A/N: I wanted to address some feedback that I got on the last chapter and I'm hoping that this chapter and the next two kind of clear it up, but if not, I figured I would just throw an author's note out for any other readers that might have gotten the same impression! There's a trope in the Inuyasha fandom where Rin gets abused, attacked, etc. and she develops this hatred for humans, therein making her want to be with Sesshomaru. That's definitely not what I wanted people to get from the scene, so figured I'd give a breakdown of that scene so it's not misinterpreted.

1) A constant theme in the manga is the prejudice between humans and demons and this theme is also the foundation for the original story for Yashahime. I don't personally consider the filler in the original series as canon, so I'm going purely based off the manga when writing this. You see this theme playing out with Kikyo and Inuyasha, Kagome and Inuyasha, Naraku and Kikyo, Sesshomaru and Rin, Toga and Izayoi, and even side characters that are outside observers of the characters, which is why that conflict with Hiroshi was even written in the story.

2) I feel like I've been beating this way too obviously over the readers' heads to need to state it, but the entire basis of Sesshomaru and Rin's relationship in the story is the concept of choice. Sesshomaru wants her to choose him and what that entails – specifically, being treated that way because of her association with him. I think it's important to show that conflict, to establish OCs that will challenge her so that, even after something like what happened in the story, she still wants to be with Sesshomaru. I don't view it as her choosing him because she doesn't want to be at the village, but choosing him in spite of people judging her harshly.

3) And lastly, the scene was meant to touch up on Rin's past traumas and to show that she has processed through them, grown from them, and is mature enough to actually make her own decisions. Rin's relationships with the OCs and Kohaku is supposed to show that she's progressed past her childhood trauma, she's able to now have healthy relationships with both humans and demons, and has a sense of community with those in the village. Trauma and healing from that trauma is a concept that's in the original series, focusing most heavily on Inuyasha, Sesshomaru, and Miroku, which is why I integrated it into my story by using that scene.

Anyway, that's enough notes! Hopefully this gives clarification. I felt it was needed because this theme of humans vs demons is going to be super heavy and present in the second act of this story, though in a different way. After chapter eleven, we'll be diving into Act II. The plot is going to be in hyperdrive, there's going to be a ton of brother dynamics with Inuyasha and Sesshomaru, and yes, maybe even some spicy moments between Sesshomaru and Rin...

Part IX

Kagome stood outside the temple, anxiously tapping her knuckles together as Miroku approached. Upon getting close enough to see her, he simply shook his head. She sighed heavily, dropping her hands to her side.

It was mid-morning and Rin had yet to return to the village. The other teens had eventually returned to the village in varying states of dishevelment. It was clear that Takashi and Shinobu had gotten into a fight at some point the night before, for they each bore the signs of fist-fighting. The tenuous engagement between Shinobu and Akai had been broken off by her family only that morning due to 'exacerbating circumstances' from what Kagome overheard in the village. Above all, though, Kohaku and Mei had dragged Hiroshi into the village late that night, Hiroshi looking the worst of all of them. After Kohaku had explained what happened, his father was pulled out of bed by Kaede, who took him into her house and was not to be seen for several hours later while Kagome and Miroku tended to Hiroshi's injuries. No one had said a word when a few men carried Hiroshi's slumbering body back to the blacksmith's house, not even Kohaku, who had been sitting like a statue in the back of the temple while his friend's face was cleaned. By the time his father had exited Kaede's home, it was near dawn and Kaede had a grave expression as she watched him leave. She would not speak to either Kagome or Miroku, instead shutting herself up in her house during the morning.

Now, as Kagome looked upon Miroku's weary form, she wondered whether any of them were going to get rest that day.

"Sango looked around a bit on Kirara, but she can only go so far with the twins," Miroku said to Kagome as he came to stand beside her, matching her sigh with one of his own, "and I haven't seen Kohaku since this morning. I can't find Sesshomaru, either. He's not in the usual places. This is one of those times where I really wish Inuyasha were here."

"Me, too," Kagome said feelingly. "He would've been able to cover more ground and found Sesshomaru with no problem. What about Jaken?"

"No sign of him, either."

A disconcerted silence fell over them, the pair of them gazing out across the village that seemed unaware of their anxiety. Kohaku had told them that he had left Rin with Sesshomaru and while she fully trusted Sesshomaru to keep her safe, she was worried about her Rin's state of mind. Kagome had been kidnapped, assaulted, and abused so often in the feudal era that she understood well the dangers that lied for women of a certain age and especially for one that was unable to defend herself. She had not wanted to believe that Hiroshi might get violent with Rin, but her gut had been telling her that something might happen, especially when sake was involved. She was gratified to learn that the charm had helped keep Hiroshi away from her, or at least that had been what Kohaku had been able to see when he had been chasing after them.

Regardless, she worried that Rin might not want to return to the village after what had happened or worse, the ordeal had shocked her so much that she had gone mute again. Outside of that, Kagome suspected that something additional had happened that night that could have initiated the fighting amongst the friends given the fallout the morning after and how aloof Kohaku had been with Mei. She knew that Rin, like so many girls her age, had begun to feel isolated as their group matured and, if something had been said to intensify that feeling, she was not sure that Rin would want to come back. She doubted she would be able to get any information on what had been said among the teens, though. Even though Kagome was not much older than them, she was still considered an adult and they would be reluctant to divulge their inner dramas to her.

"Sesshomaru could have done much worse," Miroku quietly said into the silence, breaking into Kagome's reverie. She cast him a confused glance. "Hiroshi should be thankful he spared his life."

"Do you think that Kohaku left something out?" she asked uneasily.

"No, he told us what he saw. I would guess that something was said between Sesshomaru and Rin. The way that Kohaku told it was that Sesshomaru was planning to perform a killing blow before he intervened. He's very lucky. I'd like to know what Kohaku said to him. Sesshomaru's never spared a life for anyone but Rin."

"This is just too crazy," Kagome said, dragging her hands through her hair, smoothing it back from her face briefly. "I just feel like Kohaku's not giving us the full picture – like something that happened before all of this. Why would Hiroshi get so angry at her? Because of Sesshomaru?"

"She must have rejected him, but how she said it or how it went about is unknown. We won't know that until we see her."

"If we see her," she added.

"Rin wouldn't leave without saying something to us and Sesshomaru won't want to leave until Inuyasha's back. He sent him and Kouga after Bushuugi to keep the fight away from the village."

"I don't know...I'm not sure he'll have the same feeling after that. Kohaku made it sound like Rin was pretty beaten up."

The sound of wood hitting brick sounded, interrupting their ears. They looked around, puzzled, until a tiny figure appeared at the top of the steps with a sour expression. Jaken, who had been thumping his staff upon the stone steps, was regarding them with a level of disdain that Kagome had not seen since she first met Inuyasha.

"Ah, Jaken!" Miroku greeted with a surprised smile. "Just the man I was looking for."

"Where's Rin?" Kagome hurried to ask.

"Why's it any of your business?" Jaken replied primly, sniffing a bit self-importantly.

"Haven't you heard – "

"Of course, I have, stupid woman!" Jaken snapped, interrupting her. "I've been to see her! Lord Sesshomaru sent me here to get her a kimono since hers was ruined last night."

Miroku, who caught the tone in Jaken's voice, had begun to creep backwards into the temple. It took Kagome only a second to realize that he had disappeared entirely to leave her to deal with the imp's rather unwholesome mood. Resigning herself, she levelled a warning stare upon Jaken, who returned it with his own belligerent glower. She had learned over the many years of the two visiting Rin that, while Sesshomaru seemed perfectly fine to be in the background as Rin lived her life, Jaken was often the more involved one when it came to scolding or discipline. Kagome had once joked to Inuyasha that Jaken acted like he was Rin's father with how he approached her from time to time. While that had been amusing and even endearing at the time, it meant that he was not going to be an easy person to talk with right then. He would never admit it, but Jaken was nearly as protective of Rin as Sesshomaru and much more open about vocalizing his displeasure when she was hurt.

"I can get her a kimono," she told him, "but only after you tell me if she's okay."

"She's with Lord Sesshomaru, what kind of ridiculous question is that?"

Kagome scowled at him. "Why are you getting upset with me? I didn't do anything!"

"You're all the same," Jaken said disgustedly in response, narrowing his eyes on her. "I don't know why Lord Sesshomaru ever wanted to leave Rin here in the first place! When she first lived here, every time we came here she was abused in some way by these people and all you do is sit back and let it happen. What kind of wretch attacks a girl just because she rejects his marriage proposal? That's something only a human would do! Demons of Lord Sesshomaru's lineage are far more regal and accept their rejections with grace! Even our lower demons don't act like such filth."

"Inuyasha went after all the kids when he found that they were being jerks to Rin," Kagome said hotly. "We didn't just 'sit back,' Jaken."

"Inuyasha did," he shot back. "I expect a half-demon that's been rejected his whole life to defend her. That's not something you would understand."

"I thought you hated half-demons. Now you sound like you're actually admitting they have a hard life."

"I'm allowed to change my mind about things!"

"Whatever," Kagome dismissed, frowning at him. "Don't put me in the same category as Hiroshi and the other villagers who are acting this way. It's not like everyone is like that, either. I wasn't treated the best when I first came here either, you know. They thought I was a demon because I was dressed weird. Not to mention the fact that I looked like Kikyo."

Jaken did not appear impressed with this comparison. "Don't bother pretending as if you've suffered the same. Looking like that dead woman probably served you in the end!"

Kagome dug in her memory for a moment and recalled that, in fact, when Kaede had noticed the similarities, it had prevented them from 'purifying' her. Of course, that did not mean she was any less frightened or angry when she had first arrived in the village, but she also had to concede this part to Jaken.

"Do you think that Inuyasha is as feared or hated as Lord Sesshomaru?" Jaken continued. "I've travelled with Lord Sesshomaru for nearly a hundred years. Every human has tried to kill him, delegated him as an evil spirit, or monster. He, like the Great Dog Demon before him, has even been treated that way by the demons. It's why Lord Sesshomaru has never aligned himself to anyone. There is no one more powerful or fearful than my lord and it is why the humans here hate him and, as a result, they hate Rin!"

"I don't need you to go on about how powerful Sesshomaru is for me to know that people here don't like him."

"Then you should know how other humans will treat Rin."

"That doesn't mean we all feel that way. Kaede has raised her since she stayed here – she loves Rin like she would her own kid! Inuyasha's always looked out for her and so have I, Sango, Miroku, and Kohaku. She's become like family to all of us."

Jaken snorted loudly. "Wasn't Kohaku supposed to be the one watching that boy last night?"

"Look, I don't know what happened with that," Kagome said, raising her hands, palms outward in a gesture of surrender. "Kohaku would never willingly put Rin at risk, though. You and I both know that. Something else obviously happened, but he didn't tell us, so I have no idea what it was."

He released another disbelieving snort, looking away from her with a petulant look upon his face.

"I care about Rin too, you know," she softly said. "Nobody here would want to see her hurt. This is completely out of the norm for people here – most of them are grateful for Inuyasha and Sesshomaru. If I'd known that something like this was going to happen or that Kohaku wouldn't be able to keep her safe, I would've put my foot down and told her not to go. But at the same time, it's not my place to tell her what to do. She's not my daughter and she's not your daughter, either, Jaken. Rin's always done what she wants within reason. She was an orphan before you and Sesshomaru, so she's used to taking care of herself, and that's the same when she was even with you. It's not like you guys took care of her outside of making sure she didn't get herself killed. I don't blame you for acting like this and I wouldn't blame Rin for not wanting to be around the people here. I'm not going to argue with you and say that I was treated worse or that this isn't happening – I just want to know that Rin's okay. I don't mean physically, either. The last time something like this happened with humans, she stopped talking and then got treated horrible by people in that village."

"Don't be stupid," Jaken snapped. "She hasn't lost her voice."

"Then you've talked to her?"

"Yes, of course," Jaken replied, frowning up at her. "Like I said, she was with Lord Sesshomaru and told me about everything when I asked her why she was wearing his hakama."

"Wearing his what?" Kagome gaped at him in shock.

"What did you expect her to do, run around in that torn up kimono?" He gestured with his tiny hands. "It was a pile of rags when I saw it."

"B-but...that means he saw her naked!"

Without warning, Jaken had whacked her upset the head with Nintojo, causing her to howl in pain and hold onto her head where it pulsated painfully. "How dare you insult Lord Sesshomaru that way! He's not a lecher like most of your human men."

Kagome rubbed her head, glaring down at the imp demon. "Fine, but that's really not appropriate."

"Rin will most likely be Lord Sesshomaru's wife someday anyway, so following these foolish human customs is worthless. Demons don't have the same sense of strange modesty that humans do. Many water demon women don't even wear clothing."

Kagome stared at him, surprised that Jaken could so easily talk about Rin's eventual nuptials without any doubt in his voice. He was still going on about how there were some demon men that lived on volcanoes that also did not wear clothing, seeming to feel the need to educate her on the difference in modesty between the two, but she had stopped listening. Jaken, like Sesshomaru, had been stoutly against half-demons and prejudiced against humans when she had first met him, so she never would have anticipated that he would feel this comfortable in the idea of marriage between his lord and Rin. In fact, she was shocked he had even mentioned marriage because according to Inuyasha, there was no such formality between demons since many of the higher-ranked demons were polygamists and would take multiple mates. Marriage and monogamy had sounded like it was more of a human construct as opposed to something that was shared between the two species.

"Jaken," she interrupted his monologue, "what makes you think that Rin is going to get married to Sesshomaru?"

This time, he did hesitate a beat. "I didn't say she would," he cautiously corrected. "I said it most likely. But it is what Lord Sesshomaru would want."

"How do you know that's what he wants?"

He straightened to his fullest height, which did little to intimidate her, and pierced her with an affronted glare. "I, Jaken, know Lord Sesshomaru better than anyone! I know when he is cheerful and happy and what he wants!"

"Is that...what Sesshomaru has always wanted?"

"No," Jaken answered simply.

"Well, what's that mean then?"

"In all the years I've traveled with Lord Sesshomaru, he has only been in pursuit of that thing called 'power,'" Jaken told her. "Other women have not interested him. There have been beautiful demon women that have tried to attract him, but they were only interested in my lord's handsome visage, his lineage, the land he inherited, or the power he promised to anyone who allied themselves to him. Rin has always been – what do you humans call it? Ah! A 'soul mate' of sorts to him."

"Soul mate?" she repeated in surprise.

Jaken nodded firmly. "Their connection transcends the mere plain of mortality and physical attraction. For Lord Sesshomaru, to have her by his side, to protect and to feed his soul would have been enough. All these other things that humans want from a relationship – lust and feelings and the kind – bah! Utter nonsense. But only someone as elevated in rank and above the physical domain like Lord Sesshomaru could develop that kind of pure attachment."

"That sounds like a lot of metaphysical garbage to me," Kagome said frankly. "Why can't you just say that Sesshomaru loves Rin and keep it at that?"

"Because that's a simple-minded human concept!" Jaken snapped. "The Great Dog Demon had only one soul mate and so did Inuyasha. He was immediately attracted to your soul when you first met since you were a reincarnation and I believe Sesshomaru has now found his after hundreds of years."

"Wow, I never would have taken you to be a romantic, Jaken."

He cast her a disgusted glance. "Oh, forget it! It's useless explaining it to a human. You all are too fixated on your emotions. Now, are you going to get me a kimono for Rin or not?"

"Yeah, yeah, alright. Follow me."

She led him down into the village to her and Inuyasha's house, where she had a few older, spare kimonos that Rin had left in her care. Kaede had still not emerged from her house and Kagome did not want to disturb her in case she was sleeping. She packed up a violet kimono with white flowers and handed it to Jaken, who took it and left without any reassurance that he would be returning to the village with Rin. It was evident that he had lost his patience with her and wanted to prevent any further conversation with her that day.

Kagome watched him go from the entrance of hers and Inuyasha's house, her hands on her hips. While she had teased Jaken for his description of soul mates, she found herself lingering on the idea and her own memories from when she first arrived in the feudal era. Any other girl would have returned to her time and stayed there and while she had attempted to do that, Inuyasha had been enough of a reason to return. Something about him had pulled her to him from the moment she met him and, upon thinking on it, she never had the same type of interest in any other boy in Tokyo. For her, it had been as if she had fallen in love with him without knowing him, although it had taken her a long time to come to terms with those feelings, especially in knowing that he was still hung up on Kikyo. She had also understood, though, why he had been so conflicted between her and Kikyo. She had come into his life as her own person, but with Kikyo's reincarnated soul. When Kikyo had been revived, she had been soulless, yet had the same image that Inuyasha knew and recognized. It had taken her a long time to resign herself to Inuyasha's complicated feelings between herself and Kikyo. She was not sure that she really did resign them until Kikyo's death.

But that's not how it is for Sesshomaru according to Jaken, she thought as she made her way back to the temple, and anyone watching them can tell that his feelings aren't complicated at all. Sesshomaru has always been more emotional when it came to Rin's safety and more willing to put himself in danger. I've never seen him act the way he does with her. Maybe Jaken's right. What are the odds that all of their soul mates are human, though?

She had to laugh at this thought. The Sesshomaru she knew from the past would have been appalled.

Then again, she thought as she walked, the only other girl I can think of that I've seen Sesshomaru interact with was Kagura.

After they had watched Kagura disappear into the wind that day, the group had left the field of flowers strangely quiet. It had been Kagome who had voiced the question after seeing the strange interaction.

"Do you think he loved Kagura?" she had asked Inuyasha that night around the fire. In return, Inuyasha, who had been lost in his thoughts for most of the day, had looked surprised by the question.

"Sesshomaru? Nah, I don't think it was like that," he had answered without a pause. "He would have tried to use Tenseiga. It looked like he thought of it, but he didn't bother. I think he probably just had a lot of respect for her having the courage to betray Naraku. She could have really screwed us. I'm grateful that she didn't. Besides, it's not like he's the only that showed up – we went running too when I smelled her blood. I would have tried to save her if I could." He had shrugged. "We owed her one."

"But...what about her?" Sango had ventured.

"I think Sesshomaru's the only one that was nice to her," Inuyasha had said quietly. "Or as nice as Sesshomaru can be. Maybe that was love, I don't know. Seemed more like desperation, if you ask me – desperate for someone to acknowledge her as more than just Naraku's pawn."

It had been years since Kagome had thought of Kagura and it was strange to think that she, like so many other people they had met during that tumultuous time when searching for the Shikon Jewel shards, had faded into a distant memory. Now that it came to mind again, she considered over the woman again. She had been younger then, so it had been easy to associate such a scene with romantic feelings rather than anything else. Since maturing and seeing Sesshomaru more often, she realized now how simple-minded it had been. She had seen Sesshomaru go out of his way to go to Kohaku's side multiple times during battle and doubted he felt any level of love for him. According to Rin, he had even used the Tenseiga to save Jaken and she was sure he only saw him as a loyal companion rather than anything familial. For Sesshomaru, she was learning that he valued respect above all and he would go out of his way for such people, but would not necessarily put his own life on the line for it. Kagura, apparently, had earned his respect at some point and she, in turn, had been grateful for any level of kindness.

There had been ample opportunity for Sesshomaru to save Kagura if he had desired it. It would have been simple for him to free her from Naraku. He had never once implied he would try, however, and she never witnessed him go out of the way for her. In contrast, Kagome had seen Sesshomaru's own body get torn up for Rin and had heard of his voyage to the underworld for her. From what Kohaku had said regarding that particular story, neither he nor Sesshomaru had any guarantee of returning to the real world, yet Sesshomaru had launched himself after her with no heed to his own life. It had shocked her to hear Kohaku retell the story of Sesshomaru tossing away the Tenseiga and clutching at Rin's lifeless body. It sounded so unlike him that she had not believed Kohaku at first. Additionally, though, she had also learned from Kohaku that it had been because of Rin that his life had ever been spared by Sesshomaru. Even when Kohaku had been controlled by Naraku, she had begged for his life and Sesshomaru had obeyed her wishes, even when he had felt disrespected.

Like Miroku says, Kagome mused with a small smile, Sesshomaru is only willing to spare lives for Rin. She paused on the pathway, looking out towards the forest. She gave her head a tiny shake. No, Jaken's right. There's no other woman that can make Sesshomaru the way he is now. He might be capable of compassion or empathy, but I think Rin's the only one who can really teach him to love.

She released a slow sigh, hugging herself as she looked out. This was the type of conversation she would have had with Inuyasha. Reminiscing of the past made her even more aware of how empty the village seemed without Inuyasha's larger-than-life personality.

I miss you, Inuyasha. I wish you'd come back soon.

When Jaken returned with a kimono, he was in a bad mood and would not tell Rin why. She annoyed him for a few minutes, pestering him with questions but to no avail. This was so unlike Jaken that she temporarily ceased her interrogations, accepting defeat and leaving him to simmer angrily by the hot spring. Instead, she took the kimono and went behind some thick, tall bushes to shake off Sesshomaru's hakama and dress herself. She was pulling the obi around her when she realized that this was one of the festival kimonos that she had stored at Kagome and Inuyasha's and it tied in the back. She stared down at the ends of the obi sash in dismay before calling out hesitantly, "Master Jaken? Can you help me?"

She listened, frowning and then shrugged to herself. She was sure that she would hear his grumbling voice soon.

After a few seconds, she heard footsteps and said without looking around, "I can't tie the obi. This is one of the formal kimonos that Lord Sesshomaru bought for the festivals. Can you tie it for me?" She pulled the sash tighter and then reached her hands back indicatively. She jumped slightly when she felt the fingers brush over hers and looked up in surprise. Rather than Jaken, Sesshomaru had come at the call of her voice. "Oh! I thought you were Master Jaken."

"I sent Jaken out again," he told her, pulling the obi and tying it neatly behind her. Afterwards, he reached down and pulled on his hakama. "I'll take you back to the village."

"Thank you, Lord Sesshomaru..."

She followed him back from behind the bushes and watched as he pulled his armor back on and began the process of tying his own obi and re-attaching his swords. Neither of them had spoken about the conversation from the night before and Rin was not sure that she had any courage left just then to ask him. She knew he would not like to repeat himself and she needed all the energy she needed for when she would return to the village. Since she and Sesshomaru had spoken little that morning, she had been allowed ample time to process the events from last night and construct herself multiple conversations in which she addressed all of those in hers and Kohaku's group. When she had been younger, such a trauma would have shattered her. Now, while she was wounded by their actions, she was mature to recognize where it was derived.

She had seen enough in her lifetime to know that it would take a long time before anyone would accept that demons and humans could coexist in any type of partnership. This was not like when she had been a kid and bandits had killed her family indiscriminately and the villagers had hated her without reason. She could have been a different girl who was kind to a demon and she would have still been treated so hatefully. She understood it was not personal, but based on learned biases, yet that did not erase the hurt that it had caused. No matter how much she tried to forgive them, she could not find it in her to allow such forgiveness. She had made excuses for them for years and even though Sesshomaru had known she was trying to conceal their malice from him, he had done nothing. He had let her live in such a way, even if she was sure he thought she was being foolish or naïve.

It made her reflect that, while everyone always told her that she had changed him, no one had acknowledged how she had changed since meeting him. Being with him had given her the time and space necessary to reteach herself how to be confident in oneself and one's convictions, to take pleasure in the freedom of independence, and to be free to make choices without adherence to another's moral compass or values. She was not the meek, nutrient-deficient, frightened and mute girl after traveling with Sesshomaru and Jaken. It was because she saw this healthy change in herself that she could not understand why anyone could see either Sesshomaru or Jaken in the light that they did. The experience had left her child-like mind with its own bias towards humans and it was because of this that she believed Sesshomaru had left her in the village. She had not yet reconciled that part of her heart.

She had healed that broken part of her over the years and while cracks had reformed where they once lied, she did not immediately jump to generalizations as she might have as a child. She would not apply a sweeping statement towards all humans or even all of those in the village just because of the things that Hiroshi, Hana, and Mei had said and done. She had learned to be better than that. She only wished that they, too, would learn to settle that part of their heart. She knew from living in the village that not everyone in the village held the same sentiments towards Inuyasha and Sesshomaru.

Now that she reflected on it, she realized it was only a handful of families and most were very close to Hiroshi's and Hana's own families. They were the only ones she had heard speak ill of Kagome or Inuyasha, while the rest of the village had been those that helped them establish their home and she had witnessed them feeding Jaken and the twins when he was out in the village. She had grown up amongst these people, eaten and celebrated with him, and had felt their love and acceptance, the atmosphere of community. No, she would not let the experience mold her attitude towards everyone in the village.

"Living as the mate of a demon is not an easy life."

Rin knew Sesshomaru had meant it as a warning, but it was something she had already come to terms with long ago. This experience had only solidified what she had begun to believe about many people, humans and demons alike. There was a general disapproval of the two species mixing and while it disheartened Rin to see her friends act so immaturely, she was worried about the backlash that Sesshomaru might experience. She was accustomed to being an outcast since her family had died; in contrast, Sesshomaru had always been admired and revered as the Great Dog Demon's noble son. Even though she knew he gave no mind to anyone's opinion, she did not want him to endure disparaging remarks upon his character.

"Rin," Sesshomaru spoke up, breaking into her worried brooding.

"Hm?" She stirred herself from the last thought and smiled. "Yes?"

"You've been staring at me – what is it?"

She bowed her head, looking down at the flower designs on her kimono, avoiding the question at first. She could remember when she had last worn this kimono. It had been at the autumn festival last year and it had been the last time she had seen Sesshomaru before now. The two of them had stood in the glow of lanterns strung along the trees, watching the village children run around gleefully in a festival game. Sesshomaru had looked at her and, without saying anything else, had said, "It suits you." She had not worn it at any of the other festivals since then, wanting to cherish that memory. She found it ironic that Kagome had chosen this one out of all the kimonos she had left with her.

"Doesn't it bother you that people look at you differently because of me?" she asked at last. "Those in the village – I know you don't care about them, but there must be demons that say things to you like Hiroshi has done."

"I've no interest to hear what they say," Sesshomaru answered calmly. "The only demon whose good opinion I ever sought is dead." He closed the space between them, tapping her chin with a finger, forcing her to look up at him. "Don't let what happens to me affect you."

She laughed slightly. "That's an impossible thing to ask of me, Lord Sesshomaru."

"You will learn."

Rin smiled at this simple answer. Looking up into his face, she drank in his appearance. She had travelled just long enough with Sesshomaru to know that she was not the only one who found him beautiful in appearance. Even when she was young, she had noticed the covetous stares of the other demon women and the subtle remarks they would make to him that he would blatantly ignore. At times, he seemed even annoyed and would cut them down when they tried to touch him or forcibly seduce him. In contrast, she had heard nasty comments from the human villagers about both Sesshomaru and Inuyasha regarding how repulsive they found them. Rin had never compartmentalized in the way that most did, however, and had not even stopped to consider Sesshomaru's looks until much later in life. She had been more attracted by his strength and aura as a child than anything else.

Now, looking upon him, she had to admire Sesshomaru's austere beauty. It was not something that she complimented him on often, knowing he put little value in his appearance, and it was not even that which stopped her gaze. Instead, it was the direct stare he had levelled on her that had stopped her from looking away. In one of those rare moments, she found herself unable to interpret his expression readily and could instead only meet his gaze. As she did, he looked down and his hand caught the tail end of her hair, scooping up the inky black strands, her hair gliding out from between his fingers.

"Your hair has gotten long," he observed.

"Ah, yes. I haven't had Kagome cut it in a bit."

"Hm."

"What do you think?" She pulled her hair over her shoulder, smoothing a hand over it. "Should I cut it shorter again?"

"No."

Rin waited, watching him curiously to see if he was going to add more to that thought. Perhaps he initially intended to follow up with more, but after a few seconds, she determined he was not going to give a reason. It was so typical of Sesshomaru that she was unbothered and simply smiled, brushing her hair back over her shoulder. As she did, he shook his hand out of his sleeve to indicate for her to draw closer.

"Come, Rin. Let's go."

She nodded and obligingly stepped closer into the circle of his arm. He pulled her in closer and she felt them lift up in the sky. He had drawn a leg up to cradle her against his thigh, his arm around her shoulders. This way of traveling, while convenient, was a good deal more intimate than any other mode of transportation that she had experienced, including on the back of Kirara.

When they arrived outside the village, she did not immediately step away from the comfort of Sesshomaru's body heat. She gazed out at the village that was bustling with loud voices, a knot of unease forming in her belly. She could handle those who had not liked her – Takashi, Shinobu, Hana, and possibly Akai – but she worried about encountering Mei. She knew that she had a strong, forceful personality that would make it difficult to avoid her. Then again, given Kohaku's reaction last night, Mei might not have a chance to even approach her. The pain of her betrayal was still fresh, the wound still open from where she had believed their friendship had lied.

"This is temporary," Sesshomaru told her when she did not move. "Until Inuyasha returns."

Rin nodded slowly and then turned to look at him. "Would you walk me into the village? Just this time. I'd rather not talk to anyone quite yet."

Sesshomaru's amber eyes shifted from her to the village and then back again. Without a word, he made his way towards the buildings. Relieved, she hastened to catch up so that she was walking a few steps behind him. Abruptly, he reached out and tugged her a few steps forward so that she was walking alongside him.

"You walk beside me now, Rin," he told her with a frown. "Not behind me."

"Y-yes..."

Rin could feel the warmth suffuse her cheeks and bit down on her lip to stifle a smile. To have Sesshomaru treat her as an equal was almost more flattering than a compliment in her eyes. She was certain that the change had derived from their conversation last night. It would take her time to become accustomed to such changes. She had spent years treating him with the reverence and respect that befitted someone of his rank; she was not sure how one treated their husband or husband-to-be. In the village, it did not appear much changed once one was married. Then again, none of them were nobility.

As they walked through the streets, the villagers' eyes followed the pair of them. When Rin looked to catch them to see who was watching, their eyes had either gone downcast or had been quickly averted. Sesshomaru did not even glance to the side at any of the onlookers and while no conversation had stopped, Rin had the impression that some of the villagers had lowered their voices after they passed. She loathed being the subject of conversation, but Sesshomaru's presence made it easier for her to keep her head high. She had done nothing wrong last night and she would not let them make her feel shame for who she walked alongside. She had never asked Sesshomaru to walk through the village for her and, perhaps out of respect for her, he had rarely gone into the village over the years. If he could walk so confidently, then she could, as well.

They were just about to walk past the blacksmith's shop when a voice called out, although it was not to her. Sesshomaru paused, glancing in the direction of the shop door. An older, burly man stepped out of the blacksmith's shop, wiping the sweat from his brow. Rin stiffened, recognizing it as Nijou, Hiroshi's father. He glanced at Rin and then looked to Sesshomaru with a mix of resignation and stubbornness.

"You are Lord Sesshomaru?" Nijou asked. Sesshomaru said nothing, although Rin felt him move beside her, the back of his fingers brushing against her hand. She understood the subtle gesture and moved out from between the two, just in case an altercation occurred. Nijou did not seem to notice, his eyes fixed on the taller demon. "Hiroshi lost a lot of blood last night. It will be some time before the cuts on his head heal. Because of his broken nose, he might not look the same again."

"Do you intend to avenge your pup bare-handed?" Sesshomaru asked him mildly.

"No," Nijou sighed, "Hiroshi was in the wrong for his actions. Kaede and I have come to an agreement about my son. He will be banished from the village. While Rin is here, she'll be safe. I deeply regret what has happened." He pressed his arms against his side and bowed deeply. "Allow me to ask for forgiveness in his stead. He has yet to understand what it means to be a man. That reflects poorly on me – I should have taught him better."

Sesshomaru gazed upon his bowed head and then snorted softly, looking away. "An interesting way of exacting punishment."

Surprised, Nijou straightened, his brow wrinkling. "What?"

"What would you have done if a demon had attacked her?" Sesshomaru peered at him through the corner of his eye. "Would you have banished it?"

Nijou opened his mouth and then closed it, seeming unable to find an intelligent reply to this.

Sesshomaru smiled, a humorless, dark smile that did not reach his eyes. "Approach me again with this foolishness and you'll speak to my sword instead. Your pathetic display of an apology means nothing to me."

Without another word, he swept away from the shocked man and the crowd that had gathered to listen to the exchange. Rin had moved to the other side of Sesshomaru and stayed close beside him, only glancing over her shoulder once to find that Nijou was staring after them with the same, white-faced stare that all of the villagers had on their faces. Turning back, she looked up at Sesshomaru, but his expression had not changed. Outside of his chilling gaze, there was no indication that he had felt disrespected.

"That man is a snake," Sesshomaru said to her. "He is posturing for an audience and ego – don't misinterpret it as anything else."

She nodded, but did not say anything to Sesshomaru as they continued through the village. She would not speak in defense of Nijou, who had for some reason thought that Sesshomaru would accept the apology and punishment as fair and just. Sesshomaru had made a valid point, one that she had been thinking herself. Hiroshi's punishment had been lighter than some of those that she had seen delivered to other villagers for much less. She had seen men with their hands cut off for stealing, bandits tied up and set afire for robbing and killing villagers. Hiroshi had not only assaulted and pursued her, but she was unsure what his intentions would have been if he had caught her. She was remembering the way he had torn her kimono, how his hands had been bunched in her hair. It made a chill run up her spine. She did not want to think he would do something so horrific as where her mind had gone and while she had been roughed up, cut up, and beaten up on occasion, she had never had a man attempt to infringe upon her purity. If such a thing had occurred, she was not sure even she could prevent Sesshomaru from bathing the village in blood.

She shook this thought from her mind, feeling deeply perturbed by it and not wanting to consider such a thing from a boy she had grown up with and had considered a friend over the years. They had just come upon the temple, where Rin could spot Kagome's familiar priestess habit. She had not been aware that Sesshomaru was leading them to the temple just then, but was grateful he had taken her here rather than Kaede's. She was not sure she could face Kaede just then, especially when she had been the one to approve of Hiroshi's marriage proposal.

"Rin!" Kagome called out when they drew close enough. Sango and Miroku were in deep discussion several feet away, although given Sango's body language, it was not a happy conversation. Seeing where Rin's gaze travelled, Kagome waved a hand and led them away, towards the small meditation garden. "Don't worry about them – they've been at it all morning."

"About what?" Rin asked curiously.

"Ah, well..." Kagome glanced uneasily at Sesshomaru. "Kaede's just told the village about Hiroshi's banishment. Sango's livid. She thinks he should have been executed or his hands taken, at the least. Miroku's a little more forgiving. They haven't been able to find Kohaku, either. I'm sure he's just gone somewhere to rest and get some space from everything. Sango wants to go looking for him, but Miroku wants her to leave him alone and won't watch the twins so she can do it. This started another argument of her telling him that the twins are old enough by now to be alone, which Miroku disagrees with." She sighed, crossing her arms over her chest. "It's just been a mess."

"I'm sorry to start such trouble..."

"Don't apologize! This isn't your fault," Kagome told her with a tiny frown. "This is more of a problem with Nijou's influence here than it being about you. If any other boy had done that, there would've been bigger consequences, but because it's Nijou's son..." She shrugged, raising her hands up, palms to the sky. "It's almost like he's getting away with it. He can open up a shop as blacksmith in a different village and because he's already well-known, he can do independent demon-slaying contracts. Sango's already vowed to do everything in her power to make it known that he's not trustworthy." Upon seeing her expression, Kagome said more gently, "I know how you're feeling, but you can't take responsibility for this. Sango and Miroku argue all the time and what happens with everyone else is what happens. We've all got to grow up some time, right?"

"I suppose you're right," Rin said, smiling reluctantly.

"So," Kagome said in a light voice, clasping her hands behind her back, "what else happened? Kohaku told us about Hiroshi and Sesshomaru getting into it, but not what caused the whole thing. And now Akai's engagement is called off and from what I heard, Shinobu is thinking of leaving town. Sounds like you all had too much sake."

Rin obligingly explained the conversation that had started all of the drama last night, decided not to go into detail about the ugly insult that Hana had thrown at her. Outside of how she was sure that Kagome would feel, she could not bear to repeat such a slur in front of Sesshomaru. While it had been rude, Rin had not lingered on the words. She had heard much worse said to women over the years, but she doubted Sesshomaru would see it that way.

After Rin had concluded the story, Kagome shook her head with disgust.

"I wouldn't have ever guessed Hiroshi to be the type to try and force a girl to marry him," she said.

"It sounds to me like it has more to do with Sesshomaru than Rin," Sango remarked. She and Miroku had joined them a short time ago, cutting their argument short when Rin had showed up, arriving just in time to hear her story. "He seems to have some sort of savior's complex, like marrying him would have kept Rin safe or something."

"A common problem, I'm afraid," Miroku added. "That happened to you more than a few times, didn't it, Kagome?"

Kagome nodded. "It got old fast."

Rin said nothing as the three reminisced about a particular village where the humans had been trying to hide Kagome from Inuyasha. Sesshomaru had moved to the edge of the meditation garden, looking out at the sprawling buildings and rice fields. She joined him a few feet from the others, looking up at him and then out towards the village.

"Is something wrong?" she asked him.

"The smell of blood is on the air," he replied before stepping off the edge and floating gracefully down towards the ground and disappearing behind a building.

Confused, she looked around again, but found nothing immediately of interest. There was no sound of demons, no flurry of movement that usually followed an attack, or any screams from the villagers. Behind her, the three had stopped talking and rushed towards her upon seeing Sesshomaru leave.

"Where's he going?" Miroku asked, frowning.

"He said he smelled blood," Rin said, turning to look at Kagome. "I think we should follow – Lord Sesshomaru wouldn't go unless he thought it was something important."

Kagome nodded, looking anxious.

The group hurried down the temple stairs at a run. It did not take them long to find Sesshomaru, who had taken his time to walk through the village. He had stopped outside one of the larger houses upon the hill that Rin recognized as being Nijou's. Inside, they could hear a woman screaming frantically. When the shoji door opened, Kohaku stepped out with his kusarigama in one hand and something else in the other that dripped a dark red liquid upon the earth. His footsteps halted as he took in the group before his gaze landed on Sesshomaru. Closing the door behind him, he moved away from the front of the home and tossed the thing towards Sesshomaru, where it fell heavily in front of him.

"It seems fair," Kohaku told Sesshomaru, looking at the severed hand with a frown.

"Kohaku! What've you done?" Miroku asked in alarm, moving forward a few steps and staring from the hand to Kohaku.

"If a demon slayer goes rogue," Kohaku explained, "we're honor-bound to kill them because their skills put them at an advantage against others. I can't do that without putting our family at risk." He gestured towards the hand. "I took his right hand. It will be a long time until he can wield a weapon again and he won't be able to use any skills as a blacksmith. He'll have to re-learn everything." He looked to Sesshomaru, a rueful smile on his lips. "It's more merciful than you would have done, but Hiroshi was still my friend. If he's smart, he'll learn from this."

"We are not above the elders' laws!" Miroku said in a hard voice. "We've established ourselves in the village and have to respect their decisions."

"They knew when we settled here who we were, Miroku," Sango cut in before Kohaku was given a chance to respond. "And I already told you about all of this! That's why I wanted to find Kohaku in the first place, but you wouldn't let me!"

Miroku settled into a simmering silence, appearing conflicted while Sango glared at him from her position. Neither Kohaku nor Sesshomaru said anything to break up this disagreement that was still so fresh for the couple.

The sudden sound of men shouting, followed by their footsteps caught the attention of the group, interrupting the tension that had formed. Kagome took hold of Rin and pulled her out of the way as Miroku ushered them back from the home, spreading his arms out to shield them. Even though they had just disagreed, Miroku forced Sango behind him to protect her from whatever threat was approaching. It was a credit to the power of their relationship that they remained so supportive when they disagreed. At the front of the men was Nijou and Kaede, the older woman blanching upon seeing the bloodied hand sitting in a pool of blood between Sesshomaru and Kohaku. Nijou, taking in the scene, puffed up to his fullest height and glared at the pair. He did not look like the calm, apologetic man that he had been in the village streets when he had called out to Sesshomaru. He was quite transformed.

"Who did this?" he demanded.

"I did," Kohaku answered without a change in expression.

"You?" Nijou sputtered indignantly. "Never...never would I think you'd do something like this. You and Hiroshi grew up together, were friends since the day you came here – how could you? Because of this demon?" He shot a look towards Sesshomaru, who merely stared back at him.

"Hiroshi's been acting this way lately because he knows that you've been making weapons for the village free of charge," Kohaku said. "That's why Kaede gave a lighter sentence. Nobody in the village agreed with it. You could tell by how people were talking about it, but no one was going to say anything. To them, you're the only reason that their men can defend themselves. You've been preying on their fear, Nijou." Kohaku weighed the kusarigama in his hands thoughtfully. "If Inuyasha were here, I feel like none of this would've happened. People remember when he's around who really keeps them safe. They're terrified without him."

"Inuyasha!" Nijou spat, laughing mirthlessly. "He's the reason that these demons keep coming here!"

"The Tree of Ages and Bone-Eater's Well is more likely why. It's just easier for you to blame him."

"The only reason demons are attacking the village now is because of that demon and his girl!" He thrust a finger towards Sesshomaru having not yet seen Rin, who was now carefully shielded behind Miroku and between Kagome and Sango. This time, Sesshomaru's eyes narrowed slightly at the mention of Rin, though he still did not move. He was allowing Kohaku to take the reins in this conversation.

Kohaku lowered his kusarigama. "It's no wonder Hiroshi's the way he is about demons. I'm not here to talk to bigots. So, what are you going to do? If you plan to try and fight me, I'm ready. Nothing I say is going to change how you feel and I'm not going to apologize."

Nijou seemed to be quivering with rage for not only Kohaku disrespecting his family, but implying he was somehow corrupt. It was clear he dearly wanted to charge at Kohaku, yet his eyes kept flicking towards Sesshomaru nervously. The demon's presence had given him pause and while nothing in Sesshomaru's countenance had changed throughout the exchange, there was a readiness in the air about him. The villagers had seen Sesshomaru fight alongside Kohaku enough to know that he would not go down without them facing him, as well.

"My son won't be able to live a normal life because of you, Kohaku," Nijou said in an unsteady voice.

"He shouldn't have attacked a woman," Kohaku answered placidly, "just because she rejected him. You and I both know that other men have been killed for less."

The clearing was eerily silent. The men behind Nijou were looking uncertainly at each other, appearing less convinced of Hiroshi's innocence in the matter. It was likely that Nijou had told them some cock-and-bull story to get them to follow him here. Kaede, for her part, had lowered her face and was looking shamefully down at the ground. From her protective vantage point behind Miroku, Rin felt her heart strain for the older woman. She could not blame Kaede for giving Hiroshi a lighter sentencing, thinking that she was doing what was best for the entire village. Rin was certain that Kaede had been thinking of the greater good while also protecting her.

Sango stepped forward, calling out, "Kaede." The older woman jerked, raising her head at being addressed. "Kohaku and I can produce better weapons than even Nijou. If that's the only trouble on your mind, then that should put your mind at ease. You know that we wouldn't just leave the villagers unprotected."

Kaede was silent a few seconds and then sighed, nodding. "I'm sorry, Nijou," Kaede said at last, "but Kohaku is right. Hiroshi received the punishment he deserved."

Nijou had whirled around to look at not Kaede, but to glare at the silent group watching the scene play out. When Sango had moved, it had bared Rin to his gaze and he was now looking at her with the strongest sense of loathing she had ever experienced. Kagome took hold of her, pulling her closer to her protectively in response to the ugly stare. Nijou's hand had tightened around his kama and in the moment that it had taken Nijou's deathly intent to be known, Sesshomaru had moved just the slightest bit. As Nijou raised his arm to throw his kama, he caught sight of him now in his peripherals. It was all the warning that Sesshomaru needed to give the man. He had not drawn his weapon, nor even gotten close enough to intimidate him. The movement was the only reminder that Nijou needed that if any attack was made against Rin, he would have more of a threat on his life than just Kohaku, Sango, or anyone else. The blacksmith froze, his eyes bulging wide in fear as he swung a look to him, his kama slowly lowering.

"What were you intending to do with that?" Sesshomaru asked in a detached, almost bored voice.

"N-nothing," he whispered meekly.

"A wise decision."

"You should go to your wife and son, Nijou," Kaede quietly advised when his shoulders rose to his ears as he seemed to crumple in on himself. "It sounds like she has been crying since Kohaku's gotten here. She'll appreciate the company."

He nodded numbly and, without another word to anyone else, he passed Kohaku and entered the house. The men behind Kaede were looking ashamed for being there and with apologetic mutters, they made their way back down the path to disperse without even a backwards glance. They seemed as uncomfortable with their involvement as the old priestess appeared. Kaede, leaning heavily on her staff, gave a tiny smile to the group.

"Excuse an old woman's stupidity," she said to them. "My age seems to be getting the most of me these days." Her smile turned apologetic as Rin stepped out from Kagome's arms. "I'm sorry, child. I had no idea Hiroshi's heart had gotten so dark over the years."

"Something he inherited from his dad, it would seem," Sango observed, frowning.

Rin gave Kaede a wordless hug, not wanting her to linger too long on the error in her judgement. She could not say anything that would make her feel better, nor did she think she truly had anything to say in regards to what happened. She was disappointed with how Kaede had handled the situation, even if she understood her motivations. Upon releasing her, Rin approached Sesshomaru and Kohaku, her gaze drifting over the severed hand. She had seen so much death and far too many severed demon parts for it to affect her. Something about the knowledge that it had been that hand which had grabbed at her just last night unsettled her somewhat. It was strange to see it detached from its human. Looking away from it, she instead peered at Kohaku, who appeared as if he had not slept for hours.

"Did you not sleep yet?" she asked him.

"I did a little," he answered, smiling reassuringly. "I wanted to see what they decided first. Now I can sleep a little more soundly."

"You didn't need to do that, Kohaku."

"I did. I promised Lord Sesshomaru that I would make sure he got the punishment he deserved. It's my fault, anyway. I don't know why I thought that Mei would stay there with you. I'm so angry with her right now."

Rin patted his shoulder, the only gesture that she could think of that would be any bit reassuring. He cast her a quick smile and then went ahead of her and Sesshomaru to join the group that were now making their way down the path.

"He is losing time," Sesshomaru commented to her. She looked up, puzzled, but he only cast her a knowing look through the corner of his eye. "You should be aware by now."

Watching Kohaku's retreating back, she realized that she had yet to fully respond to the feelings he had expressed to her, even though she had already promised herself to Sesshomaru. She was not sure if this was what Sesshomaru had been referencing, yet her stomach dropped a bit with guilt. After all that Kohaku had done for her today, she knew that her conscience would not accept a further delay. They had not yet had the time to have the conversation and while she knew that she had been avoiding it before everything last night, she wondered if Kohaku had also been reluctant to address it with her again. She could not continue to pretend as if he had never said anything. If he had simply been giving her time, then she had let it go on for long enough. Now that her own proposal had been accepted by Sesshomaru and after hearing about Mei having feelings for her friend, it was time for her to broach the topic again with Kohaku.

She had not been honest with anyone else, but Kohaku, at least, deserved the truth for why she could not return his feelings.

A few days after the dramatic encounter with Kohaku, Nijou and his family had quietly disappeared in the night, leaving the blacksmith shop and their home empty of all their belongings. He had left half-prepared smithing pieces that, while a sacrifice, would have been too burdensome to carry. The home that Hiroshi had been so proud of had been set afire, likely by his bitter father. It was reported through rumors that Miroku repeated that only a few villagers had helped them gather their things so they could leave without causing a scene or being questioned. The vast majority of the village was disgusted and ashamed by his and his son's behavior. In that time, Shinobu had also gone missing and it was assumed that Nijou had allowed the boy to travel with them. Rin, thankfully, was never approached by any of the others in their now-broken friend group due to Sesshomaru's increased presence in the village. He spent most of his time on the edges of the village or sitting atop Kaede's house at night, but it was enough to make the others wary of approaching Rin, who did not venture far from either him, Kagome, or Sango.

Since Sesshomaru had sent Jaken away, she had not seen the little imp demon and assumed that he was on a mission for his master. She was accustomed to Jaken disappearing for long periods of time on some errand for Sesshomaru, so she did not worry too much, although she missed his company and wished that she had not annoyed him before he left. She thankfully did not have much time to dwell upon his absence, as Sango had insisted on her assisting her and learning some of the smithing trade now that she had taken over as the weapon's blacksmith. Rin knew that it was because she, like Kohaku, had become distrustful of the intention of some of the other villagers that had been close with Nijou's family and wanted to keep her close.

"Have you seen Hana lately?" Rin asked one day when she and Kohaku were preparing some of the leather that Nijou had left. Sango worked in the background on a metal piece, heating and cooling a weapon, hammering at it intermittently.

"No," Kohaku answered, scraping at one side of the hide to remove the membrane while Rin scraped the other. "Sounds like her family is trying to get her married sooner. I don't really know what happened between the three of them – don't really care, either, honestly – but obviously they're afraid Hana's going to take off after Shinobu or won't marry Takashi now."

"I feel like it's my fault that you're not friends with them anymore. I'm sorry, Kohaku."

"I don't want to be friends with people like that," he said in a fierce tone, scowling down at the hide. "If I'd known that was going on, I never would've taught Mei anything, wouldn't have encouraged her to be a demon slayer, or hung around any of them. I knew some of the girls would start rumors when you first came here, but they were just stupid kid things like you being a demon or an apparition of Sesshomaru's. It was never anything serious. It bugs me that Hiroshi knew the whole time and didn't say anything to me."

Neither of them had spoken about Hiroshi since they had met outside his house with the others. In fact, Rin had very carefully avoided talking about Hiroshi to Kohaku with the expectation that it might be a sore topic. She glanced up at Sango, but the sound of her banging on the metal was so loud that she doubted his sister would be able to hear anything of their conversation. She liked and trusted Sango, but she also knew how protective she was over Kohaku. Sango was one of the most passionate women she had ever met and one that Rin would not have liked to anger if she were any of the other villagers. She had witnessed Sango fired up at the children when they had been younger and knew she was not averse to beating someone down that was younger than her if it meant protecting her brother.

"Did you talk to him? When you went to see him?"

"He knew why I was there," Kohaku said with a troubled frown. "I don't agree with his views or how he treated you, but he'd been a good friend to me and was the first one to give me a chance at a normal life. I was a mess when I first came here. He always had my back when we were kids. Anyway, he told me to get it over with and just offered out his wrist while his mom was screaming her head off. He was shouting at her to shut up, so I just did it fast. I think he was sorry for what happened. He's too proud to say as much." He sighed heavily. "There are way bigger things in life to worry about than who someone chooses to hang around, you know. I just don't some of them. Or maybe we've all dealt with too much and are the ones who don't have a grasp on reality or day-to-day life."

"Because of Naraku?"

"Yeah." Kohaku shook off his blade of the excess membrane. "If not for Naraku, wouldn't all of us have lived a normal life? Except for you, obviously. You would have still met Lord Sesshomaru regardless. But for me, Sango, Miroku, Kagome, Inuyasha...I've always wondered if we would have just had a normal life. Inuyasha would have just been living with Lady Kikyo, right? And Kagome would be in her world. Sango and I would have been with our family and Miroku would have probably started his own family with someone else. These people didn't deal with the things we did and sometimes I feel like we forget that not everyone has faced death the same way, so that's why some of the villagers act the way that they do. Or think we're the weird ones, not them. Hiroshi's been in fights with demons, but he hasn't faced the things I have, fighting for your life and living a half-life because of a Shikon shard. It doesn't excuse anything. It's just something I've been thinking about lately."

Rin smiled faintly. "I don't think living a normal life would have made us think differently. Our experiences define our opinions sometimes, sure. I think that people are just afraid. Maybe from the history of this village having the Shikon Jewel and always being targeted? I don't know. Either way, people like you or Sango have always been brave, I feel like. That's what makes you two so strong. Same with Miroku, Kagome, and Inuyasha."

"You're brave too," Kohaku stated loyally.

She laughed. "That comes with dying twice!" She paused in her scraping, stretching and then rubbing at the stiffness in her neck. "After being with Jaken and Lord Sesshomaru, I've wanted to be as brave as them. If Jaken, who's as small as he is, can stand up to demons, it makes me feel like I can, too. We usually get ourselves into trouble." She giggled, straightening as she reflected on this. She and Jaken had both attempted to defend themselves or each other over the years with mixed success rates. More often than not, Sesshomaru had to intervene to save them.

"I have a lot of respect for Lord Sesshomaru," Kohaku said thoughtfully. "I've tried to live my life to meet both his and Lady Kikyo's standards. I always feel like I'm falling short."

"I think you've been doing great, Kohaku," she said reassuringly, smiling at him. "You're doing much better than me! I wish I was stronger."

"Your archery has gotten better."

"At least there's that."

He hesitated before asking, "But you think that some of them are like this about demons because this village hosted the Shikon Jewel?"

"I can't think of why else. Outside of Kaede, I heard that Nijou and Takashi's father had been here the longest." She smiled. "I think that's just how they are. I lived a normal life before all of this. Just because you're living like a normal villager or human doesn't mean that your entire personality changes. I don't feel like I'm very different from then. That's why I don't think you would have been, either. Maybe a little less intimidating, I guess."

"Intimidating," he repeated with a disbelieving laugh. "Never heard me described that way."

There was no more room for conversation after this as, having completed the preparation, it was time to stretch the hide out in the vats and submerge them in the tannin. By the time they were finished, it was late afternoon and both of them were exhausted from the work. Sango gratefully thanked them as they left when Miroku arrived with food for her. They took the proffered rice balls that he handed them, with Rin biting into hers as they made their way through the village, back towards Kaede's home. Neither of them seemed immediately inclined to conversation, hungry and weary from the day's labor.

"Do you want to talk a walk along the forest?" Kohaku asked her after some time. "I was going to get some flowers for Kin'u and Gyokuto."

This would be a good time to talk to him, she thought, perking up a bit from her drowsy eating. We probably won't have another chance to be alone.

"Sure!" She finished off her rice ball and brushed her fingers over her thighs as they left the protective shelter of the buildings. "How are they liking being alone now?"

"They're enjoying the freedom. They've been practicing making crowns like the ones you make for them. They're not allowed outside the village yet, so I've been trying to grab stuff for them when I've got time."

Rin helped Kohaku collect supple vines and bunches of flowers that grew alongside the trees. She kept her eye on the village to make certain they did not get too far. While she felt safe with Kohaku, she did not want to worry anyone at their absence and, because the sun was setting earlier in the day, she did not want to get caught outside the village in the dark. Aside from that, she knew that now would be the best opportunity she would have to speak to Kohaku about his feelings. She had wanted to wait until they were alone and there was less chance for them to be interrupted. Because of the events of the week prior, she had not been alone with him at any point and he did not seem to be in a hurry to hear her response or address it himself. It had seemed as if they had fallen back into their familiar friendship, something that Rin had appreciated, but had also worried would lead them to never have the discussion at all.

It reminded her of the cryptic remark that Sesshomaru had made outside of Nijou's home. She was unsurprised to find that he might have noticed Kohaku's interest in her, as there was very little that seemed to escape his notice when it came to her immediate circle; she had assumed that Kohaku had approached him or perhaps he had gone to Sesshomaru after their awkward kiss out of guilt. She had not wanted to linger on that thought too closely, mortified at the possibility that Sesshomaru knew he had kissed her. She would have much rather gone to the grave with that secret and hoped that it was one that Kohaku had not revealed to him instead. Something told her that Kohaku might have concealed such a thing out of fear of being reprimanded and she dearly hoped that were true. Even so, she wondered if Sesshomaru's comment on time had been because he expected Inuyasha to return soon or because of her evolving situation with him. Regardless of either, she would force the conversation if she must out of respect for Kohaku.

As she was straightening from picking some daisies, thinking of the best way to start, Kohaku beat her to broaching the topic.

"I was wondering if you'd had time to think about what I said at all," he said softly. "With everything going on, I wasn't sure if you even wanted to talk about it."

"No, I have," she answered, relieved in spite of herself.

"Would you be okay talking about it now?"

She shook her head, smiling. "I was actually hoping we could."

Kohaku looked at the collection of plants in his arms and then back up at her, his brow puckering. "I feel a little weird saying this now. I shouldn't have waited so long, but I thought you needed time to think about things. The truth is...I'd like to make an offer of marriage to you. I don't want you to feel like you owe me that or anything, after what happened. You know how I feel about you and that's the only reason I want to ask. And...like I said, if you don't feel the same, I understand. I'm happy being your friend, too."

Rin felt her heart constrict. She had suspected Kohaku might ask such a thing given their last conversation, but had hoped that she would have been wrong. Looking at him, she wondered if he already knew what her response would be, as there was a resigned sort of expression in his eyes. It almost hurt more that he was expecting rejection.

She had spent a long time turning over Kohaku's feelings in her head even before she had made a proposal to Sesshomaru. She had gone over the conversation in her head even more afterwards, thinking of how best to frame it in a way that would be least harmful. No matter how she worded it, though, it always sounded insufficient and she knew that there was no way to reject someone that she cared for without it causing some amount of pain. Even though Kohaku had said she could not hurt him, she suspected that was not the entire truth. Or at least, that she had not hurt him in some way over the years. Perhaps he had grown so used to the idea of her only being a friend that he had already processed the pain. If so, she felt guilty for not acknowledging his feelings sooner.

"I'm sorry," she said at last. "I wish I wanted the same thing from you – I've even tried to think about whether I could one day want the same thing, but I can't. And I know that I won't."

He nodded, appearing unsurprised. "Can I ask why?"

She hesitated. She had told herself she would not lie to him, but she had still not revisited the subject with Sesshomaru and felt awkward now explaining to someone that had travelled with them both. It had seemed so simple in her mind to tell him the truth, yet now that she was faced with it, the words did not seem to form readily in her mind. She knew he would not judge her because Sesshomaru was a demon, let alone judge her at all, really. The concept still seemed unreal to her, a fantasy that she had always assumed would never come to fruition. To speak it aloud would give it shape, make it real outside just her and Sesshomaru. She had never been afraid of Sesshomaru in her life, yet to put her relationship with him out in the open for all the world to see made the experience altogether more terrifying. Something about developing that closeness with him scared her and it was one reason why she had never spoken aloud her desire to be with him outside of traveling. Sesshomaru was not an easy man as a companion and she knew that it took a great deal of vulnerability on his part to seek her out as his partner.

She was not scared of him, she realized, but for him.

Kohaku would never use that to his advantage, though, she firmly told herself. What am I thinking? I can trust Kohaku. I've told him everything and he was even there when I was taken to the underworld. I'm overthinking this!

Collecting a breath, she admitted at last, "I've already promised myself to Lord Sesshomaru. When I think about it, I don't think I ever imagined myself with anyone else. It's not that I don't like you or find you appealing, Kohaku, it's just...I don't think I could live a life not loving him."

He laughed slightly. "You don't need to try and appease my ego like that, Rin. It's okay. I've always known that."

"How did you know?" she queried in shock.

He shrugged and then looked down at the flowers in his arms again. "When I first started following Lord Sesshomaru, I could tell that you two had this weird connection with each other. I didn't think anything of it then beyond knowing you were really special to him. There's no way that he would of asked anything from you. That's not like him." He raised his eyes to hers again. "You mean the world to him and you've always made it obvious what you wanted – to be with him. You never said how, of course, but when we got older, it just seemed natural that you'd become his partner. That's why I said it's okay."

"If you knew that, then why...?"

"It's kind of humiliating," he said with another laugh, this one sounding embarrassed. "I thought, you know, when we kissed that maybe I had a chance. I feel stupid for thinking that."

"Kohaku, I'm so sorry!" Rin lamented, taking a step towards him. "You're not stupid, I am! I can't believe I never saw any of that and now I just feel – "

"Don't feel bad," he interrupted, raising a hand with his palm outward as if to physical halt the flow of words. She gave him a dubious look, but obligingly went quiet so that he lowered his hand again. "It's not something you should feel bad about. Now that I've told you, it feels like a weight's come off my chest. I didn't want to sit here thinking 'what if' all the time. With Hiroshi being the way he was, everyone else getting married, Mei pressing me all the time...I don't know, it just felt like I was running out of time, like if I was going to find out if you could see me that way, it had to be now or else I wouldn't be able to." He smiled at her again. "Listen Rin...I'm happy for you. I really am. I see the way that you are with Lord Sesshomaru – nobody makes you light up the way that you do for him. Even he has this different aura around you, like he's perfectly content. Jaken always says that he can read Lord Sesshomaru better than anyone else and he probably does, but I'm starting to learn how to read him a little bit now."

She returned his smile with one of her own small, shy ones. "Thanks, Kohaku..."

"I should be thanking you," he said, turning around so that they were now walking back towards the village. "You bothered to listen to me even when you didn't have to."

They walked in silence for a few seconds before she tentatively asked, "What about Mei now?"

He grimaced slightly. "Mei reminds me way too much of big sis," he muttered in a low voice. "Mei's pretty, sure, but the way she talks and how she acts is so much like Sango. I couldn't get over that. It's way too creepy."

Rin laughed at this description. Now that she thought about it, Mei did resemble Sango quite a bit in personality. The two were fiercely independent, protective, and outspoken. It was something that she had immediately loved about Sango and was probably why she had felt so safe around Mei when the other girl had started to be friendly with her.

When they were at the edge of the village, she glanced around and then grabbed Kohaku's sleeve, forcing him to stop.

"What?" he asked curiously, also glancing around, likely expecting an enemy nearby.

"I was just checking to see if Lord Sesshomaru or Jaken were around," she said, waving a dismissive hand.

He raised his eyebrows and then leaned in slightly. "Why?"

Lowering her voice and flushing slightly at the memory, she asked in a hushed tone, "I don't know if you've talked to him since then, but you didn't...say anything to Lord Sesshomaru about what we did at the lake, did you?"

Kohaku gave her a blank stare and then comprehension dawned on his features. He burst into laughter and straightened up, shaking his head in disbelief. "Are you kidding me? Heck no. Even I know better than that!"

Relieved, Rin followed him inside the village, feeling a good deal more at ease. In spite on their conversation, Kohaku seemed in better spirits, which was more than she could have asked for after rejecting such a close friend. The discussion had eased the tension that had been holding her heart tight for weeks and she could, at last, simply be happy with where her choices had led her.