He stared at the moon, as he always did. It wasn't a simple task that he accomplished each night for it was at this time, when his mind would trail after stray thoughts that had slithered into it during the day. Pondering them silently, as his gaze sought out the sliver of moon, which on this night looked much like the one placed upon his forehead, he would tie the two frayed ends to their proper thought and scatter them out to the wind.

This night was no different then the rest. He was neither confused, nor lost. However he pondered his strange action, or rather the swords action.

His mind traveled back to an orange sunset, silently.

He woke and saw bushes through blurred eyes, and he lay there perfectly still. A rustling reached his ears and he tensed. It grew louder and he smelled those foul humans'. Enraged that they had stumbled upon him, he sat up snarling. It was a girl. A young human girl that stood there staring at him. He stopped.

She stood there and stared at him, which caught him off guard. Her little hands had hugged the tree next to her when his growl erupted from his throat, but her little hands dropped after swallowing nervously. He smelled fear at first, and almost smirked in satisfaction, but sniffing out of irritation, her fear slipped away and was replaced by something else.

Frowning, he continued to stare at this little girl who either didn't know better, or didn't care if she lived or died. She turned away, and he made sure she was gone before he fell back onto the ground. However, his head hit something soft and he smiled faintly as he realized that it was the pelt he held over his right shoulder.

Closing his eyes, he concentrated on healing his aching body. 'Damn Inuyasha.' He silently cursed to himself. His hopes of breaking the sword had back fired, leaving him here, injured. Smirking, he realized his brother would prove to be a formidable foe if he continued to discover his own powers.

Growling low in his throat at the mere thought of his brother, he threw the thought out and instead blocked out every thought that tried to enter his mind. Another rustling reached his ears, and he opened his eyes sniffing the air. Frowning, it was that girl again.

Moving his gaze over to her, he watched as she lugged a jug of water through the bushes, and place it near him on the ground. Feeling a frown pull at the corners of his lips, he noticed she stayed a respectful distance away, only using her hands to push the jug forward. She didn't glance at him, nor lift her head in anyway. She kept her eyes lowered, out of respect.

This little girl wasn't nervous, or afraid in the way she moved, but she held herself stiffly. Without a word, she stood up and exited the clearing. She was almost silent on her little feet, which his ears silently thanked her for, and even her breathing was soft. It wasn't raspy or hitched as most humans' were.

His gaze moved to the water jug, and he stared at it hard. He didn't know how long he stared at the wooden thing, and silently didn't care. The sun had long set and now as he stared at the jug, he found the comforting hue of the moon. More rustling. Feeling a growl enter his throat, he lifted his gaze once again to the very bushes the girl had vanished through earlier.

It was that girl again, and this time she carried a leaf in her tiny hands. Sniffing the air, he turned his head away, and frowned in irritation. This girl would continue to bother him unless he said something.

He heard her place the leaf beside the jug and then move away slowly.

"Don't do such a useless thing. Your generosity is wasted, I don't need human food." He hissed angrily.

Her feet stopped for a moment, and then grew softer as she left.

Turning his gaze to where she had gone, his eyes trailed to the leaf of offerings. 'Mushrooms and fish?' Who was this girl?

Closing his eyes, he allowed his mind to focus on healing once again.

Morning had come quickly, and he still held his concentration on healing his injuries. This was proving to be most tiresome. 'Another day and I will leave as if I were never here.' He thought.

His ears perked up hearing the soft padded feet of the little girl again, and he opened his eyes staring at the sun drenched trees above him. He glanced her way quickly taking in her bruised and battered face, and he found himself inwardly smirking. Was this girl deaf? Had she not taken his warning seriously? Turning his gaze away, he watched the ray from the sun dance upon the trees.

He heard her sigh, and approach slowly.

"I don't need it." He forced out.

Rather then her feet disappear again, he heard them race to his side, and he almost jumped in surprise. Remaining perfectly still, he heard her stop quite close to him. A small sound escaped her lips, and he ground his teeth in annoyance.

"I told you I don't need anything from you." A saddened sigh reached his ears. She smelled of blood.

Not glancing over her way, he knew it was her blood he smelled. "What happened to your face?"

A surprised gasp escaped her lips, and she shifted.

"If you don't want to talk, that's fine." He heard the defeat, sorrow, loss, and pain through that one gasp, and he shifted his gaze over to her. His eyes met her brown one, and he stared at her startled and surprised expression. Her face was swollen on the right side, holding her right eye closed. But no tears marred her face, no fear, and her eyes held no askance for pity. They were emotionless and dead.

She closed her eye and she smiled. 'Smiled?' Who is this girl? He wondered.

"Why are you smiling?" She continued to smile at him, and he was amazed at how brave this little one was. "I only asked you a question." He found himself become confused over this small human. Her small laughter filled his ears. Why was this girl smiling? Humans were emotion filled wrecks. But this little girl held nothing but joy now. As if his asking her a question filled her completely.

'Where are her parents? Why is she beaten?' These and many questions filled his mind, when her silent form stood up and she skipped out of the clearing, not uttering a single word of explanation. 'This little girl has seen too much in her short little life.' He mused, turning his gaze down to the leaf holding grain. 'Persistent.'

The day passed, and the little girl did not come. Even though he felt his mind trailing to this strange human girl, he actually found himself feel slightly disappointed at her absence. As night came and went, he shrugged off the girl and stood up gathering his pelt and placed it in its rightful place on his shoulder. Perhaps his one question to her was enough to make her happy and went back to her own life. His eyes looking once at the bushes where she had come and gone, he turned away and exited the clearing.

As he walked through the trees, he gritted his teeth at the annoying voice of his retainer. Jaken had found him. Exiting the trees he stood in the field and watched silently.

"Lord Sesshoumaru, would you have actually have risked my life to test your sword? You ungrateful dog!"

Curling his lip, he reached down for a stone and chucked it at Jaken. Satisfied as Jaken flew off the beast, he approached his two headed dragon as they lifted their head, and Jaken quickly jumped back up to stare at him.

"Lord Sesshoumaru, before I continue in your service, were you actually testing your sword on me?" Jaken asked.

Grunting, and annoyed, he felt his anger build. "I expected a relived welcome from you Jaken. Not an interrogation."

"Uh-right." Jaken laughed nervously. "I'm glad you're well, I thought you might be dead."

'Oh shut up!' Sesshoumaru thought to himself, throwing another rock at the irritating toad youkai. Knocking him off the two headed dragon again, Sesshoumaru caught the scent of something, and he glanced over his shoulder to the trees he had come from. 'Blood. Blood and the smell of wolves.' He frowned. He had smelled this blood before. "I recognize this blood." He whispered softly. Turning around he reentered the trees and followed the smell slowly. Jaken followed behind him, curiously.

He stopped, and saw the cause of this smell, and he inwardly flinched. 'Had she come back to litter more on my person?' He thought to himself. 'Stupid girl.'

Jaken walked up next to him and stared. "What is that? She's a goner that's for sure." The toad approached the little girl. "She must have been attacked my wolves. Look at the teeth markings." Sesshoumaru stared. "Do you recognize this pathetic human?"

He didn't care about the little girl, but her smiling face entered his mind as he looked at her lifeless body. 'She was running? To where?' He thought to himself. Silently he knew where, she was running to him. 'But why?' He wondered.

Without thinking, he lifted his hand to Tenseiga. This would be the perfect opportunity to test his sword again. He had used it on Jaken, knowing it wouldn't kill him, but here was a dead girl. Pulling his sword out of its scabbard, he held the point down to the earth. Jaken's annoying voice filled his ears in question.

"What? What are you doing sire?"

Ignoring his irritating voice, Sesshoumaru felt the sword pulse in his hand, and he glanced at it curiously. 'It wants me to do this?' It pulsed again as if in response to his silent question, and he frowned. "Interesting." He muttered.

Sesshoumaru lifted his head and stared at the girl, but he saw something clear the haze that started to surround her body. "I can see them." He mused, looking at the wrinkled creatures surrounding the girl's body. "They are from the under world." Frowning, he felt himself anger at the mere thought of these creatures taking this little girl with them. "I'll do another test." The anger started to ebb away. This little girl's life was taken from her, all because she wanted to shower him with gifts. He didn't feel guilt, but something else, as he stared at her lifeless body. "I'll use the Tenseiga."

He almost growled with irritation as Jaken gasped surprised. "What are you doing sire?" He squawked. "What are you doing?"

Taking a deep breath, Sesshoumaru hefted his sword slicing above the girl's body, taking down the underworld's underlines. 'They will not have her!'

Sheathing his sword at his side, he knelt down beside the girl and took her into his arm, laying her across his lap. 'Will this actually work?' He thought. 'I care nothing for humans, but…' His thoughts were cut off as the little girl's heart started beating in her chest, and he gasped loudly. 'It cannot be.'

He stared down at her silently and watched her eyes open slowly. Hope filled them.

"She came back to life." Jaken gaped. "Lord Sesshoumaru did you just save this human girl with the Tenseiga?"

'Obviously.' Sesshoumaru thought almost rolling his eyes at the toad's idiotic question.

Adoration filled the girl's eyes, hope, and something else he couldn't put his finger on. She stood up never once taking her eyes off his, and he stared back at her surprised at himself for giving her life.

Standing up, Sesshoumaru walked away, ignoring the toad's cries of distress. 'Tenseiga, you compelled me to save the life of a human.' It was the swords fault, wasn't it? He wasn't so sure now. She had her life back now, she could return to her home.

Frowning, he heard her small steps following him, and he stopped looking back at her. She stopped, and so did Jaken.

Jaken seeing the frown turned to the girl. "Go home, human." He sneered.

Sesshoumaru turned his gaze to the little girl who stood there uncertainly. Her eyes were not afraid, and she held hope in them. They silently begged him for understanding, and he frowned deeper. 'Did this girl not have a home?' He silently thought to himself.

Turning away, he walked back to the field where his two headed dragon waited. Entering the field, the girl raced forward right for the dragon. There was no fear emanating from her, no hesitation, and no reluctance. The dragon on the right glanced down at the little girl, while the head on the left lifted its gaze to Sesshoumaru.

"Ah…" The little girl muttered in a soft voice. She reached up on her toes and touched the right head of his dragon. The left head lowered and nudged her in the side causing her to grunt, and then giggle. "Un…"

She turned away and waited as Sesshoumaru walked up and he glanced down at her. Something about her made him find her interesting. Jaken stumbled after, grunting and snarling with annoyance at the little girl, and Sesshomaru had had enough. Turning, he glared at the toad.

"Jaken! Enough." Sesshoumaru turned away and began walking, listening and finding the girl following without question. The dragon walked beside her, and seemed to accept her without question. Jaken followed behind them still complaining.

She raced through the field picking flowers, taking in every aspect of her life, soaking in everything, and Sesshoumaru felt himself become comforted by this girls actions.

As he stared at the sliver of moon, tinged in a blue hue, he glanced over his shoulder and stared at the girl. She was curled up around the two headed dragon, sleeping, and Jaken slept further away. His irritation was clear.

The dragon never accepted anyone, but they did this girl. Frowning, he approached the left side and touched the dragon's head in question. It lifted and stared at him. The right head lifted as well, but lowered again shifting its head closer to the girl.

The left head followed suit and shifted closer on the other side of the girl, and Sesshoumaru watched fascinated. "Huh." Turning away he lifted his gaze to the moon once again. 'Interesting.'

The girl shifted a bit making him turn and glance at her. She wrapped her tiny arm around the right head of the dragon and uttered softly. "Ah."

There had been only two sounds that had exited her mouth the entire day, and he frowned. 'Did she not know how to speak?' He mused. Feeling his mouth twitch, he realized that perhaps that is all she knew how to say. However thinking further on it, she always grunted 'Ah' when referring to the right head of his dragon, while using 'Un' for the left head.

Did this girl name his dragon? Sesshoumaru lifted his brow in silent pondering. "Ah 'Un?"

The dragon lifted both heads in response and Sesshoumaru smirked. "Ah 'Un it is then." Sesshoumaru nodded and turned away. The heads lowered again, curling up around the little girl and Sesshoumaru walked over to Jaken nudging him with his foot.

"Sire?" Jaken muttered rubbing his eyes.

"Remain here, Jaken. I will return." Sesshoumaru left without any explanation.