InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ The Strength of Love ❯ Chapter 9 ( Chapter 9 )

"Let's go and walk in the garden, Sesshoumaru."

"It is the middle of the night."

"It'll be like old times," said Rin, walking out the door.

"What about Tatsuki?"

"He's obviously been taken care of by Mochihiro all day, so I think it'll be all right."

Rin walked out of the castle hearing the steady pace of Sesshoumaru follow behind her. She smelled the cool, crisp air and walked towards the open fields.

"The full moon makes everything shine beautifully. I love how it makes the darkest of places lighten up," she marveled at the same time she sat on the grass.

"My mother loved full moons, also. She would stay in the garden those nights with my father…" he commented as he took a seat beside her. "…when it was nice."

"Some flowers love to stay out on full moons too," she smiled. "I noticed these things when we traveled."

Rin moved closer to Sesshoumaru so her head rested on his right shoulder. "What was your father like?"

"He was the most powerful demon in these lands. He was respected by the other Lords. He taught me how to fight with my claws and then a sword. He taught me what I needed to know while my mother played with me."

"You actually played? Did you laugh?" chuckled Rin and she looked up at him. The corners of his mouth turned up. "That's a start."

"There was a meeting here once a year between the Lords until he mated with a human. Then no one wanted to be around him and the meetings moved from here and to the Lord of the Northern Land's palace. It used to be a big affair; their families would come for three months over the spring. Now the meetings are just to keep everyone from fighting with each other; only the men come and we do not have them as frequently."

"That's a shame." Rin looked out over the small pond and the reflection of the moon on top. "We should have those meetings again…here. They can see me and see how I'm not weak and see how I help my mate. It might help bring you all together. I will set everything up. I think this is just what you, and they, need. What do you think?"

"I am not sure, Rin. It is not going to be easy to get them to all meet in one room and then to have them come here with their families? I am not sure."

"I'll do this for you and for your family. I wouldn't feel like I have disgraced them if I was able to do this. I could restore their faith in you as the Lord of the Western Lands. I can show them that your father was a great Lord as well."

"Rin, I would rather teach you to fight then have you plan this."

Rin smiled and let a small giggle flee from her mouth. "I know I can protect my family now. I've fought the great Lord of the Western Lands and won. This is a battle I need to take on. I can't be a weak human, not when I need to be strong for the one that needs me the most."

"It seems you have made up your mind, my Rin."

"It seems I have. I just have one request."

"What is that?"

"That you leave it all up to me."

"That is fine with me," he replied.

Rin lied back onto the grass and yawned. "Let's stay out tonight."

"All right."

"Let's stay out in the garden, every full moon."

"Yes."

Rin smiled and closed her eyes, letting the smells of the garden relax her. "So who is Mochihiro anyway?"

"You do not remember?"

"Nope." She waited for him to say more, but he didn't and she opened her eyes to see Mochihiro standing over her. "Hello?"

"He wanted to see you both. He had a bit of a spill," he said.

"What happened," she asked sitting up and taking Tatsuki from the still mysterious man.

"He pulled himself up to the table in the great room, but then fell immediately afterwards sending his chin into the table and he bit his lip with those small fangs of his."

Rin looked at Tatsuki's mouth. "He looks fine now."

"It's because he heals quickly," said Mochihiro. "But he still wanted you and wouldn't stop crying until I told him we were coming out her to see you."

"Mama," he giggled.

"So, who are you, really?" she asked towards Mochihiro.

"I'm a bird hanyou, specifically a warbler, with great healing powers inherited from my mother. I can't believe you've forgotten me."

"Why? I met you just recently." She looked at him with a hint of confusion on her brow.

"Look at me."

She watched him as Tatsuki struggled to get out of his mother's arms. Mochihiro closed his eyes and pressed his palms together. Slowly, but steadily, blue wings that shimmered in the moonlight unwrapped themselves from his back and spread out. His ears took the form of Sesshoumaru's, and came to a pointed tip while two blue marks showed up on his forehead and tapered down past his eyes to points on his cheeks. His back hair turned brown, but stayed in his neat braid that ended at his chest. He opened his eyes and smiled at her.

"Do you recognize me now?"

"You look somewhat familiar. Your wings…" She sat there with Tatsuki still struggling in her arms, but paying attention to the man turned demon in front of her. "I…Sesshoumaru?…I know you think I should know you, but I…I…"

"That is fine. You were in bad shape when Lord Sesshoumaru brought you to me."

"Wha…" She turned her head to look at Sesshoumaru. "Sesshoumaru?"

"It was during the final battle with Naraku and you were once again a pawn to try to get me to overreact and do something stupid. This time he was not joking and I took you to him. He was the only one I knew who could save you."

"But there's Tenseiga. I don't understand."

"I could not use it because you were not dead. You were living, but you…" There was a slight pause and hesitation in his voice. "…but you were dead. I do not wish to explain it further. I took you to see him and he saved you."

"It was not easy, but you were a strong girl. It seemed you had something to live for." He smiled warmly at her and Tatsuki, who had given up is plan of escape to sleep instead. "And now I see why."

She blushed, "Thank you. I never thought myself as strong. I thank you for saving my life twice. If you hadn't had been on the path I wouldn't have known which way to go. I'm glad it is this way that you pointed me to. I am always in your debt."

"You are welcome, Lady Rin," he bowed.

"So, how can you do that?"

He laughed, "Just something I picked up."

"All…right."

"My mother taught me. She was able to do the same thing."

"So your father was human. That's interesting. I don't hear that very often. Are you going to be leaving soon?"

"Rin," said Sesshoumaru.

She glared at her mate. "I just wanted to know because if he wasn't planning on being anywhere he could stay here. I have very little people to talk to and he is a very nice man." She shook her head. "I mean demon."

"I would love to stay with you. I have no family and I too get bored every now and then. All I have to do is get my supplies."

Rin looked at Mochihiro. "We can get someone to get them for you."

"That is fine. I have to go back to secure some loose ends, if you will. I should be back within six months."

"Six months," Rin pouted.

"Rin."

"That is fine. Just hurry," she smiled.

Mochihiro smiled and walked back towards the palace.

"It will be nice having someone to actually talk to me like a person, not a Lady."

"We should go in."

"We said we'd stay out here all night," she said as she turned Tatsuki around so his head rested on her chest and fell back onto the grass. "It'll be fine. Tatsuki's already asleep. It'll still be like the two of us are alone."

She felt for his hand after he lied on the ground and moved her small fingers in between his clawed ones and sighed. "Thanks for caring enough to save me all those times."

He answered by lifting his hand and kissing the back of hers.

---------------------------------

Snow fell outside their balcony door as Sesshoumaru put his hand on her stomach while she looked at the ceiling with a small smile plastered on her face.

"I have felt it too. Can you hear it?"

"Yes."

"Does…she…sound all right?" she asked nervously.

"They sound fine."

"They?"

"Yes."

Rin turned to her right side to look straight into his eyes and smiled the widest smile she ever could. "Really? There are two heart beats?"

"Yes."

"I…I…" She moved her head closer to his with the smile still plastered on her face. She quickly sat up on the bed. "Wait! I can't be having them now. I have to plan the conference. I can't be bothered by this."

"Rin. All will be fine. If you cannot handle it I will take over," he said as he slowly sat up next to her.

"But you have other things to take care of."

"I am fully capable of more than one task."

"I know, but I don't want to burden y-"

"You are not a burden, my Rin."

"Have I told you I love it when you call me yours?" she said, half asking half stating, but still with the redness drawing upon her cheeks.

He took her chin and brushed his nose gently over her lips and his mouth slowly followed. "My Rin."

-----------------------------

"I want to do something special on his birthday. It's his first one."

"Demons do not celebrate birthdays."

"But humans do. Don't you forget where half his heritage comes from?"

"I have not forgotten. I just do not see the need for something that does not matter in the long run."

"Sesshoumaru," she glared just as well as he ever could, "Do you think we could at least take him up on Ah-Un? I know it's still cold, but if we bundle him up I don't see where there would be a problem."

"I see no problem in that. Now, Rin, lay back down."

Rin smirked and lied back down beside him and let his arm gracefully fall over her chest and his head fall next to hers. `Tomorrow Tatsuki will know what it's like to fly.'

"Tatsuki, guess what?!"

"Huh?" he asked, his eyes wide with anticipation.

"It's your birthday and we are going to take a ride on Ah-Un." Rin picked up a few blankets for him and walked to the door. "Come on. It'll be fun. When Mommy traveled with Daddy she loved to sit on Ah-Un and fly through the sky."

She watched him hesitate and open his mouth as if he had something to say. She smiled and walked back to him. "Daddy will be coming too. Here." She held out her arms and Tatsuki ran into them, almost falling on the wooden floor.

"Go," said Tatsuki after Rin positioned him in front of her.

"Let's go Ah-Un," she said to the beast and it started to take to the air.

"Daddy!!" cried the one year old.

"He's coming. See, he's right beside us."

Tatsuki laughed, "Daddy."

Rin looked at Sesshoumaru gracefully flying with the help of his boa. They stayed in the air for a little while until Rin felt like she was going to have breakfast again. "Oh my gosh."

"What is it?"

"I'm going to be sick, Sesshoumaru. Now!"

"Ah-Un." He responded with a grunt and calmly made it to a clearing by a small stream.

She handed Tatsuki to Sesshoumaru and jumped off the dragon. She ran behind a tree and let it out. She wiped the sleeve of her kimono over her mouth and stood with her head down and her eyes closed. Then it hit her again.

"Mommy?"

"Stay back. Mommy is sick. It doesn't smell nice over here."

"Rin."

"I'm fine…I think. Just comes with the territory."

"We should head back."

"I suppose we should," she smiled. "How was that Tatsuki? It was fun, huh?"

"Yeah!" he smiled wide showing his teeth and small fangs.

"Look at those teeth!" she exclaimed as she tickled his stomach. Tatsuki giggled and ran to Sesshoumaru's legs. "You cannot hide there. All I have to do is breathe on him." She straightened up and looked at Sesshoumaru deviously and blew into his face.

She watched him break his stoic look and close his eyes in disgust. She tried to stifle the laugh that crept up her throat, but it didn't work.

"I do not see how that was funny."

"Daddy," laughed Tatsuki. "Mommy blow Daddy. Mommy win."

"I'm sorry. It didn't seem like something to pass up," she said once she quieted down. "I'm going to the stream to wash my mouth out. I'll be right back."

Once she returned she watched Sesshoumaru holding a crying Tatsuki making sure he stood clear of the spikes. "I heard him. What did he do this time?"

"He tripped over his own feet," he said dryly.

"Are you all right, Tatsuki?"

The boy nodded. "Daddy help."

"Are you ready to go home? I'm sure dinner is ready." The boy nodded again and then wiped his nose on Sesshoumaru's fluffy boa.

Sesshoumaru looked down in disgust.

"You can clean yourself when we get back. Tatsuki, that's not nice. Come here."

When they returned a familiar man greeted them at the door.

"Mochihiro! How did everything go?" asked Rin as she hugged the demon.

"Fine. How is everything with…you?" he smiled.

"Great. Everyone said that they were going to come. I don't know how many people are coming and that is frustrating because I would like to know if they are planning on bringing their mates and children. But other than that the conference is coming along. Tatsuki is a year old. He's quite the child, or pup, I suppose. He-"

"Rin. I do not think he needs to be bothered by your rambling."

"It's not a bother. I was just waiting for her to ramble into talking about the new editions."

Rin let her cheeks be covered by a blush. "Yeah. I'm excited. I just feel like I've been more of a burden than I need to be."

"You are not a burden, Rin."

"Yeah, I know I know. It's just that I wanted to do this all on my own and…and…and now I'm crying," she finished by wiping her tears away. "I do this a lot; this and vomiting and eating, then vomiting, then crying. Well, you get the point. I can smell dinner. Come. Let's eat."

She started walking to the dining room and felt no one, but Tatsuki near her. She turned around noticing the two demons staring at her. "What? I'm pregnant. This is what I am for, lets see," he eyes looked off to the side, "the next four or five months."

She looked into Sesshoumaru's eyes and then turned around to continue her journey. "Is that fear? You have nothing to fear from this little human."

She heard Mochihiro laugh, "Was she like this for Tatsuki?"

"I do not know. I was gone," he said and Rin detected a hint of sadness.

She sniffed back the tears and said, "Come on. If you two wait any longer I will eat your share."

"Me too," cried Tatsuki.

Rin laughed as she listened to the sounds of them walking behind her.

-----------------------------

"Look! Look!" shouted Tatsuki as the three of them sat in the great room after dinner.

"That's beautiful!" smiled Rin, looking at the paper with black scribbles on it.

"It Daddy en Jaken!"

"Oh," she laughed. "What did Jaken do?"

"Bad?" said a confused Tatsuki.

"Was he being bad and annoying your mother?"

"Yes!"

"The only one annoying here is-"

"Jaken!" barked Sesshoumaru behind her.

"Sorry, Lord Sesshoumaru." Jaken bowed his head and walked backwards out of the great room in fear.

"Why did you stop?" Rin sighed as her mate started to rub her lower back again. "Hmmm."

"We should have canceled this meeting. You are not up to it."

"I'm up for anything. Just not after a long day of fixing up the rooms."

"I told you to let the servants do it," said Sesshoumaru, agitatedly.

"I don't want them to do everything for me. I can do things by myself," spit back an edgy Lady of the Western Lands.

"You do not need to be getting sick while they are here."

"I can get sick if I want to!" Rin pouted.

"We should have canceled this meeting!"

"Stop saying that! I really don't we need to cancel it because I'm a bit edgy! You carry two pups! Wait! You are a demon! You can handle having demon pups! I'm human! This is draining me! Besides this meeting matters and we need to have it here! It's important for the three of us!"

"Just the three of us?!" he asked as he stopped massaging her back.

"You know what I mean" growled Rin. "And why did you stop?!"

"I can stop if I want to!"

"You sound so childish!"

"Look who is childish!"

"Stop Daddy! No yell Mommy!" said Tatsuki with a scrunched nose and pointed finger. "She have babies!"

"That's right!" Rin chimed.

"I am leaving," said Sesshoumaru, standing up.

"Where are you going?"

"To my study."

"Help me up." Rin held out a hand for him to grab. He held onto it and slowly helped her up. "Thanks." She kissed his cheek and put his hand on her stomach to feel their children move.

"I wanna!!"

"All right," said Rin and Sesshoumaru picked him up.

His small hands grabbed her stomach and his mouth kissed her belly. "They happy. I hear. They look like me?"

"I do not know, son."

"I think it's time for a certain little boy to sleep."

"No! No! No! No!"

"You wouldn't want to be tired when other little boys and girls come, do you?"

"Rin, we do not know if they will bring their children here."

"Don't tell him that! We will just have to see."

"I go bed now!" Tatsuki wiggled in Sesshoumaru's arm.

"Come here," she said, holding her arms for him.

"Rin."

"Sesshoumaru," Rin glared and took Tatsuki from him. He slowly moved out of her way and she walked to the hallway. "I expect to see you in bed when I get in there. I know how cranky you get when you don't get enough…sleep."

She smiled as she heard Sesshoumaru growl behind her.

Rin opened her brown eyes slowly and looked into the golden eyes across from her and smiled. He placed his hand slowly on the sheets that hung over her swollen belly as she moved closer to him. "Are you ready for today?"

"The question is: are you ready, my Rin?" he asked softly.

"As ready as I will ever be. I know they haven't met me, but is it bad that they are meeting me while like…this?"

"It will be fine."

He moved his hand from her stomach and brushed his clawed fingers over her check and kissed her forehead. "We shall be clean when they come. Let us go to the bathhouse."

"All right."

They walked out of their room and were greeted with a wide awake toddler. "Where going?"

"We are going to take a bath," she answered.

"Why?"

"So we can be clean for when the people come."

"Why?"

"Because it's a nice thing to do."

"Why?"

"Do you want to come?"

"Yes!"

"Does he have to do that?" asked Sesshoumaru, looking at his son sit on a step and scoot off of it, and then continue the same action down the staircase.

"He's at that stage where he wants to know everything. Sometimes you just have to humor him," smiled Rin, looking at him. "He's only fourteen months."

"Come on Daddy!" he urged at the bottom of the stairs.

When they made it to the bottom of the stairs she watched her son take his father's hand and walk to the bathhouse. `You've certainty come a long way, Sesshoumaru.'

---------------------

"Tatsuki! Stop! Do you remember the last time you ran in the bathhouse?!" yelled Rin.

He stopped and looked to his feet as his silver ears drooped. "Yes."

"Come on. Let's get that off."

"I do it!"

"All right," said Rin as she turned to take off her bath robe and set it off to the side.

"See," showed Tatsuki with a puffed out chest, standing on his clothes as if he defeated them in a battle.

"Good job," smiled Rin. "Daddy's ready for you."

Tatsuki walked quickly to Sesshoumaru and jumped in.

"Tatsuki!" shouted Sesshoumaru as Rin muffled her laugh and gently sat in the tub.

"You know how your father hates to get his hair wet." He looked at her, irritated, as she burst out laughing. "I'm…I'm sorry. I couldn't resist. Now if you could get my feet." She rested them on his chest.

"Why should I? You insult me and then expect a favor? I do not think this Sesshoumaru can do that," he said raising his chin regally.

Tatsuki walked over to Sesshoumaru on the bench of the tub. "Do it Daddy. I help." He grabbed the soap laced with broken Sakura petals and started to clean her left foot.

"Don't make your son do it."

"I was trying to make you do it. That is enough my son. I will get the other one."

After he cleaned her right foot he leaned over and kissed it. Rin cocked her head to the side. "What was that for?"

"Just in case I forget to do it later."

"You won't. I'll remind you."

"Is everything ready for them?" Rin asked Mochihiro as she scooped another large bite of rice into her mouth with her chopsticks.

"You shouldn't eat that much. You know you'll be sick if you do," he warned. "And yes, I have made sure that everything was complete before this afternoon." He took the bowl away from her and walked down the hallway to the kitchen.

"But…I'm hungry," she whined after him.

"Rin."

"What?" she asked turning around to meet him.

"You have recently eaten a meal."

"But I'm still hungry."

"You never used to complain this much when you were a child," said Jaken as he casually walked past the two.

"I wasn't pregnant with two children, you green fu-"

"Rin!"

"Jacka-" She growled in her throat towards the green terror.

"Rin!"

This time she growled at the demon trying to stop her. "Where's Tatsuki?"

"He was with me in my study."

"Hmmm." She placed her hand on her stomach.

"What?"

Rin smiled. "They're fighting again. I swear. They fight as much as you and your brother do. Well, since I'm done eating I'll be waiting in the garden."

She gave him a quick kiss on his cheek and walked to the door that led to the garden. Rin gently touched her stomach. `Quiet down you two. It's an important day.'

She made it to the place once shared with her and her mate and slowly sat down underneath the tree and hummed a tune from her childhood. A yawned roamed over her face and she closed her eyes.