Rin edged closer to the demon she had come to revere so. He was resting, which was not unheard of, even he rested from time to time.
She didn't understand all of what had happened but her eyes went to an arm that had not been there since she had met him.
She he never seen him in such a state of distress before; elegant robes torn and bloodied, flesh burnt and singed in different stages of healing, even the moko-moko had been blackened and burned.
On her hands and knees Rin crawled closer to him examining the damage that had been done. Jaken had all but smacked her away screaming at her that Lord Sesshomaru needed to recover but how could she not worry over him?
He had always seemed so untouchable, his strength unmatched in battle but now...he looked smaller and so very broken.
"Lord Sesshomaru." Rin whispered softly. "Are you awake?" With no response she moved slowly but steadily towards him before she was practically in his lap.
"Yes Rin?" He nearly whispered himself. It sounded as if it were hard for him to speak.
"Are you alright my lord?"
"Yes."
"I was so worried about you." Rin sighed out. "It was so scary to see you get hurt like that."
"All is well Rin." He comforted. Opening his eyes he took her in. She was dirty and in dire need of being reminded to bathe, he felt the tackiness of blood against his skin and couldn't even imagine what he must look like.
While she didn't make a sound tears streaked down her cheeks leaving clean trails against the dust that had settled on her. "No need for that."
Reaching out with his newly acquired left hand he brushed his thumb against the wet traces stopping them from falling. Rin furrowed her brow and threw her arms around his neck.
While it wasn't the first time she had embraced him it still made him freeze. It was foreign to him, such a gentle touch. Her small frame trembled as she fought back more tears.
Automatically he wrapped his arm around her and rubbed at her back. It was because of her that he was able to grow his strength and wield the Bakusaiga.
The sword may have been his very own but it was meant to protect her.
"I, Sesshomaru, will always be here for you Rin. Whenever you need me, just call out and I will come."
"I want to stay with you my lord, for forever."
"Forever is a long time Rin..."
"I know!" She interjected wrapping her arms more tightly around him and burying her face into his shoulder. "I don't ever want to leave your side!"
Sesshomaru gave a sigh. She would get older as he knew humans did in a short amount of time, he would ensure that she would wed and be the mate of a worthy male, and while he would always be there for her and her descendants he knew one day they would have to say good-bye.
Rin felt her weak muscles nearly give out on her as she dismounted from Kirara. Her daughters were the ones to awaken her from the tree. Her joyous moment had been cut short when, tearfully, Towa had explained that Sesshomarus life had been tied to Kirinmarus.
Stoically Setsuna had informed her that once Sesshomaru had been certain the ties that bound Zero to Rin were untethered he had struck her down.
With their combined strength they had defeated Kirinmaru, giving him the death that he wanted at the hands of worthy adversaries. However, Sesshomaru had neglected to mention that once the beast kings life was ended so was his.
"Lord Sesshomaru!" Rin called out falling down at his side to her knees. Taking her hands she cupped his face turning him towards her. Lifelessly his head rolled towards her at her command. "No. My lord...wake up."
Rin watched as her tears fell onto his face as she moved to cradle him the best she could in her lap. Her vision was blurred at the rate of her eyes welling and angrily she swiped at them.
"You said that we would have our forever, that when this was over we'd be together! What good is it without you?!" She lamented feeling her voice choke in her throat as her sobs turned to keening wails.
Rin placed her lips down to his forehead kissing at the crescent mark that adorned his skin. "Please, please my dear heart...my lord, my Sesshomaru; come back to me husband."
'I, Sesshomaru, will always be here for you Rin. Whenever you need me, just call out and I will come.'
His words from so long ago echoed in her mind. She sniffled sitting back feeling her daughters presence behind her. Rin wiped her eyes looking to his side desperately.
"Where is Tenseiga?" She asked.
"This is what was the Tenseiga." Towa said. Rin glanced behind her at her daughter holding out the hilt towards her. "Totosai helped me transform it into my own sword. I used it to revive Setsuna but I tried, it didn't work on Sesshomaru."
"Towa." Rin said placing Sesshomaru back on the ground. She stood turning to face her children. "Let me try."
"O-of course." Towa stammered placing it into her mother's hand. Rin looked at the broken blade and frowned. "Your father brought me back from the brink of death with the Tenseiga. Maybe..."
Rin turned towards Sesshomarus body holding the hilt in both of her hands and placing it in front of her. She closed her eyes concentrating.
For a moment she was transported to long before they had defeated Naraku, when she traveled with Jaken, An-Un, and the demon lord. She looked up to see hundreds of twinkling stars as she walked.
It was breathtaking as they shone against the velvety night sky.
"Oh, a shooting star!" She called out stopping to point at it. Placing her hands against her heart she closed her eyes. 'I want to be with Lord Sesshomaru for forever.'
"Rin. Don't fall behind."
Rins eyes shot open as she felt the hilt vibrate in her hands. "Lord Sesshomaru. Don't leave me! Don't leave me behind! I need you my lord, with me. Please come back to me!"
With a great surge of energy a blade emerged from the hilt. It was black with twinkling points of light on it, not unlike stars.
A haze seemed to settle in front of Rin as small demons appeared with sickles and kunai knives. They stood around her husbands body stabbing at it, no cultivating it of his soul.
"No. He is mine!" Rin said swiping the blade in a downward motion effectively slicing through all of them. "You cannot have him!"
Momentarily the demons let out an anguished cry but it was cut short as they disintegrated before her eyes. Her surroundings came back into focus and she stood holding her breath as the blade dissolved into sparkling light around them.
She felt a pulsing in her bare feet against the ground. Her heart beat loudly in her chest as her brow furrowed. "Lord Sesshomaru." She said. "Are you alright?"
Colored eye lids opened slowly as he took a breath. Rin fell to her knees again wrapping her arms around his shoulders and placed her face into the crook of his neck.
"Rin." He whispered out.
"Yes, yes my dear lord husband. I'm here." She gushed.
"My Rin." He said as if he were unsure it were real. She adjusted herself and placed a hand against his cheek.
"Forever and always yours my lord." She whispered laying a chaste kiss against his lips.