Sesshomaru watched Rin and Hanako play in the field of flowers, Jaken stupidly trying to quiet them. It had been two weeks since he had found out about the severe abuse that had been done to her, and just how much she had suffered.
In those two weeks, she had made a lot of recovery, and looked a lot healthier. She had more energy than usual and always seemed happy. Often times before, Sesshomaru would always come upon her by herself, looking so lost and alone. She had definitely made a fast recovery, but there was nothing more he had noticed more than this:
Her appearance. Her once sickly pale skin now had color, even though she was still pale. Her once straggly, faded white hair now had body and shine; since she was getting the proper nutrients that she needed ever since she had stopped making herself throw up. Her once scrawny, stick thin body now looked somewhat normal and… curvy. But most of all: her once shadowed and bony face now was full: and also beautiful; her eyes no longer looking dead and lifeless. She was rather… appealing to him. The innocent girl Hanako he had met now had turned into an elegant woman.
He closed his eyes to rest for a while, but his acute hearing kept track of Rin and Hanako's footsteps, making sure they did not wander off too far. He heard every move they made, and listened to them laugh and play the game of "tag". He began to drift off to sleep…
He felt two presences near him; one directly in front of him, and one next to him. He opened his eyes slowly to find himself staring right into Hanako's vast golden eyes. She was on her hands and knees staring back at him, a child-like, yet somewhat cute look on her face. "What do you want?" he asked.
"Oh." She said, "I didn't mean to wake you…" she drew her face back and knelt before him.
"See! I told you, Hanako-chan! He does sleep sometimes!" Rin said, sticking out her tongue. "Now you hafta be 'it'. You lost the bet. I was right and you were wrong!"
Sesshomaru glared at the two idiot girls before him. They had been watching him sleep.
"Let me be. What I do is not your business," he growled.
Hanako began apologizing to him repeatedly and Rin kept on trying to rub in her win of the bet against Hanako. They were both talking at the same time, and he continued to grow more and more annoying. They were both talking louder and louder, trying to overpower each other's voices. "Silence, both of you." He ordered, but they did not hear. Their voices had overpowered his as well. "Silence!" he said again, but none of them were listening. They were too busy bickering with each other now. He slammed his fist down on the ground. "SHUT UP!"
They both jumped and looked at him. They both began to whimper, tears gathering in each of their eyes.
I just can't w in can I…? He shook his head.
Jaken ran up to Rin. "Stupid child! Must you insist on bothering lord Sesshomaru? And you Hanako! You have no right to be standing before him now!" He scowled at her, about to beat her with his staff. Hanako looked terrified of the staff but did not move, knowing that she somehow deserved this. Jaken raised his staff, about to hit her, when suddenly Sesshomaru grabbed it, stopping his force before it hit her.
"And you have no right to be here before me either." He threw the staff down and began to walk away. "I am going for a walk." Jaken picked up the staff and ran after him. He turned his head while running, yelling back to Hanako and Rin. "You two stay here!" and with that, they disappeared from the field.
Hanako stared after them walking away. "I have made them angry with me…" she looked down with a sad face. She hated it when Lord Sesshomaru was angry with her. Rin patted her back. "It's okay." She smiled. "He'll get over it. He really likes you! I can tell!" She winked at her. "And I bet you like him too!"
Hanako blushed. "N-no that's not true at all! He is my lord and it is a disgrace and a dishonor for a lord to like his slave… especially like that!" she shuddered. "And that would just be…too weird! Besides, slaves who like their lords like that are often hung or murdered in some way."
Rin hugged Hanako tight. "No Hanako-chan! You can't die! No!"
Hanako stroked the child's dark hair. "I won't die because I don't like him… not like that anyway…"
She looked down at Rin to see that she was crying. "R-Rin! What's wrong?"
"My whole family is dead! You can't die too! They were all killed!" she was sobbing into Hanako's white frock, making it wet with tears.
"You're family is dead?" she was surprised at this. She was surprised to see that she was not the only one with a dark past. "I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to bring up any bad memories for you Rin-chan!" she held her tight.
"No one understands how it is to have everyone dead!" Rin cried.
Hanako looked at the child that was crying in her arms. "I do…" she whispered, "I do know what it's like." She paused. "My daughter is dead…" Rin looked up at her.
"Daughter? Are you married Hanako-chan?"
"…no."
"Then how did you have a daughter?"
"It's a long story…" she cringed slightly, not wanting to think about that again. For the past two weeks, she had been her happiest. She didn't want to stop it now.
"Where do babies come from anyway?"
Hanako giggled slightly, her pain going away. She knew she wasn't alone anymore…
"When you are older Rin, we can continue this conversation."
"Ok…" Rin said disappointed. "But we both don't have to be sad, Hanako-chan! We have Lord Sesshomaru to protect us!" She had completely stopped crying now. "And nothing could ever hurt him!"
You are right… she thought.
Sesshomaru walked through the forest which just seemed to get thicker and thicker. Jaken had not stopped annoyingly talking since the beginning of the trip, randomly going on about stupid things that no one cares about.
"Oh, the sky is so blue today!" Sesshomaru heard him say.
The main point of going out for a walk was to get away from all of the commotion. He began to walk faster, in hopes of leaving the imp behind, but unfortunately, Jaken unknowingly followed. "Ugh, and that slave Hanako you drag along with you is just like and older version of Rin!" he said annoyed, "Must you really keep her around? By the way she looks now, I predict you could sell her off for a good price."
This did interest him. "You think so, Jaken…?"
"Oh yes! Without a doubt! So are you going to do it?"
"…No…"
"B-but why?"
Sesshomaru said nothing. He just walked on through the trees, over the roots and mud. He could use the profit very well that he'd make off of Hanako, and yet he could find not a trace of desire in his heart to get rid of her…
Also, he knew but would not accept that he would not be able to bear seeing her bright smile turn to sheer sadness as he left her behind…
A scent came along under his nose. A familiar scent it was… one that he had wanted to remember. He immediately snapped around in anger.
"Naraku…" he growled.
"WHAT!" Jaken yelled. He began trembling from behind his lord, in hopes of getting protection from him. Sesshomaru drew his sword. Approaching him now was a figure dressed in white furs, and a monkey skull mask. "Heh…" the figure cackled.
"What the hell are you doing here?" Sesshomaru asked, pushing back anger.
"I owe you no explanation. I simply came to check up on something… Or more like…someone…" It cackled again.
He clenched his sword. "You will regret ever facing me…"
"Will I now?" Naraku began laughing more. He knew his plan was all coming down perfectly. "You seem more angrier than usual."
At that moment, Sesshomaru went to strike Naraku with his Tokijin, swiftly moving the blade, but Naraku dodged it, and disappeared.
"Coward…" Sesshomaru said under his breath. The scent was gone, and the only noise that remained was Jaken whimpering behind him. Sesshomaru kicked him away and began walking back to where he had left Hanako and Rin, when suddenly, something hit him from behind…
The stench of Naraku once more filled the air…
"Where is he, Hanako-chan?" Rin asked impatiently. "It's been a really long time…"
It was true. It had been a while since her lord had stormed off. He must've been really mad at me… she thought sadly. It had been about maybe four or five hours. It was getting late and she was getting worried. I hope nothing happened…
The bushes a little further away from them began to move. Jaken stepped out gawking at something behind them that they could not see yet. They did not notice this at first. Both of their thoughts were focused on one thing: wherever Jaken was, so was Lord Sesshomaru.
"Lord Sesshomaru!" Rin yelled happily, running up to Jaken looking around him. "Huh? Where is he? I don't see him!"
Sesshomaru limped out of the bushes behind Jaken, bleeding everywhere, his face cringing with pain.
"Lord Sesshomaru?" Rin cried out to him. Hanako covered her mouth in horror of her lord's terrible state.
Hanako ran up to him, putting her arm around his shoulder in order to help him walk. "Lord Sesshomaru! What happened? What terrible wounds!" She began walking him over to a nearby tree and helped him sit down. "Rin, get me those herbs I showed you earlier, please. And some gauze that I bought from that village! And please hurry!" On command, Rin scurried over to the field to pick some of the herbs.
"Hanako… mind you own business… I require no help from you…" he said wearily.
"What are you saying Lord Sesshomaru?" she asked, her voice sounding panicked. "You are hurt really badly!" she took a bucket of water that was near the tree and a cloth off of her frock. She wet the cloth and began to clean off the wounds. He glared at her, becoming more and more displeased. "Hanako… I said…"
She put her hand over his mouth. "Don't speak." She said simply.
Sesshomaru was dumfounded by her strange sudden burst of bossiness. She usually did everything he told her to. Why did she revolt?
Rin came running back with the herbs and gauze. "H-here!" she said sounding scared, handing Hanako her things. She turned to him to wrap the gauze around his open chest wounds, and saw that he had passed out…
He awoken confused and dazed. What was going on?
He saw Hanako not far from him, sitting at a loom. Where the hell did that loom come from? He wondered. Hanako turned to see him awake. She smiled a relieved smile at him.
"Lord Sesshomaru! You have awakened at long last! It is so good to see you well again!"
She smiled at him, gently taking the cloth off of the loom. It was a large blanket of many colors; mostly blues and purples.
He remembered now. Naraku had attacked him in the woods when he had his guard down. He had been hurt badly and then had just blacked out. He looked down at his chest now, which was still wrapped in bandages. He raised one eyebrow. "What do you mean, 'at long last'?" he questioned.
"You have been sleeping there for a few days now." She straightened out the blanket in front of her. "I had made this for you, but now you are awake. Do you still want it anyway?"
A few days? He wondered. Had he really been hurt so badly?
Rin and Jaken came running up to him.
"LORD SESSHOMARU!" Rin yelled, embracing him. He pushed her away. "Rin what are you…" but he was cut off.
"I must say Hanako," Jaken began," You are good with the lore of herbs. You have dragged him away from death's door! Lord Sesshomaru I am glad that you are okay!"
Death's door?"I'm not that good. I just have some basic knowledge is all." She smiled again, giving the blanket to him. He stared at it. She laughed a little. "If you don't like it then I shall make you another one, Lord Sesshomaru. I'm not the greatest weaver…" He looked down at the blanket. Yes it was a horrible weaving job, but there was something about it. Something that made him not want to give it up. "This… is fine." He said finally. Hanako clapped. "Yay!"
It was now getting dark. Hanako yawned and stretched her arms out toward the moon, the lunar light glistening in her white hair. "I'm exhausted. I haven't slept in days!" she said. She put the things away near the bucket next to her. She took one last look at him and bowed. "Goodnight, Lord Sesshomaru! You should be able to walk tomorrow." She walked away waving to him and smiling, until her image faded in the dark distance.
Jaken had been watching her leave. "I have to say that she has impressed me. She never left your side… not once. She spent every day and every night weaving that ratty blanket for you. She even went to work for a day so she could afford the loom!" he laughed slightly and walked away.
Sesshomaru looked down at the blanket, then to the loom. She did all of that for me?
He knew what it was about the blanket that he did not want to give up. It bore a trace of her scent, which was carefully weaved between each thread. The blanket was not at all good looking, but every time he looked at it, he thought of Hanako's sweet smile. A cold wind blew through the air. He draped the blanket over himself. He was not tired in the least and did not like awaiting tomorrow while his companions (if you could call them that) slept somewhere further away, but the image in his mind of Hanako guided him through the night…