InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ The Strength of Love ❯ Chapter 13 ( Chapter 13 )

Disclaimer: I do not own.

HI! It's been a while. The holidays were crazy and then school started up again. Then...I fractured my wrist in a fight with the concrete. (It won...) I had most of this done last weekend, but I was going to finish it up during the week, but it's hard typing with one hand. I hope you all like how this chapter goes. I'll explain more at the end of the chapter.

Thanks reviewers! Thank you Vampirebaby13 (I don't know why I didn't thank you last time, sorry.), Forever Tiger, Vikki, New Fan, imagine-me, Verona, essis, and animefreek1124!

Rin sat on the hill overlooking the field of white lilies with a smile on her face. She watched her two girls run around the flowers, trying to pick out the best looking ones. The oldest, Nozomi, looked in Rin’s direction and waved her small hand that held the flowers. Hotaru soon saw this and looked up to smile before going back to her task. Off in the distance, Rin heard grunts and metal clashing together.

“You need to be focused on everything around you,” she heard Sesshoumaru’s voice boom.

“Yes, Father,” her son answered.

Suddenly the sun was covered by a cloud and the wind picked up. Feeling something was wrong, Rin called for her girls and watched as they seemed to run in slow motion to her. An evil cackle was heard and she saw Nozomi fall and Hotaru turn around to pick her up. Rin tried to move, but it seemed something was holding her down. She looked for Sesshoumaru, but could not find him.

“Sesshoumaru,” she called, hoping that would get his attention.

“These are mighty fine girls, miss. They will bring me quite a bit of money,” the voice smirked.

“No!” she yelled, still struggling against some unknown force.

“That’s enough of you,” he yelled back as an unknown katana forced its way into her abdomen.

“No!” she screamed and coughed up a bit of red blood on the green grass. “Sesshoumaru!”

-

“Rin?” a deep and even voice spoke. “Rin?”

She struggled against the weight as she called out Sesshoumaru’s name.

“Rin? I am here.”

Rin opened her eyes and looked up to see Sesshoumaru’s body above hers and his arm carefully over her stomach to hold her arms down. Her breathing still erratic, she looked around in the dark room and pausing where the moonlight hit her silver hairbrush.

“It was a dream?” she asked.

“Yes, my Rin,” he answered and she felt the weight on her stomach lift.

She sat up and waited a few minutes for her breathing to return to normal. Her eyes turned to focus on her mate who was sitting up beside her. “He…he was going to take them and I called for you, but you didn’t come. I wanted you to come to help me, but you didn’t and he…he killed me.”

She moved out of bed and put on the yukata that had been tossed to the floor earlier that night.

“Where are you going?” Sesshoumaru asked.

She looked back and saw his silver blue hair shine in the moonlight that came through the crack of the doors to the balcony and onto their bed. “I have to check on them. I won’t be able to rest unless I know they’re safe.”

“They are safe. I sense nothing unusual,” he stated plainly.

She smiled, knowing he could see her. “It’s just something a mother has to do.” Rin slid the door open and quietly walked to the room where her two girls slept. She, as quietly as she could, opened their door and stepped in.

“Mother, why are you here?” asked Hotaru as she pulled the thin sheet over her head.

“Ssssh, you’ll wake up your sister,” she whispered to her daughter.

“I’m already up Mama,” Nozomi said plainly from the other side of the room. “We couldn’t sleep with your yelling.”

Rin blushed. “Sorry. I had a bad dream and I wanted to make sure everything was alright.”

“Everything’s fine Mama. Daddy would have known if something was wrong,” Nozomi yawned.

“And we’re old enough to take care of ourselves,” added her sister. “You better get back to bed. Father will be angry if you fall asleep on them again this year.”

“It wasn’t my fault,” pouted Rin before turning around. “Well, I’ll let you two get some sleep.”

“Don’t go to Tatsuki, please? I think he’ll be embarrassed that his mother is still checking up on him,” called Hotaru softly.

Rin took a deep breath at the door. “I liked you two better when you couldn’t talk.” She shut the door and walked to her son’s room.

“Don’t even think about it, Mother,” Tatsuki called from in his room before Rin could place her hand on the door.

“Fine. I liked it better when you were younger too,” she grumbled and walked back to her room.

“Are you feeling better?” asked her mate.

Rin stuck out her bottom lip. “No. They are getting too old.” Her eyes lit up and a smile appeared. “We need a new baby.” She walked to the bed and stepped in, coming closer to Sesshoumaru’s face.

“Rin,” was all he could say before she kissed his lips.

“I know,” she half smiled. “It will only lead to heartbreak, but this time it could happen.”

His hand came to rest on her cheek. “And what if it does not happen? I think what we have is good enough.”

She smiled although her heart wasn’t behind it. “Yeah. I suppose we should get some sleep.”

Rin waited for Sesshoumaru to lie down before she took her place in the crook of his arm.

-

Rin waited at the table for her husband to walk in. Tatsuki was the first to come after her. He was as tall as Sesshoumaru and his silver hair had already touched the small of his back when it wasn’t pulled up. She smiled at the thought of Sesshoumaru telling her how much he looked like his father with his hair pulled up showing is purple markings on both cheeks. His golden eyes still retained some of the brown specks, but shown with the intensity of his father. Tatsuki seemed to know everything that was happening and his silver ears kept track of every sound around him. She watched him place his sword his father had made for him on the wall behind him before making his way to his seat.

“Forgetting something?” she asked and she watched him turn around and take off his chest armor.

“Happy now?” he asked with a smile as he fixed his blue and white haori.

“Yes.”

“Stop following me!” yelled one of the girls in the hallway. Hotaru walked through the door and smiled at Rin.

Rin smiled back as she watched her youngest put her sword behind her seat at the table and take off the armor she liked to wear. Her daughter’s hair had grown from a bluish white color when she was young to a deep brown. Today, her hair was tucked behind her youkai like ears and left to fly around her shoulders and down the middle of her back. Her hearing was not like her brother or sister, but Hotaru never let that get to her. She was a fighter. She did not lether weakness show;she was Sesshoumaur's daughter. She was never one to wear the kimonos like her twin sister and that was shown by her simple red haori and hakama.

“And don’t put flowers in my hair, Nozomi!” she barked.

“Calm down, Hotaru. She probably thought that with everyone coming today you might want to look different,” said Rin, trying to calm her down.

“You always take her side, Mother. Where’s Father? He’ll take my side.”

“I don’t take sides, but I do have to say that you did look nice with the flower in your hair.”

“That sounds like taking sides, Mother,” Tatsuki chimed in.

Rin glared at her son and then looked at Nozomi. “Apologize for the flower and we can put this all behind us.”

Nozomi bowed her head, “Sorry, Hotaru.”

Rin looked at her oldest girl. The small child had grown up to be a beautiful, but small woman. She was Rin’s girl. Nozomi had long dark brown hair that she always kept off her face and brown ears on the top of her head. She always liked to dress up in the prettiest kimonos and wear red on her lips. Unlike Hotaru, who had brown eyes, Nozomi had dark amber eyes that almost looked like the sky during the setting sun. It was just one of the many things these twins did not share.

“Thank you,” said Rin as Nozomi sat down at her spot beside Hotaru and looked over her pink kimono with white lilies embroidered on it.

“Rin! How are you this fine morning?” asked Mochihiro as he walked in the room.

“I’m fine. How are you?” she smiled at her old friend.

“You are fine? Mother, you were keeping us all awake last night!” said Hotaru.

“Hotaru!” she reprimanded.

“You didn’t sleep well?” Mochihiro asked.

“I had a bad dream that’s all,” answered Rin while glaring at her daughter.

“About what?”

“It was nothing. It was just a dream of them as children and then it turned into a nightmare.”

“Do you need anything to help you sleep tonight?”

“No, but thank you Mochihiro,” Rin smiled.

“All right,” he hesitantly smiled back.

“It’s about time father,” called Hotaru at Sesshoumaru.

“Hotaru!” scolded Rin.

“Daddy, do you think that I can do something this year?” asked Nozomi.

“Like what?” he asked as he sat down beside Rin.

Nozomi wrinkled her nose, “Um…I don’t know.”

“Then my answer is no,” he responded.

“But, Hotaru gets to do things,” she whined.

“Hotaru know what she wants to do.”

“Maybe she can play a song for us tonight?” asked Rin trying to get them to stop.

“Rin,” he stated simply, letting her know she should have stayed out of it.

“I’m just helping the situation. You know if this goes on you’ll get angry and Nozomi will run out of the room crying.”

“Can I play for them tonight, Daddy?”

“Yes,” he said without looking at her.

Rin watched her daughter smile in triumph and start on her breakfast of fish and rice. “So, Tatsuki, how was your training last week?”

“Well,” he started before finishing the bite of food he had in his mouth. “Father said I was doing great.”

“That-”

“No, he didn’t say great. He said I was coming along nicely, but I still needed to work on catching what I can’t see.”

“Ah. What about you Hotaru?” asked Rin, trying to get more information about the week they were gone training.

“It went well. Father told me what I needed to work on and I plan towork it. One day I will be stronger than you ‘suki.”

“My name is Tatsuki and you will never pass me on the battlefield, my dear sister.”

“At least I know how to listen to my environment,” spat Hotaru to her brother beside her.

“Oh shut up ‘ru.”

“My name isn’t Ru,” she growled and threw the piece of fish at him.

“Hey!” he yelled when it hit him on the cheek.

“See! You can’t even dodge a piece of fish!”

“I’ll dodge you,” growled Tatsuki as he took up his fish and threw it at her, which she dodged and fell on Nozomi’s chest.

“Hey! You just ruined my new kimono!” screamed Nozomi with tears in her eyes.

“Hey, kids,” called Rin, trying to get them to stop fighting and throwing food.

“I hate you two,” Nozomi screamed again and threw her bowl of rice which was dodged by both her siblings.

“I’m sorry for being l-” said Jaken before a bowl of rice hit him square in his face.

“Tatsuki! Hotaru! Nozomi!” roared Sesshoumaru. The three teen aged dog hanyous stopped what they were doing and faced their father.

Rin looked at Sesshoumaru and fumed, ‘How come he can make them stop and I can’t!’

“Tatsuki! You are seventeen and the oldest. You should know better than to act like that while eating. Hotaru and Nozomi! You both are going to be sixteen in a month. I suggest you two start acting like it. If you three act like this when they are here, you all will not see the light of day. Go clean up, now!”

Rin’s three children silently got up. “And apologize to Jaken,” she added.

After picking up their things and each saying they’re sorry, the three of them walked out of the room with theirchins held close to their chests.

“I should make myself presentable also,” said Jaken and made his way out of the room.

“I think I’ve had my entertainment for the morning,” laughed Mochihiro. “I’ll leave you two alone.”

“I…I…” spoke Rin after Mochihiro left.

“I love our children, but if they do that when the Lords are here I will-”

“I know, Sesshoumaru, I know. I hope nothing like that happens either. I don’t want this to be like six years ago when Nozomi got sick all over Lord Genbu and Hotaru and Tatsuki were fighting every chance they got.” She chuckled. “I was so embarrassed. I just wanted it all to end. I’m glad that each of them is helping you this year. It’s nice to have them learn the ins and outs. It’s just,” Rin looked at Sesshoumaru, “why didn’t you let Nozomi do anything important. I know she’s not a fighter like her sister, but she could learn some of the politics. Maybe she’ll be good at that?”

She waited for him to answer, but after the long pause she decided to cut in. “It was just a suggestion. I know you look at her differently than the other two and I do too, but maybe it’s time to look at her more like an adult than the child she still seems to be. I think that’s where I went wrong. She was so sick as a baby and a little girl that we babied her too much. And the fact that she,” Rin’s breath caught in her throat, “she died makes her that much more special to us. I think the others notice how we treat her with more care and softness.”

Rin smiled before erupting in a giggling fit. “Lord Sesshoumaru, the softy, finding it hard not to be.”

She stood up and saw Sesshoumaru do the same. Quieting down, Rin walked over to her mate and kissed him on the cheek. “We can talk about it later tonight. I’m going to see if everything is ready.”

“Rin,” he called as she made her way to the door. “I am sure everything is ready.”

She turned around and smiled at him, “But I’m going to make sure.”

“Rin.”

She walked over to him and wrapped her arms around his chest, lying her head on his shoulder. “They’re growing up…” she whispered.

“I know,” he said and moved his hand to gently rub her back.

-

Rin walked down the stairs to join Sesshoumaru at the entrance to their palace. Her hair was tied back, but was still allowed to be loose around her shoulders. She took one look at her kimono with the colors of red, orange, and yellow that faded into each other horizontally, like the setting summer sun.

“Stop pushing me, jerk!” yelled a female behind her.

“Both of you stop it,” Rin said without looking behind her. “We are letting you greet them here this year. Don’t embarrass me or your father or you won’t be able to do this again.”

“Yes, Mama,” said Nozomi followed by two other grunts of acknowledgement.

“It’s nice to see you and Lord Seiryu thinking about coming to an agreement. Do you think they’ll be here though?” asked Rin as they waited for the Lord and Lady of the Eastern Lands.

“I do not know. They told us they were coming, but it seems they are having some trouble with the people of their land. They might-”

“Lord Sesshoumaru,” smiled a young demon with blue hair that was pulled back off his face. This allowed Rin and everyone else see the blue star on his forehead that showed he was Lord Seiryu’s child. His gold eyes sparkled as he walked closer to Rin and his blue haori lined with gold was the only thing that could be heard in the small courtyard entrance.

“I should introduce myself,” he bowed. “Lord Seiryu and Lady Leiko couldn’t make it this year and they sent me, Kisho.”

“I wonder why they couldn’t come,” smirked Hotaru.

“Hotaru!” barked Sesshoumaru.

“That’s quite alright, Lord Sesshoumaru. She has the right to her own opinion. As you can see I’m not like my Lord and Lady. I hope we can all get along at this conference.”

“I’m sure we will, Kisho,” smiled Rin as she motioned him to come with her.

“You have the star, but you don’t look like your mother,” commented Nozomi.

“Nozomi,” started Rin with a sigh.

“That’s alright, Lady Rin,” he said. “Lady Leiko isn’t my mother. Miyoko, one of my father’s mistresses is my mother.”

“I thought pups born to mistresses don’t get the mark of the house?” scoffed Tatsuki.

Rin sighed heavily. Looks like behaving his harder than I thought.

“Normally they don’t, but I have proven myself worthy of this mark. Where might yours be?” Kisho smirked.

Tatsuki growled. “If you must know, I will be given the mark on my eighteenth birthday.”

“When is that?”

“Next year.”

“Not good enough to get it at sixteen like me, I see.”

“You’re sixteen, so what!”

“Try sixty, my dear boy,” said Kisho, condescendingly.

Nozomi chuckled and Rin stopped walking and turned around. “I know you are guest, Kisho, but I’m sure Lady Leiko and your father has told you I am not afraid to throw you out.”

“They said you were very headstrong, Lady Rin. I am sorry for causing a scene,” he bowed. “And I apologize to you Lord Sesshoumaru. I am supposed to be making peace between our lands and here I am fighting with your son.”

Rin looked up at Sesshoumaru and shrugged her shoulders. “He seems a little arrogant,” she thought before turning back to Kisho. “That’s all right. Let’s get you acquainted with Lord Genbu and Lady Nara of the Northern Lands and Lord Suzaku and Lady Yuki of the Southern Lands. I’m sure they will be happy to meet you.”

“I hope they are,” he chuckled.

“Y-Yes,” smiled Rin with uneasiness. “This way.”

So, I wanted to have them older and, don't worry, it's still very much Rin's point of view and about Rin and Sesshoumaru. I just see another hurdle they need to overcome. The title still fits. I'm really excited about this part and I am just saying that after this adventure I believe this story will come to an end. I already have one in the works though. (Way to be a pimp, klutz82. )

I hope you liked! (And I'll know exactly how everything is going. It'll just take a bit typing it out.)