A/N: Welcome back, everyone, and happy new year! This first chapter is a "prologue" of sorts to this second part of the story before we start diving into the good stuff. Hope you all enjoy :3

Act II, Part I

(208 Years Earlier, Kamakura Period...)

Snow had begun to fall in the high elevations, drifting lazily to the earth as it covered the ground in a fine dusting of its chilly flakes. The large estate that lied tucked into the mountains was the only sign of habitation in the otherwise remote area. Very few traversed the stony staircase that led up to the estate, save for merchants or those that had been delivering food to the human servants. It had been a long time since there had last been human servants at the estate, as most had fled many years ago, replaced instead with smaller demons that diligently cleaned and tidied up the estate when their master was away.

Today, however, the Lord of the Western Lands had retreated to his estate for a brief reprieve from the demands of the other demon lords. This estate had been hidden from all but those in his clan and when the servants left, they could not betray its location thanks to a spell that the dog demon lady had placed upon the place before she had left. Here, he could rest if needed without worry that his enemies would find him. The quiet of the snow as he stood on the engawa contemplating the landscape calmed his soul. He was almost spurred into writing a haiku, something he liked to do in passing and deliver to Lady Izayoi, but found that he could not remove himself to find ink and paper. Instead, he remained standing, watching as snowflakes floated past him.

His heart had been unsettled as of late. After the news of Izayoi's pregnancy, he had begun to experience the sensation of impending doom, as if their child was the indication of something more horrific that was bound to happen. He had noticed the unrest in the Western Lands, of course, and had done his best to settle disputes, but he also knew how conniving the other demon lords could be when they wanted power. No matter how many battles he fought, how many foes he defeated, there were still those that sought his life. Ryukotsusei, he knew, would be the next to strike. The last time he had been in battle, his soul had not been in it. He was tired, weary of trying to hold onto unrealistic expectations by the demon nobility, and knew that he was losing precious time. Once his half-demon child was born, he wanted to be available to spend time with them and Izayoi. He had made the mistake of deferring to his last partner and raising Sesshomaru the more traditional way that was accepted by demons. He had regretted that decision ever since and would not make the same mistake with his newest offspring.

He had been sloppy in battle last time and it made him fear an encounter with Ryukotsusei. He knew better than anyone that one could not enter war without hardening one's heart for such a battle. He had defeated many and knew what was needed to win, yet he could not find it in him anymore. As much as he searched inside his heart, he could not find that drive or ruthlessness that had once been there. Sesshomaru had once accused him of becoming soft because of Izayoi and while he had denied it then, he knew now that there was some truth to it. He never would have termed it in such a way, preferring instead to think that she had given him a new drive – a new desire to live, to survive, and to remove himself from the world of endless war and power struggles. But he was the Lord of the Western Lands. He could not change that.

Something in his change of behavior gave him the sense that he would soon be meeting his destiny where he would need to make a choice between the two lives. And, as he searched his heart these past days, he also had the impression that he would not survive that choice. His path to this point would struggle with what he wanted going forward and, ultimately, he could not see how they could coexist in one being.

It was because of this that he had sent for Sesshomaru.

In all the years that Toga had encountered Sesshomaru after his mother had re-introduced him into society after his training, he had never sent for his son. His mother had forbidden him from doing so, reminding him that men in the dog demon clan were meant to find their own way to their sire. Toga, too, recalled such stringent rules in their training and it had left a bitter taste in his mouth when he was younger, always searching for his father and rarely ever finding him. Sesshomaru, as it happened, was far more skilled than he had been. Their paths crossed multiple times and while it had thrilled Toga to see his son, he was also disheartened by how cold Sesshomaru had become over the years. Even his mother had been troubled by his behavior, though she had brushed it aside when he suggested Sesshomaru live with him at the estate.

As such, Toga had tried to impress upon Sesshomaru the importance of relationships, compassion, and honor, although it did little to stir him. He was met with a wall of resistance that reminded him so powerfully of his own father that he was often in a temper after meeting Sesshomaru. There was no doubt that he came from his bloodline, but the reminder always frustrated him.

In spite of that, though, Sesshomaru had made it clear to his mother that he, too, did not care for the old land's traditions. Toga knew that Sesshomaru would come. He would not feel hindered by an old mindset or any sort of outdated system. Sesshomaru had proven to him that he was choosing to create his own path in life, regardless of whether he was a demon lord or not.

Thus, when he heard the footsteps on the engawa, he was unsurprised to turn and find Sesshomaru approaching him. He paused some feet from Toga and inspected the estate's gardens with such a perfectly blank expression that he was unable to read his son's thoughts. The resemblance of Sesshomaru to his mother and himself was clear. Anyone who beheld him would know that he was their son, though few would dare even speak to him. Sesshomaru had made quite the reputation for himself for being a powerful demon with little reservations in killing. He had often wondered when he would be facing his son in battle, recognizing the calculating gleam in his eyes from time to time. Clearly, Sesshomaru was waiting until he believed he was ready.

"This is your first time being here, isn't it?" Toga asked him with a smile. The thought of fighting Sesshomaru did not unnerve him. He, too, had been driven by the desire to defeat his father. There was a lust for power in their clan that could not be broken except by time, it seemed.

"Why are there stairs leading here?" Sesshomaru asked instead, turning back to look at him.

"I used to have humans working here, so I had them built. But, as you can imagine, they would be attacked on the way to the estate. I'd lost too many of them over the years to other demon attacks in the mountains. It was safer for them in their village."

"Hm." Sesshomaru glanced around with a politely detached expression. "Is that woman here?"

"No, she's at her estate," Toga gently replied. "I'm not here enough to have Lady Izayoi live here. She would've been lonely. Better for her that she's with her people. That seems to be my curse. Every woman I'm with wants to have her own space."

He gestured for Sesshomaru to go inside and followed, shutting the doors behind him and settling next to him at the irori. While Sesshomaru settled himself next to the fire, he carefully removed one of the sake bottles that was in the steaming water in the irori and poured them both a small cup of the warm drink.

"If it's all the same, I think it's best we keep this meeting between us," Toga said, bracing his palms against his thighs as he turned to face Sesshomaru. "Your mother would disapprove."

"If you like."

"I wanted to discuss your plans." Sesshomaru had paused in bringing the sake to his mouth, frowning slightly before continuing the motion and taking a careful sip. "As my eldest son, you're the heir to this estate – to all of my land. It will be your responsibility one day. The only question I have is when you are intending to make that happen."

Sesshomaru looked down at his cup of sake and then lowered his hand, gazing into the flickering firelight. "Are you asking me if I plan to challenge you? Or are you asking for me to take your role so you can be with that human?"

Toga released a small exhale through his nose, looking down at his cup of sake before taking a generous swig of it. He should have expected this line of questioning. Out of all those that he had endured verbal sparring matches, Sesshomaru so far had been the most persistent it came to Izayoi. It was not simply that she was a human which his son disapproved, but that he was intending to take an additional mate at all. While Toga and Sesshomaru's mother no longer coexisted as mates, the demon nobility still recognized her as his first partner and he had not gone out of his way to correct that misconception. Sesshomaru, strange as it was, had seemed affronted that his father had chosen to take on an additional partner. This had been one of the many indications in his son's behavior that made him realize he was developing his own perceptions about life that did not entirely fall in line with the demon community.

He had now had so many conversations with Sesshomaru about Izayoi that he had begun to feel as if he were talking to a rock wall. No matter how many times he said it, Sesshomaru refused to see why his father might have chosen a human as a mate or why he needed another partner at all. Toga admitted that he and his mother were part of such a problem. He did not bring Izayoi to other demon lord's lands, instead bringing Sesshomaru's mother as his partner. She had willingly accommodated him, even while knowing his reasons for bringing her instead of Izayoi had been because he feared for Izayoi's safety. Toga could well understand how Sesshomaru would interpret this as hypocritical. At time, Toga himself questioned why he did not openly declare his intentions towards his partner, knowing that he could keep her safe himself. Perhaps there was a part of him that doubted whether he could truly keep her safe in the face of multiple threats or perhaps it was the coward in him not wanting to deal with those threats yet. He had never looked too deeply into it until Sesshomaru began to question him at every turn. To him, he had thought he was doing the right thing and Izayoi had never argued. Now, he was not so sure.

"I've tried to explain to you why I chose Lady Izayoi as my mate. It's an unfortunate byproduct of your mother's thinking that you refuse to see beyond demons and humans."

"I form my own opinions," Sesshomaru said, sending him a sharp glance through the corner of his eye. "Mother has nothing to do with it. She doesn't care who you choose."

"Is that so? Then she's a better woman than most. I admire her for that." Toga drained the rest of his cup and set it down. "We can spend time discussing philosophy if you like, but I doubt you have the patience for it. I've heard of your conquests, your successes and battles won. You're turning into a fine warrior, Sesshomaru, yet you've never tried to claim your right as the heir to the Western Lands. You've avoided coming to the west, actually. I need to know whether I can trust you to take care of my land if something happens to me. The only other option is your sibling – "

"Sibling," Sesshomaru scoffed as he drank the rest of his sake, a look of utter disdain crossing his features.

" – and I don't imagine a half-demon will be enough to hold our land here," Toga finished, ignoring the interruption. "Not because I think they will be too weak, but because they'll lack the status of being a demon lord and our allies will respect a full-blooded demon more than a half-demon."

"What gives you the impression you still have their respect?" Sesshomaru asked, pouring himself another cup of hot sake. An idle smile played at the ends of his lips as he set the bottle back down. "It's common knowledge now that you've taken a human as a mate."

"That is exactly why I know it would have to be you."

Sesshomaru snorted slightly and then took a drink of sake, the smile fading. "I've no interest in your title."

Toga blinked once, but did not allow his expression to change. He had suspected that this might be a possibility. Sesshomaru's behavior in the past century had been borderline reclusive outside of his warrior pursuits. He had never been able to imagine his son engaging in politics, let alone attempting to create treaties with other demon clans. While his son was profoundly intelligent, it was also equally obvious that he lacked any sort of social skills beyond battle conversation. Nonetheless, he had half-wondered whether Sesshomaru would be enticed by the title and power that came with being Lord of the Western Lands. The other demon lords certainly seemed to think there was something attractive about the position.

"If that's true, why do you fight? What is your purpose in being a warrior?"

Sesshomaru considered this for a moment before saying, "It's a rite of courage and cowardice."

Toga cocked his head slightly. "I've never heard of that. That's not from the old land."

"No, it's not."

Sesshomaru had finished his second cup of sake and after setting the cup aside, he folded his arms over his chest and stared into the fire without giving further explanation. It did not appear he had any intention of further explaining himself, a particularly frustrating quality in his son.

Toga also turned to gaze into the fire, turning the phrase over in his mind. The way that those in the dog demon clan raised their children was similar, he supposed, to a rite of passage, testing one's ability to survive on their own. It had always been this way, ever since Toga had been a child and his father before him. He would not have used the wording 'courage' or 'cowardice,' though, if that was to what Sesshomaru was referring; instead, he would have said it was a means of weeding out the strong and weak, teaching them to survive. It was perhaps why their clan was so small, even in the old land. Many demon children had died being abandoned by their parents. But no one had ever questioned their ways, had ever considered that it might be cruel to their children. To their clan, it was a means of ensuring those that survived were the strongest.

It was also a devious manner of implementing an inherent insecurity in them from a young age.

Toga could well recall how inadequate he had felt standing next to his father. He had always felt that he needed to impress him, to show him that he was worthy of being his son. When he had battled his father and killed him, his father had seemed happy, even elated that his life was being taken by his own son. His mother and his father's other mates had congratulated him on his success, yet it had been because of this that he had left the old land and come here with Sesshomaru's mother to establish his own dog demon clan here. The memory of his father's death had plagued him. Even though he had known his father was proud of him in that moment, it horrified him later in life to know that the only way he could receive approval from him had been by killing him.

It had been Izayoi who had listened to him preach about wanting to make a change in traditions, to base his clan off of different values and ethics than those of his ancestors. She had supported him and his vision, one of the many reasons he had fallen so hard for her. She, too, had wanted a world where demons and humans could live in harmony and where couples such as themselves could live openly. It had been because he heard of her attempts to establish safe havens for half-demons that he had crossed paths with her, interested to hear of this woman in the human nobility that was championing for demons in her world.

Sesshomaru, he knew, had created his own system of morals and values outside of him and his mother. He did not have the culture of the rest of the dog demon clan to guide him, yet he saw a reflection of that insecurity as a warrior. Sesshomaru, like himself at that age, was striving to be powerful for something more than just the pursuit of power. He had not yet voiced it to Toga because he did not feel worthy of doing so. He hated that his son was going through the same torment that he had experienced as a young man. He had hoped to spare him from such inner conflict.

"You have nothing to prove, Sesshomaru," Toga said at last, knowing the words would do little to assuage his ego.

Sesshomaru turned, at last looking away from the fire. "Then give me Tessaiga."

"Is that what you want? A sword?"

His mouth had tightened ever so slightly, his eyes narrowing on him in mild annoyance. "I've seen what Tessaiga can do. I will earn the right to wield it."

Toga laughed, shaking his head slightly. It was his turn to be vague. "You will earn the right to wield one of my swords, Sesshomaru, but only when I die will you ever receive it."

Sesshomaru frowned, but did not appear wholly displeased with this information. He also seemed aware that Toga was not planning to elucidate further and instead returned to the original topic.

"What is the point of this conversation?"

"To understand you better." Toga smiled faintly, refilling his cup and raising his sake up slightly, pausing with the cup near his lips. "It would put my heart as ease knowing you have some sense of honor to your father, even if it is a shallow one."

"Honor," Sesshomaru repeated derisively as Toga took a drink of sake. "What a mundane concept. The demons here adopted that foolishness from the human samurai."

"Or perhaps the samurai learned it from the demons? Regardless of whether you like it, the demon nobility here lean heavily on traditional values of honor and respect."

"I don't care about the nobility or their values."

"What do you care about?"

"My own interests."

Toga huffed out a brief, unamused laugh, taking another drink of his sake. After draining it, he set it aside and folded his hands in his lap again. The sake had grown cold over the duration of their conversation. It was no longer as pleasant and the responses he was receiving from Sesshomaru were also chilling.

"That's a hard path to walk," Toga quietly said to him. "You and I have defeated demons that had been on that road to power – of selfishness and greed. It only led to their destruction. Similarly, I've been on that pathway. There will come a time when you will have to choose between continuing this way or changing your mindset. I won't bore you with fatherly advice, so consider it a warrior's warning instead. Don't make the mistake of the weak. You're the son of the Great Dog Demon – you deserve a better ending than that."

Sesshomaru snorted softly and rose to his feet. As expected, he had lost his patience with the conversation as he often did when Toga crossed the line from conversation into preaching.

"You speak of endings without thinking of your own," Sesshomaru said as Toga also rose to his feet. "Where do you think that woman will lead you? You can't be the Lord of the Western Lands and her mate, father. We both know this." Sesshomaru glanced at him, his eyebrows lowering in a disapproving stare. "Your weakness for humans will cause your end."

"I know," Toga answered simply.

Sesshomaru stared at him, nonplussed.

"I'm not asking you to understand or to take up my title. The only reason I sent for you is to ask one favor of you – don't let our land be overtaken by the other demon lords. If the title must be vacant, then so be it. I made my land a safe haven for humans and demons alike. The demon slayers here will only do so much."

"Why should I give you such a thing?"

"Because you're my son. What other reason is there?"

Sesshomaru's jaw tightened. It was unclear whether he was more annoyed with Toga for using such an excuse or asking him for a favor that entirely selfless. After a few seconds, he opted to turn away instead, opening the shoji door. Cold air wafted in, the wintry breeze stirring his and Toga's long hair.

"I'll do as you ask," Sesshomaru said curtly. "But if you die because of that woman, I'll make certain that her child knows why it has no family." He shot a meaningful look towards Toga before stepping away from the room and down the steps into the garden.

Toga had followed him just in time to see Sesshomaru floating away, over the high walls of the estate into the distance. He watched him thoughtfully, mulling over what Sesshomaru had said before laughing to himself. He had already suspected Sesshomaru would be something of a bully to his younger sibling, so it was no surprise to hear Sesshomaru verbalize such a sentiment.

Turning back to go inside, he returned to the warmth of the irori and pulled out both Tessaiga and Tenseiga, lying them across his knees. The swords were never far from him, even when he was not in armor. He had begun to suspect that his relationship with Izayoi would put his own life at risk, whether by an uprising constructed from the demon lords or from something as simplistic as a mistake in battle. It had been because of this that he had commissioned the two swords from his friend, Totosai. The swordsmith had laughed at him when he had told him his plan, saying, "If you don't die from something else, Sesshomaru will surely kill you for this!"

Tessaiga, which Sesshomaru had seen in battle and had coveted ever since, could not be wielded by his son. He would never tell Sesshomaru this fact, knowing how it would enrage him. Instead, he had given Totosai directions that Tessaiga was to pass on to his and Izayoi's child, not only to protect his mate, but to protect their half-demon child, as well. Tenseiga, then, would go to Sesshomaru.

He did not know whether he would have time to train and teach his half-demon child, so he had formed Tessaiga in such a way that it would be an extension of himself after he was long dead. His hope was that through Tessaiga, the half-demon child would not feel alone or powerless, as he had witnessed so many half-demons experience. Izayoi, he knew, would die before their child grew old. It was the fate of one with such a long lifespan, to watch those they loved pass on before them. If he could not be there with their child, then the sword, at least, could teach them how to be stronger and to accept both sides of their existence. Tessaiga would protect humans, but a human would be unable to wield it. Only those with demon energy and the lack of hate towards humans would be able to wield the sword. He was hoping that would be enough to safeguard the sword from not only Sesshomaru, but other demons, well.

While he felt confident that his half-demon child would unlock all the powers of Tessaiga, he was more doubtful about his plan in gifting Tenseiga to Sesshomaru. No matter how much Sesshomaru tried to conceal it, Toga saw the love and respect that his son had for him, even if it was expressed in an unorthodox manner. It was possible that Sesshomaru himself did not even recognize the emotion as love. Even so, he would not throw the sword away, a fear that Totosai had voiced to him. He was less sure that Sesshomaru would ever be able to tap into Tenseiga's powers or if he would ever have a need to if he remained on his current path. Sesshomaru had never seen him use Tenseiga, so he would never know its healing powers, let alone the destruction that it could cause. Without being able to have compassion and a sense of selflessness towards another creature, neither Sesshomaru nor his sibling would discover the meido. It was another safeguard in keeping such a power separated and to avoid tempting Sesshomaru into a darker, power-hungry path. Not only would Sesshomaru need to experience compassion, he would also need to be willing to work with his half-demon sibling in order to unlock the full power of the meido.

If he knew, Toga thought, picking up Tenseiga and running a hand over the scabbard, he would have done everything in his power to discover the meido. Like all the demons before us, the temptation of having access to the netherworld would've been too great. If Sesshomaru ever learns to love another person, though, that might be a way to turn him from that path. He might not even want to use the meido when that time comes or, if he does, it won't be for the same reasons as now.

He set Tenseiga and Tessaiga aside, his brow puckering as he pulled a leg up, resting his elbow against his knee. In his heart, he had faith that his son could learn to love, but what he saw in him that day had troubled him. For a man so strong and clever, Sesshomaru lacked experience in areas that most young men would have expressed an interest. It was not simply that he had not experienced the love of a woman or lust or other cardinal vices; Sesshomaru had not even experienced the genuine connection of a friend or even an acquaintance. He did not understand what it meant to have true friendship or loyalty.

He knew that Sesshomaru at least understood those concepts, even if he did not experience them himself. It might take a long time, perhaps hundreds of years, but he was certain that Sesshomaru would be able to love one day and unlock the powers of Tenseiga. He had to trust his heart in that, no matter how uneasy Sesshomaru had made him that day. His promise to fulfill the father Toga asked of him was enough of a sign that he was not completely lost to his pursuit of power.

Something tells me that it will take that one very special person that can do that for him, Toga decided, and once he finds them, then perhaps he and I will come to an understanding. Even if it's from the grave.

(200 Years Later, Sengoku Period, mid-Naraku...)

"What are you lagging for, girl?" Jaken snapped, pounding his staff on the ground from where he stood waiting for her. Up ahead, the lone figure of Lord Sesshomaru was walking ahead of both of them, seemingly unbothered that he might lose his companions.

"My name is Rin," she informed him for the third time that morning.

"I'm not going to remember the name of someone so meaningless!"

She pointedly ignored this comment, passing him and continuing on behind Sesshomaru. He huffed something to himself that she did not catch, though Jaken's demeanor did not offend her. She found his bullying endearing. It was much less harsh and hateful than the comments the villagers would say after her family died. Perhaps her lack of response was irritating to Jaken, so he was purposely forgetting her name in return. It had not even been Sesshomaru who had given her his name, but Jaken, who had gone on a long lecture to her the first night after she followed them, trying to brush her away and say that she would just end up dead or demon fodder if she followed him. She had ignored him then, too, instead looking to Sesshomaru. He had only stared back at her.

She took his silence as consent, so she had gotten herself a humble meal of berries, nuts, and fish and then had pulled off some branches from a bush and used them as a blanket that she curled under next to a tree. She continued this way for several more days, causing Jaken no ends of pain. Only after a week of this did Sesshomaru intercept when Jaken tried to chase her away, stomping his foot on the imp's head and telling him to shut up. After that, Jaken had reluctantly accepted her company in their group, though he continued to try to dissuade her by being mean. After weeks of this, Rin had concluded he was simply worried about her safety and told him as much.

"I don't care what happens to you!" Jaken had protested angrily, flushing pink. "And don't you dare presume to think otherwise!"

Presently, as she rounded the bend, she spotted Sesshomaru standing at the edge of a small cliff and made to join him, looking down to see what it was that he had noticed. She had seen fantastical things since traveling with Sesshomaru and Jaken, witnessing the Nintojo's two heads come alive, and being privy to Sesshomaru in battle. It had alighted her childlike wonder and piqued her curiosity every time they happened somewhere new and encountered some different creature. Now, as she looked down, she could not help the sinking of her heart. Rather than something interesting, she was looking down at a normal, human village with a caravan of merchants set up outside for a market.

"You appear as if you were expecting something else," Sesshomaru noted aloud. She glanced up at him in surprise and thought she caught the gleam of amusement in his golden eyes.

"I was hoping for something more exciting," she admitted.

"Perhaps it is."

Without another word, he floated down from the cliff and Jaken leapt off, grappling onto the mokomoko desperately. In a fumbling attempt at following, Rin launched herself onto Jaken, who screeched at her and flailed with one hand to shake her off. Just as he managed to dislodge her grip, Sesshomaru had landed and both of them went rolling away from him, kicking up dust that caused the humans merchants to look around in confusion. Rin bounced to her feet and followed Sesshomaru to one of the stalls where a woman was inspecting him warily, though she smiled when Rin approached. Jaken, disoriented, took longer to follow.

Rin had to lift herself onto the tips of her toes to see over the table into the woman's stall. Not for the first time, she lamented how small she was compared to other girls her age and chanced a glance at Sesshomaru, embarrassed at her own inability to see over the booth properly.

Who has this tall of a booth, anyway? Rin thought to herself, annoyed as she pulled herself up onto the booth, her feet dangling slightly as she leaned onto her forearms to peer inside.

"Are you alone, dear?" the woman asked, as though hoping she was not accompanying Sesshomaru.

"No," Rin answered distractedly, her eyes catching sight of a colourful fan in the neighboring merchant stall. "I'm traveling with Lord Sesshomaru."

"I see..." The woman sighed slightly, glancing dubiously at Sesshomaru, who ignored this exchange entirely.

"Jaken," he said to the imp as Jaken at last joined them, turning away. "Get that one." He inclined his chin towards the folded fabric and then walked away from the stalls, leaving Rin gazing after him. He had stopped at the edge of the village, looking away from the cluster of humans so that she could only see his side profile. From afar, she could not read his expression very well. She had been practicing, staring at him so hard that anyone else would have been unnerved. Her staring had paid off, though. She was able to discern the subtle shifts in his expression, yet another annoyance to Jaken, who had boasted that he knew the demon lord better than anyone else.

The woman shrieked in alarm as Jaken hopped onto the top of the booth, causing her to scramble back from him as he dug around in a small pouch he had procured.

"Shut your mouth, woman!" Jaken said when she continued to screech. "You heard Lord Sesshomaru, fetch me that one. Why on earth he wants a human thing is beyond me..."

Rin turned away from her examination of Sesshomaru to look at what the woman was now collecting with shaking hands. Jaken deposited several mon coins and grabbed the bundle of fabric before jumping down. Rin was unable to peek at it and craned her head as Jaken dashed back to Sesshomaru with his prize.

"Girl," the woman said, grabbing a hold of Rin's hand as she made to wiggle back to fall onto her feet on the ground. Rin gave her a puzzled look. "You're not really with that demon, are you?"

"Why?" Rin asked her.

"He's not any demon...That's a demon lord, that is."

"So?"

"Doesn't that scare you?"

"No." Rin pulled her hand out from underneath hers and continued to slide down until she was able to safely dislodge herself from the booth. The woman had leaned forward over the booth to look at Rin in concern. "Lord Sesshomaru's not a bad man, he's very kind. I could never be scared of him. Anyway, I'm leaving – goodbye!"

Without giving the woman a chance to say anything more to her, Rin hurried on to follow Jaken. Sesshomaru had been watching her after Jaken had returned with the fabric, perhaps perceiving the woman grab hold of Rin. She beamed up at him when she arrived, even as his gaze traveled from her face to her wrist speculatively; however, he did not mention what had happened with the merchant and instead handed her the fabric that Jaken had given him.

"Here," he said.

"What is it?" Rin asked blankly.

"Your kimono has holes in it. This will replace it."

A new kimono..., Rin thought in awe, staring at the bundle of fabric in her arms. Even as Sesshomaru turned and began walking away from the village, she unfolded part of the kimono to look at the orange and yellow hues. It was bright and new, the only new thing she had ever received since her parents had died. Her current kimono, admittedly, was a mess of holes, poor patch jobs, and was threadbare thin. Running her fingers over the fabric, she could tell that it was sturdy and of decent quality. Hugging it to her chest, she felt a deep warmth blossoming into her chest. She could not remember being so pleased by something.

"Lord Sesshomaru has never offered to buy me anything," Jaken muttered beside her, looking somewhat put out.

"But he gave you Nintojo, didn't he?" Rin queried, stirring from her thoughts. "That's a much better gift than clothing."

"Oh...Yes! You're quite right!" Jaken perked up at this revelation and, upon seeing Sesshomaru gone, immediately broke into a run. "Hurry up, Rin! Lord Sesshomaru, please wait for me!"

She giggled at Jaken's ridiculous display as he ran, flailing his arms wildly and realized with a leap of joy that this time, he had remembered her name.

That night, Rin washed herself in a nearby creek when Sesshomaru and Jaken were settled at their small camp and pulled the new kimono on, inspecting herself in the water. After flattening out some of her hair, she retied the small tail up on the side of her head and then ran her fingers through the rest of her hair to detangle it. The kimono was warm, much warmer than the last one and even though she could not make out the details, she saw how much brighter it was in the water's reflection. She smiled to herself and after collecting some mushrooms and a few herbs and seeds, she returned to camp where Jaken was chewing happily on what appeared to be roasted toads.

Falling back onto the grass beside the fire, she wrapped her mushrooms in the herbs she had collected and poked sticks into them before setting them to roast on the fire. As she waited for them to warm and the herbs to cook into the mushrooms, she chewed on the seeds, occasionally sneaking peeks of Sesshomaru from afar. She knew that she should thank him for the generous gift, but also had learned from the weeks of traveling that he was not the type of person to take any value in receiving thanks. Looking down at the mushrooms, she frowned worriedly to herself.

Cooking was out of the question, as she had learned when trying to provide care to him. She had no money, so she could not buy him anything.

She glanced at him again and then brightened as an idea blossomed in her head.

I can make him something!

Over the next several days, Rin dutifully followed the pair as they crossed through the countryside, trekked through mountains, and crossed over shallow streams. Rin collected what she needed from their environment, taking her time to collect the few precious items that she needed for the small project she had created in her mind. At night, she would labor by the fireside after Jaken had fallen asleep, working at the craft slowly. But at the end of the week when she completed the item, she stared down at it in dismay. It had not turned out at all how she envisioned and lifting it up to eye level, she was certain that Sesshomaru would throw the crudely created thing into the fire.

Sighing, she turned around to look at the demon that was standing outside the firelight, his head tipped back as he looked up into the moon. Jaken had made an offhand comment that Sesshomaru had seemed more reflective lately. She, too, had noticed him staring at his sword more often than normal, but had not given it a second thought. Sesshomaru did many things that were not typically normal for most men, let alone demons. She did not like to disturb him when he seemed so lost in thought, yet she also did not want Jaken to see what she had made for him. She was sure he would make fun of her.

Stupid Jaken, she thought absently, getting to her feet and approaching Sesshomaru, gripping her item tightly in one hand. "Lord Sesshomaru?"

He slowly turned his head to look at her. "Yes, Rin?"

She shifted from foot to foot uncomfortably. "Um, well...about my kimono..."

He frowned, cocking his head slightly. "Is there something wrong with it?"

"No! Nothing like that." She raised her hand, opening it to show him the item that she had been clutching. "I was trying to make a bracelet for you...but it didn't come out right. I'm sorry. I wanted to show how thankful I was. No one's ever given me a gift before."

Sesshomaru plucked the small bracelet out of the palm of her hand to look at it. Rin watched him anxiously, thinking that he was going to throw it back in her face. She had used scraps of fabric from her old kimono, wrapping it around pieces of pliable, young bark to give it shape and in the center, she had used a small pebble from one of the streams they had crossed. It was the smoothest, most colourful one that she could find that was small enough to be used in the bracelet. However, she had miscalculated the size of it, so it ended up being a good deal larger than a bracelet and far too small to be a necklace. It certainly looked like it had been created by a village girl from her perspective.

"You need practice," he said at last and, using one of his sharp nails, cut the bracelet. Her breath caught in her throat, but rather than tearing it apart before her eyes like she expected, he wrapped it around the braid on the scabbard of Tenseiga and then retied it. "I expect a replacement in the future."

She smiled shyly at him, nodding quickly. "Okay! I'll get better at it."

Rin did not immediately leave his side, admiring the appearance of the bracelet wound about Tenseiga's scabbard. Her eyes found the hilt of the sword, which seemed so dingy and beaten up that it was hard to imagine it had been the item that had saved her life. It had been because of this act of immense kindness that Rin had decided to follow him. She knew that she would not be missed in the village and after her last encounter with the humans there, she did not care to return there. Even though he had said little, she had felt accepted in Sesshomaru's company. He seemed not to care whether she was poor, small, or without family. In fact, she was not sure what he cared about. The three of them were a rather strange group, she supposed – a tiny imp demon, a girl, and a powerful demon lord.

"Are you wanting to see my sword?" Sesshomaru asked her, noticing where her eyes had lingered. Before she could reply, he had pulled out Tenseiga and held it out to her. "Go on. The blade doesn't draw blood."

Hesitantly, she took the blade, weighing it in her hands. It was much larger than her, yet felt weightless. Through the corner of her eye, she could see Sesshomaru watching her with a thoughtful expression. Turning it this way and that, she could find nothing particularly extraordinary about the sword. As it lied in her hands, she became aware of how warm it was, humming tenderly like an animal pleased with her.

"It's warm," she said to him and then put her ear to the blade curiously. She could not hear any sound from it, though she was certain it was vibrating in her hands. "It seems...happy, doesn't it?"

"Tenseiga has a mind of its own," he told her, frowning slightly as she raised her head again to look at him.

"Well, I think it's happy!" she declared and handed the sword back to Sesshomaru to take from her.

Sesshomaru was staring at the blade in his hand, clearly trying to discern anything from it. His jaw tightened slightly, a subtle sign of his frustration. "I sense nothing." He sheathed the sword again, clearly annoyed that it was not communicating anything to him.

Rin's eyebrows drew together, her gaze dropping back to the scabbard. She had not meant to irritate him. She wished she could have made it possible for him to sense what she had from Tenseiga, too.

"It's fitting," he added, almost more to himself than her as he rested a hand on Tenseiga. "He's made a joke out of me."

She looked from Sesshomaru to the sword, confused. "Who is 'he,' Lord Sesshomaru?"

He flicked a look to her and then turned his gaze back to the moon again. "No one of importance."