Tell me a story

"Waaa! Waaa!" A young girl with a short ponytail cried. "I want my mommy!" The girl cried out making the other kids cry out as well.

Soon Kaedes small hut was filled with the sounds of crying and sobbing children.

"Oh please don't cry. It'll be ok I promise." Rin tried comforting the children who wept.

The winter storm made it impossible for them to go out and get home being that you could not see your hand in front of your face.

Rin was charged with the duty of watching the young ones during such a vicious storm while the adults attempted to keep watch over attacking demons while also making sure everyone in the village was accounted for.

Kaede was called away a few villages over with Inuyasha being her escort and Sango and Miroku left weeks ago back to the monk Mushin to stay to him for the winter. Rin was left alone in the village with this duty. Thankfully Kohaku made it back just in time to help the adults protect against demons.

"Oh I know! How about a story!" Rin exclaimed. She held the two youngest kids against her hips and rocked them lightly as she waited for the kids replies. Some stopped crying others kept sobbing but all turned their attention to the young Rin. "I know a really great story! One about a prince!" Rins eyes held happiness and not a spec of fear. The kids looked to Rin curiously and sat around her.

Rin smiled and began.

Once upon a time there was a strong and wise prince.

He was beautiful and kind and very protective of his precious flower.

The strong prince was always so brave! He didn't fear anything! Not even the thunder or lightning!

Not even demons or bandits!

The strong prince was the bravest. Until one day a magical queen told the prince that his precious flower will wilt away in the cold winter and never come back to the prince again.

This made the prince tremble in fear. "Oh magical queen there must be something I can do to save my precious flower!" The young prince begged the magical queen for her help.

"Nope there is nothing. You must learn brave prince that sometimes there are things we simply can not control." The magical queen watched the brave prince leave.

"I will show you! I will never let anything happen to my precious flower!" The young prince went to his flower and kneeled.

"My flower you are in danger!" The prince hugged his precious flower tightly.

"I am not worried my prince. I know you are here always to protect me." The flower gave the prince a small kiss on his cheek.

"I will try my best my precious flower." The young prince held her hand and never left her side.

Soon the terrible cold had attacked the prince with ice and wind! So the mighty prince pulled out his great sword and fought it off.

He fought for weeks until the sun came out again.

But it was no use. The flower was weak and cold.

"My precious flower! I have betrayed you. Can you ever forgive me!?" The prince cried while holding his weak flower.

"You have not my prince. I must leave now but I promise you I will return to you soon. Stronger than ever!" The flower wiped away his tears and disappeared.

Three days later the prince returned to where his flower left. And to his amazement she was there!

"My flower! But how!" The prince hugged her tightly!

"I told you before my prince! I will always return to you!" The flower smiled at the prince and they both lived happily ever after!

The End!

Rin finished her story to find all the younger kids fell fast asleep. While the two older kids were still awake and full of questions.

"How did the flower come back?" A young girl asked with her sadness wiped away.

"No body comes back when they die." A boy said with a hurt in his voice.

"That's not true! If you truly love them and they truly love you! They will never leave in the first place. The prince was able to bring his flower back to life because of his love in his heart for her. And the flower never left him because she used his tears to regrow. So whoever you love will always be with you. In your heart. You can see them and always be apart of them." Rin offered her warm smile.

"That's so beautiful!" The girl grabbed her face and fantasized. "I hope a strong and brave prince falls in love with me one day!" The girl finished with a quiet giggle.

"Can you talk to them?" The boy asked with hope in his eyes.

Rin hugged him knowing the pain he was feeling. " Yes of course you can. And you just have to listen real real carefully to hear them. I promise." Rin said with glittering tears in her eyes.

The boy smiled largely and hugged Rin back. She layed both kids down beside her and hummed her favorite tune.

"Miss Rin? What song is that?" The young girl looked up at her.

"Oh just an old song I use to sing whenever I felt sad and alone." Rin smiled.

"Can you sing it? For us?" The boy rubbed the exhaustion from his eyes.

Rin smiled and shared her song with the kids around her. Until they all fell asleep peacefully.

Kohaku kicked the snow off his boots before entering the warm hut.

"Wow? How'd you manage to keep all of them calm enough to sleep with everything last night?" Kohaku looked to the obviously tired Rin.

"It wasn't hard. Is everything ok now Kohaku?" Rin looked up to the strong demon slayer before her.

She'd sometimes forget how capable her shy friend was, but her thoughts of doubt were wiped clean when he stood proud and fearless in his slayers uniform.

"Yeah. The weather lightened up a lot to. Soon we can start clearing some pathways for everyone. I just need a little rest is all." Kohaku smiled at her.

Rin smiled back. "Of course." She looked back out the window.

"Hey Rin?" Kohaku kept his eyes closed.

"Yes?" Rin turned her head from the window with the cool air blowing threw her long dark hair. With mornings light kisses making her skin glow.

"Do you think you can..? Ugh sing to me until I fall asleep? I just don't want to-" Kohaku was silenced by Rins soft giggles.

"Of course."

"In the mountains in the breeze, in the forest in my dreams.

Lord Sesshomaru where are you, master Jaken is serving under you too.

I will wait for you on my own."

Rin sang softly and slowly. Repeating until her friend had fallen asleep. She held her gift close to her heart with a single tear falling.

"Please return to me waiting alone."