The question he asked me was sudden, but I didn't feel scared.

 

"Well, I may be a bit nervous but I can't say I'm scared. I seem to get along with your half brother Inuyasha quite well I believe, so I don't think interacting with a full demon like you is any different than Inuyasha." I said looking at him. 

 

Sesshomaru looks at me for a few seconds and then faced forward again.

 

"Inuyasha...." he says quietly.

 

I turned and looked at the moon as well, the wind gently blowing once in a while. There is a big gap of space between us, and I see that gap as a wall. His silence is telling me to keep a distance between him, but I hope to shorten it bit by bit and maybe one day befriend him. I then turned to him again, his face still looking up at the moon.

 

"Uhm I'll be heading back now, just wanted to thank you properly for saving my life a few days. You're probably on your way back now, so I won't take up your time anymore." I said with a bow.

 

"I couldn't stand seeing such low demon flying around when I'm trying to relax." Sesshomaru says without looking at me.

 

I felt a sharp jab at my heart from those words, but I let out a smile with a nod.

 

"I see, guess I just wanted to greet you and show my gratitude properly after seeing you so many times already. Well I'll be off then. It was nice meeting you, Take care." I said with a bow and walked away.

 

He didn't say anything or look at me, I almost feel like this will only be the chance to get close to him, and just like that the chance is over. I sighed as I walked slowly through the snow covered field.

 

"Maybe talking to him is enough, Kagome and Sango did say that he didn't like interacting with himans since he didn't like our race. I should be content with this at least." I said to myself

 

"Your song of gratitude didn't fall on deaf ears that day..." a low voice says from behind me. 

 

I stopped and turned around, Sesshomaru wasn't too far away, it made me come to my senses that I was walking quite slow. His words were low and flat, quiet too. But I heard them, almost like the wind carried his words to me. He didn't turn to look at me as he said it, his long hair floating in the breeze.

 

"You heard it? I'm happy to hear that." I said with a smile of relief.

 

The koto resonates the tunes loudly, it fills the whole area with music. It is difficult to miss it." He says flatly and turns his head a little to look back at me. 

 

Although his tone was flat and distant, his words surprisingly didn't sound harsh than they seem. I smiled a little hearing him say those words.

 

"I suppose your right." I said quietly.

 

Sesshomaru then faced forward again and began to walk away. I stepped forward without knowing.

 

"Goodbye, uhm I hope to see you again Lord Sesshomaru..." I blurted out.

 

Sesshomaru slowed down and stops a few meters away into the distance, and he just stood there for a few seconds. I wondered if I irritated him unintentionally by saying that. 

 

"Do whatever you like. Return back to the village before your nose becomes purple" He says flatly without looking back at me.

 

With another gentle breeze, Sesshomaru walks away and disappears into the trees. I watched as he walked away, I didn't feel sad or anything. I felt like I managed to close the distance between us a little bit, even though he is far away physically. I look up at the crescent moon and smiled.

 

"I would like to think I made progress of making him soften up a bit." I said feeling warm inside. 

 

I let out a sigh and touched my nose.

 

"Wow he's right, my nose is starting to go numb from the cold." I said.

 

I turned and run back to the village, the cold night didn't seem so bad in the end. The days went by smoothly, my friendship with Kagome and Sango grew greatly. Kagome and I became close to the point that she told me about her coming from the future, I was surprised but I found it incredible. I helped Lady Kaede and Kagome pick out herbs from the field and watched then make them into medicine. I helped Sango watch the kids when Inuyasha and Miroku are out on their "occupation."  I talked with Shippo and helped him when he needed to get something and such. I spent time with Rin as well, she and I would help with lunch and dinner. We would go out and greet the villagers, I would go play koto for the elders to keep some of them companied. After dinner we would all it and enjoy a small tea session. Miroku and I get along well and he's a really funny monk if I have to say, Inuyasha, well a bit temperamental at times but he's nice to talk to too. It makes me wonder what happens when he and Sesshomaru converse since they're are polar opposite in personality, or if they ever talk at all because I heard that the siblings aren't on the best of terms. At night, I would go to the fields and practice my koto. The snow would fall slowly and lightly onto the ground, it became a habit in time. Everyday is so lively, I don't think my mind ever wavered. I feel at home here with everyone. A week and a half has passed, the whole village and land still covered in layers of snow. It's such a wonderful sight to see, how I wished I can record it down somehow. To see winter outside of my own home, and to see it with such great people. One day late afternoon, I wanted to go out of the village a little bit and see what's beyond the hills and small mountains. 

 

"I'll be going out for a while Kagome, I think I'll miss dinner tonight with you all." I said to her as I packed up my koto. 

 

"This late? You ate earlier right? Why are you going so far out?" She asks me surprised.

 

"I wanted to compose a song lately, I thought I could use some inspirations. Don't worry about me Kagome I ate earlier. If I come back late I'll just dab a little and head to bed. So I'll see you guys tomorrow most likely." I said standing up with my koto strapped on back. 

 

"I see, well you've been pretty busy helping us. Going to play for the villagers seem to be restraining you a tiny bit doesn't bit. It's a bit sad to know that you go out to the fields at night to play, it'll be bad if you forget how to play music one day." Kagome said with a frown.

 

"Haha don't worry, a musician won't ever forget how to play an instrument once they start. They might get rusty, but the skill will never disappear. I'll be going then, I do want to get back before the next day for sure." I said heading out.

 

"That's true, well dress warmly. We'll leave some food for you when you come back and feel hungry. I'll let the others know, be careful of slippery steps alright?" Kagome says handing me a blanket.

 

"I don't think I'll need it Kagome, I'm dressed warmly." I said confused.

 

"You say that, but being out in the snow too long you'll eventually get cold. Take it for safety measures just in case, no arguing." Kagome says sternly.

 

"Haha gee, although I'm older than you you're quite pushy aren't you?" I laughed.

 

"By a year, besides one's health is most important." Kagome replies with a smile.

 

"Alright, I'll take it along, see you Kagome." I say with a wave.

 

"Bye! Don't come back to late!" Kagome shouted.

 

I exited the village and headed towards the hills that leads into the small mountains. Along the way I get to clear my mind and think of how to start off composing my next song. I would sit down on a rock and play it out on my koto and see how it sounds, I would then memorize it and add on the next segment. Before I know it, I composed about half of the song already. I sit down when I reached a small hill and I sit sown in the snowy ground. I can feel my face slowly going numb, luckily I have the warm blanket with me. I place it over my lap and place my koto on my lap. It took me about an hour and a half to two hours to get to where I am now, the sun is setting. I warm up my fingers with my breath and place them on the strings, I begin to play the new song that I composed, just what I have so far. It sounds more like a love song than I have intended it to, but I think it's coming along nicely. 

 

"Time to head back, before it gets really dark." I said to myself getting up and heading back.

 

It took me longer than my way here, by the time I got back to the village everyone already turned in. I went to the big hut where we all eat, I opened the curtains and see a small table with a bowl of rice, and some plates of vegetables and meat dishes. A tea pot and a cup laid beside it. I smiled feeling grateful to Kagome and the others for thinking of me. I sit down and warmed my hands up with a small fire and ate my dinner alone. I drank a few cups of tea until my cheeks warmed up. I cleaned everything up and I went outside with my koto and a blanket. 

 

"I don't want to sleep yet, I'll head to the field and play a little bit and then I'll go to bed." I say to myself with my koto on my arms.

 

Just like I came back, I go out once again. Like I say, it became a habit. After a few minutes, I finally arrive at the familiar field of snow. I breathed in the fresh air and sit down draping the blanket over my shoulder. I place my fingers onto my koto and start playing tunes, tunes after another. Surprisingly I didn't play my new song, guess I plan to play it after completing it fully. About half an hour passed, I decided to finally head back. The snow calmed down drastically, guess the heavy days passed. I turned to my left and a gentle wind breeze across the field, carrying my eyes to some trees not far in the distance. Leaning against a tree trunk is Sesshomaru, with one knee bent looking up at the moon. I'm surprised that he's here, guess he came to visit Rin again. But, I'm happy that I got to see him again. I smiled and begin to walk up to him, in time I stopped a few feet from him, a bit closer than last time.

 

"Lord Sesshomaru, I didn't know you were here. Did you come to visit Rin today?" I asked look down at him. 

 

"Yes." He said simply.

 

"I see, she must've been really happy to see you." I said.

 

"Rin always smiles when I visit." He says in a soft monotone voice.

 

"I'm sure she does, you're an important person to her. Do you mind if I sit down?" I asked him.

 

He took a glance over to me without moving his head and turns back to look at the moon.

 

"Do whatever you like." He says flatly.

 

I gave a small smile and walked up to a tree about 2 and a half meter away from him and sit down, leaning against the tree. I place the koto my lap and look up at the moon.

 

"The moon's light and reflecting off the snow, it's beautiful isn't it?" I asked trying to start a conversation with this great dog demon.

 

"It's nothing new, 500 years later and it's still the same." He says flatly with no emotions.

 

"I see, but to me, it's beautiful everytime. Back home I always watched the snowfall from my room, my parents wouldn't want me to get a cold from staying outside. It was quite lonely for me, until my little sister was born. As she grew older we would watch the snowfall together every year. Although the snow never changes color and the weather is always cold, it's a beauty that is fleeting. I think it's even more beautiful when you watch this fleeting beauty with someone else." I say looking at the snow softly drifting down to the ground. 

 

I look over to Sesshomaru and I see him still looking up at the moon, the snowflakes gently landing in his hair, blending in perfectly into his silver silks. His expression is soft as he look upwards and he seem to be in thought. 

 

"I'm sorry if I spoke too much, I guess being away from home for such a long time got me a bit homesick." I say quietly.

 

"Don't worry." He says flatly." 

 

"Although away from home, Inuyasha and the others makes me feel at home, I see Rin as a little sister. Her smile is really cheerful and seeing her so happy after your visits is really nice, she deserves all the happiness in the world." I say looking up at the sky.

 

Sesshomaru let's out a "hmmm" of agreement, still looking forward.

 

"Uhm, I composed a new song today, I'm still not finished yet. Would you like to hear it and tell me how it is so far?" I ask him feeling a bit nervous all of a sudden.

 

He then glances over at me and then looks forward.

 

"Doesn't matter." He says closing his eyes.

 

Remembering what he said to me before of "do whatever you like." I decide to give this oppuetunity a shot, hoping that it can make him open up to me a little bit more." I warmed up my fingers and started playing, I let my mind go free and played with I have memorized so far. The snow still falling onto us as the field is filled with a mellow tune. When I finished, I gently took my hands off the koto and place them on the sides. 

 

"Wish I can play the whole song for you but unfortunately I only just started composing it today. I didn't know if it's good or not because so far I only played it to myself and now you." I said looking at my koto.

 

There is a brief silence, and I start to think that it's not his taste. I look down at my koto and gently glide my fingers over the strings.

 

"Beautiful music takes time and patience." Sesshomaru suddenly says gently with his eyes closed.

 

His words made me lift my head up to look at him, surprised by words. Without realizing it a smile forms on my face.

 

"I suppose you're right. You know I was told that you hated humans a few years back, although I didn't know the you back then but I think you're quite compassionate although we only interacted twice." I say with a small smile.

 

"Although it was Rin who made me learn compassion, interacting with humans isn't very delightful to me. I'll only interact with humans when I don't have any other choice." Sesshomaru says with his eyes closed.

 

"I see, I won't be bothering you anymore then, it's quite late. I hope we can become friends as time passes, it's nice to talk to someone late at night and share thoughts and feelings with. It's soothing." I say all of a sudden. 

 

Sesshomaru's eyes open slowly as I said those words but he does make any movements. 

 

"Are you going back now? Aren't you cold?" I ask him all of a sudden realizing that he's probably been out here longer than I have.

 

"We demons don't feel cold, I'm staying here a little longer." He says flatly.

 

"I see, but regardless, here." I say walking up to him and kneeling in front of him.

 

His silver hair laid around him almost like a pool. His eyes opens up and looks at me in surprise, his brows furrowing together. 

 

"Don't worry, I'm not going to hurt you or anything." I say.

 

I unfold the blanket that I brought with me and gently lay it over Sesshomaru's body. His eyes looks at me in surprise but he's still looks composed. I look up at into his face, his face only a few centimeters away from mine. His porcelain skin smooth and flawless, fhe four magenta strips on his cheeks defining his face beautifully, the crescent moon on his forhead making him look celestial. His silver bangs lightly covering his forhead. His amber eyes looking into mine, blazing in gold. 

 

"I know you don't feel cold or anything, but I think having something warm with you is nice. I'll be going then." I say with a small smile.

 

I stood up and picked up my koto, Sesshomaru didn't move a muscle. I then start to walk back to the village, holding tightly to my koto.

 

"It's beautiful..." I suddenly hear him say in a quiet voice.

 

I turn around to look at him, his back still against the tree, the blanket still covering him. He didn't look at me, from the angle of his head I can tell he's looking at the moon.

 

"Thank you. So when it's done, can I come play it to you?" I ask quietly.

 

He didn't reply for a few seconds but then turns his head a little to the side, I could see his profile in the moonlight. The wind then gently blows.

 

"Do whatever you like." He says quietly.

 

Under the moonlight, I think I see a faint smile on his lips before he turns his head towards the moon again. I smile and return back to the village.