days and three nights and has yet to show any sign of awakening. Rin has tried her best to heal the fox but the best she could do was stop the bleeding, while Sesshomaru tried to ignore the frantic girl whenever she came. But, when she left, Sesshomaru couldn't stop himself from staring at Tomoe. Over those four days and three chilly nights he wanted nothing more than to see the color of her eyes. The suspense to stare into them, to see them after all this time, to finally meet her in a pleasant manor, was biting at his patients. He was healed mostly, his body had patched itself together after the second day and he was able to stand; but he could not leave without seeing the silver foxes eyes.
So he stayed, and in the most chillest of nights he gave his pure white boa - made out of the finest of cottons and doused in demon blood, making it indestructible - to her. To the silver fox. Something told him he should stay to protect her, the girl - Rin - mostly, but also Tomoe. He couldn't understand it, but this strange sentiment so-to-say was odd and all the more inferriorating. Which was why he had to leave. He was started to get attached.
When Rin left that morning, after checking Tomoe's wounds and attempting to feed Sesshomaru, he stood, stared down at the fox before turning around and leaving through the forest. The sentiment grew stronger when he was out of sight from the human fox. Something inside him was telling him to turn around and head back, that he needed to protect the two beings from a force that they could not protect each other from. But from what exactly?
Sesshomaru knew the fox would protect the little human from the defence wounds on her body, no doubt from protecting the child from a lone wolf, but then what about her? She wasn't a demon. She wasn't indestructible. She was just a human fox; an odd one at that but a fox she is.
Instead of turning around, Sesshomaru calmed his needs by gripping at his boa, pulling it to his mouth and nose, and inhaled deeply. It did not smell like the sweet scent of himself, but then again it did not smell like anything but the forest. Pine trees mostly.
As Sesshomaru walked, he stumbled upon the conclusion that the fox he was yearning to see the eyes of, was not blind to scents, but nature was her smell. The musty scent of pine that blended in so clearly to the forests he shredded was her. She was not entirely invisible, not to him at least, and every time he inhaled into his boa - even when he pulled it away from his face - he could smell her. She was everywhere in his thoughts but no where near him.
But he continued to walk, never glancing back to see if she or someone fallowed. Never slowing his pace to waste time or speed up to diminish his thoughts about the girls while he ventured to find his servant Jaken.
This, he thought, is for the best.
Tomoe lay limp on the frost covered blades of grass Rin had left her in and where Sesshomaru silently stood guard. She was unconscious, her body taking as much time as it needed to heal itself without needing the assistance of human medical care, or potions. All it needed was a little time… and a little push of a song to get her going.
In Tomoe's slumber, she could smell blood being shed, urgent screams of both animals and human beings. Their cries nor delicious smelling red ink did not wake the fox, though, it was not until she could hear her - hear Rin - in the distance calling to her. Using Tomoe's summoning song to call for help from her protector while she ran for her life into the direction she was in from the very wolf who tried to slaughter them both four days back.
"If only the devil herself come by, we'd run her such a race."
Tomoe's ears twitched at the sentence, but she did not make move to rescue the girl she desired to hold most.
"If only the devil herself come by, we'd run her such a race." Rin called to her again as hot, salty tears rain down her dirty face. She could hear the wolf's feet pounding on the soft dirt despite her loud intake of breath and hammering heart. As it drew closer she drew more frantic, becoming more clumsy with her steps as seeing became hard with the tears, but Tomoe did not respond besides a simple twitch of one ear and a flick of the tip of her tail.
Unable to see, Rin tripped on what she hoped to be a tree root rather than her other foot, but she did not have time to think it over when the wolf was suddenly on top of her. A loud scream ripped through the forest as Rin's body was punctured with sharp teeth, causing Sesshomaru to stop in his tracks with his servant Jaken and for Tomoe to finally snap open her green eyes. But Tomoe's eyes were not filled with questions when she awoke in a place unfamiliar. They were filled to the brim of worry as she listened to Rin's ear piercing scream cut short all of a sudden.
Tomoe stumbled forward, not bothering with standing as she sprinted on all fours towards the child. Fear closing in on all sides when she neared the spot where Rin supposedly was and she was frozen with shock when her wide eyes landed on Rin's frail form lying bloody on the dirt.
Tomoe stared wide eyed, mouth ajar at the brutal scene before her. She couldn't breath as it was like someone had punched her in the chest fifty times over without stopping. Tears rushed down her pale cheeks without her realization as she fell back on her rear, her arms hanging loosely as she stared at the body. Finally, Tomoe was able to suck in as much air her lung could manage and let out a long scream at the sky.
It was not a mournful howl like the ones she sounded when past children died. It was full of pain, and misery, and despair, and anger, and resentment, and longing, and frustration, and just about every other emotion she has been bottling inside since Riku's death.
Tomoe bit her lip as a high pitched whine escaped her tight chest. She crawled to Rin's body before carefully rolling Rin onto her back and weeping into the girl's neck when she was held tightly in Tomoe's grasp while her tail wrapped around the pare, trying to preserve whatever warmth Rin had left. The fox cried to the sky again, mentally cursing at the Gods for not standing in her place and protecting Rin this one time.
She'll never get to see her precious face, or whisper words in her ear to make her feel safe. She'll never get to hold her tight when she can't sleep at night again. She'll never get to sing her a lullaby to calm her down. She'll never get to sleep with her in her arms all bundled in her tail to keep them warm. She'll never get to hear her laugh or giggle. There are many things Tomoe will not be able to do anymore with Rin, but the hardest part was knowing she will have to let go of her and never see her again.
But, not right now. Right now, all Tomoe wanted to do was weep with her one and only true child in her arms. The only child who wanted her almost as much as Tomoe did, but also the child that the fox could never have the chance to watch grow up. And to teach her the way of the world.
Tomoe held Rin close to her throbbing heart, hoping more than anything that it'll inspire hers to pick up again. She wished this was nothing more than a nightmare, that she was still in her healing slumber. But this was reality. In this place, in this moment, in this time… Rin was gone. Forever.
Sesshomaru was frozen from Rin's deafening scream and couldn't breath when - what he assumed to be Tomoe's - cut through the air not a moment later. He ignored Jaken's comments as he stared into the forest where he came from over his shoulder. He didn't want to rush to the fox's and the girl's aid so quickly with Jaken around. He had to keep his emotionless facade around his servant, but he was panicked. He could smell human blood - Rin's blood - and hear Tomoe's sorrowful cries. He knew something terrible had happened and he couldn't just walk away before seeing what is was that had happened in his absence. In a way, Sesshomaru felt responsible for this incident. He felt if he hadn't left then he would've been able to save them both from whatever it was that caused them so much heartbreak.
Turning around, Sesshomaru started walking towards the smell of Rin's blood. He was walking fast as he ignored Jaken's protest for him to wait. All he could think about was what could have happened. As he got closer he caught the scent of wolves in the village and one in the patch of forest they were residing in.
He didn't notice as he picked up the pace when he heard Tomoe's loud whimpers and cries. But he stopped abruptly when he saw the silver fox's crumpled form hunched over with her back facing him. Sesshomaru couldn't think when his eyes landed on Rin's lifeless, half lidded eyes with blood smeared with tears on her cheeks as her chin was placed on the fox's shoulder.
"My Lord Sessh-" Jaken began but he stopped when Tomoe suddenly whipped around with a slight gasp.
Sesshomaru's breath locked into his lungs when his eyes found their way to the glassy looking green ones of the silver fox in front of him. He has yet to learn her name as she does to him but they did not give each other the chance when Sesshomaru grabbed the handle of his pulsing sward - the Tenseiga, which caused Tomoe to crouch in a protective stance on all fours over Rin's corpse.
Tomoe growled, green eyes boring into the demon's before her as she spoke, "Mine. Don't touch." Her tail swayed, a sign she is ready to attack.
Sesshomaru noted her tail, her intimidating voice, and protective structure over the obviously dead child. But, this demon could not back away from a challenge in front of Jaken. He had to prove her was a master worth serving. With that, he unsheathed Tenseiga and pointed it in between Tomoe's eyebrows, only a centimeter away from poking a small hole into the human fox's forehead. But Tomoe did not give as much as a blink in response as she stared Sesshomaru down.
"Words," Sesshomaru stared after a moment of silence, "are not enough to enlighten your obvious agony."
Tomoe growled, seeing as 'agony' was not a strong enough word for what she felt in these moments, but despite her warning, Sesshomaru continued, "And I can't imagine what your emotions are leading you towards, but do understand I did not come here to grapple over your sorrow just the opposite."
Tomoe was confused which angered her. She wondered why this demon was speaking to her like felt the slightest bit of remorse for Rin. And she also questioned the sward and why he was pointing it at her if he meant no harm.
Tomoe felt threatened and as a result, pulled Rin closer to her body as she growled low and menacing. Another warning for the demon to back off. She voiced her request to be left this instant but he did not move in the way she wanted. Instead, he lounged at her. Not giving her time to react when he immobilized her by placing one heavy foot on her wrist behind her back as he swiped his sword down at Rin, missing her body by a few inches.
Tomoe screamed, thinking the demon just made her child into mince meat and rushed to Rin's aid when Sesshomaru let up his foot. But Tomoe was at a loss for words when she found no new marking on Rin as she held her to her chest and started to cry again when Rin's brown almost black eyes blinked once, then twice, three times before she looked straight into Tomoe's mistified eyes. The fox couldn't stop crying as she held Rin, but Rin was more concerned with the demon who just brought her back.
She smiled before hugging Tomoe, happy to see she was finally awake and seemed to be alright.