A/N: chapter bomb part 1 of hopefully 3. Maybe more.

Rin tried to watch as her beloved walked underneath her body and out one side, finding another large space clear of the trees. She turned her head as a massive shadow loomed and a truly massive white hound stepped up alongside her, turning to look at her with glowing red-sclera eyes. The calm Sesshomaru displayed helped to put Rin slightly at ease. He was still proportionately bigger than her, at least half a meter taller and much more muscular than her slight and spindle-legged form. He buried his muzzle for a moment in the thick fur of her neck, nuzzling her gently, then gave her chin and nose a few gentle licks to help calm her further. Her trembling stilled and when he stepped forward she tried to follow him.

The key word being 'tried'. Rin had never had four legs, obviously, and tried to step with two feet at the same time, both a leg and an arm, resulting in her tangling her long, ungainly legs and splatting to the ground in a ridiculous pile of limbs that almost took Sesshomaru down as well. He turned around instantly in concern, then let out a sharp huff that sounded suspiciously like a laugh.

Rin jumped at chieko's voice. "four legs takes some getting used to." She had completely forgotten the midwife was still there in the garden watching her struggle. She whined softly and Sesshomaru was by her side in another instant, carefully nuzzling and coaxing to get her back to her feet. Once she was up again, he poked her shoulders and flanks so she could figure out which leg to move at a time. After a few laps of the now seemingly tiny garden, Rin's long tongue lolled out in a grin as she got the rhythm down. Right front, right back, left front, left back. Easy. Her long, flowing tail swished once or twice in something akin to a wag. Her mate let out a soft and playful growl, licking her muzzle again. It seemed he was much more unrestrained in his affections in this form, she noted, nuzzling the mass of fluff his moko became in this body. Her tail flicked again as she looked out over the garden wall to the land beyond, suddenly getting the powerful urge to run and stretch her newfound legs.

"baby steps, my love." Rin's head whipped around in shock to hear Sesshomaru's voice as clearly as if he'd just spoken in her ear. She knew for a fact he couldn't speak in true form, and she knew she couldn't talk either. He nosed her cheek gently, telling her, "don't be frightened. I have dreamed of being able to speak to you in such an intimate fashion. You will soon learn to speak to me in return, I have no doubt." She blinked at him, then returned her attention to the land beyond the garden wall, shifting her front paws eagerly. The wall was still almost chest-high, so she couldn't just step over, and didn't know if it would hold her newfound weight.

Seeing her determination to run, he let out a soft sigh of amusement and took a few steps back before bounding twice and leaping smoothly over the garden wall, turning back after sticking the landing and letting out a soft growl of invitation to her. She swished her tail nervously and carefully backed up until her paws matched up with his footprints. She ran forward eagerly, her tongue lolling in the breeze, and vaulted over the wall effortlessly. The ground, though, seemed to come up much faster than she had expected on the other side, and she splatted for the second time that day, face-first in a large snowdrift. Her head quickly popped up and she shook off the loose powder, still grinning hugely. "let's go running!"

"Rin…" Sesshomaru let out a soft groan and sat beside her, bending down to gently nuzzle her stomach. "you need to take it easy. Remember the pup you carry." She huffed and narrowed her eyes at him, gathering her legs under herself and standing, trying to shake the snow onto him. Because of his pure white fur, she couldn't tell how successful she was.

Rin's small black ears perked up a little, her nose twitching as she caught the scent of wild cattle on the soft breeze. Sesshomaru sniffed as well, catching the scent. "do you want to go on a hunt together?" he suggested, glancing at her. She bowed her front end instinctively, grinning widely again, her fluffy tail swishing softly in excitement. He nodded and told her, "stay close to me, and I'll show you what to do." She straightened up and trotted cheerfully after him as he started to track the herd. As she followed the scent, snuffling along as she kept following, she caught a much more interesting scent and started following it, not even noticing she was no longer continuing on the path her mate was leading her. It seemed so familiar, but as she hadn't scented anything like it in months, she couldn't place it. She continued onward, snuffling eagerly like a hound on a trail.

Sesshomaru got within sight of the herd of wild cattle when he finally caught the other scent along with them—humans. They must be hunting the herd as well, either trying to capture the half-grown calves to gain domestic herds or more likely just trying to pick off one or two for meat, just as he was. The scent was decently stale from his position, but he thought it best they turned back, not wanting any trouble on Rin's first time out. He turned about to signal her to return to the palace, only to find her completely missing, her lack of scent making it clear she hadn't been following him for some minutes. He snarled and bolted back down the trail to where her scent veered off, following just what he had feared—the fresh scent of a human hunting group.

Rin stopped in her tracks when she heard voices ahead of her. It sounded like a group of several men, villagers from their simple, coarse language and the variety of ages apparent in the tones. Curious, she slowly edged farther forward, taking great care where she placed her massive paws, trying to be silent, though it was honestly impossible. She spotted the hunting party just as they spotted her and yelled in alarm, quickly trying to flee into the thicker trees where Rin couldn't follow. She chased them immediately, as anything fleeing automatically became prey according to her instincts. One of the younger boys with the group, no more than 8 or 9 years old, tripped on a root—

Sesshomaru rounded the last corner just as a scream of terror sounded from in front of him from a small human boy. Rin stopped so fast, alarmed and shocked back to her senses by the cry, that she fell on her rear end, staring wide-eyed at the boy. "RIN!" Sesshomaru snarled through their bond, making her flinch at the painful volume only she could hear. He was furious with her. "you don't go off on your own! It's dangerous! All these years, and you've never learned?!" he calmed almost instantly at the sight of her cowering before him in fright at his anger, head and shoulders ducked and ears as low as they could get. He gave a soft growl, proving he was only angry because he was worried for her. "let us return home, Rin. We can hunt another day. Leave the humans to their pursuits." She got carefully to her feet, ears and tail still tucked and head low as she felt awful for wandering off and worrying him. He gave a ferocious snarl as the humans tried to run after them as if intending to attack. They retreated quickly, not liking the odds against the massive and clearly ferocious InuYōkai. He led her all the way out of the forest before stopping.

"Rin…" He began, intending to apologize for scolding and frightening her earlier. But before he could continue, a soft and timid voice, almost a whisper, seemed to caress his ears, though he knew it was only within his mind.

"…sorry…" Rin managed to mumble, looking away from him, her head still bowed. She was ashamed of her actions and how much they proved she was not any more in control of her instincts than she had been before. She looked up in surprise as he gently wrapped his neck over hers as if in a makeshift hug.

"it's all right, my love. It is my own fault. I should have been more attentive and noticed the humans long before you did. I am sorry. I promise you we will have other opportunities to hunt like this." Rin relaxed at his gentle reassurance and sighed softly, leaning into his chest a little in an effort to return the odd hug. He led her back to the gates and stopped, making no effort to leap back into the garden. He was instead staring at the open gates. She looked at him curiously. While changing forms into a dog was an instinctive thing sooner or later, changing back was more of a learned skill.

"it's simple to return to human form, Rin," Sesshomaru informed her, meeting her eyes with a calm gaze. "you need simply imagine yourself as you appear human, and will it to be so." She nodded and concentrated on what she had looked like in the mirror earlier that day, imagining her paws were hands and her fluff was only on her shoulders and chest. She concentrated long and hard and opened her eyes—nothing. "you must be very forceful about it. Demand your form to return to mine," Sesshomaru told her, already having changed. She focused even harder, imagining herself in his arms, and in moments she opened her eyes as she felt his real, warm arms wrapped about her. He held her close to him for a few moments, able to feel that she was unsteady after going back from four legs to two.

"ah…don't we have to go to your Mother's palace now? Because I've changed?" Rin asked worriedly. She had barely any confidence in her true form, but she was supposed to arrive at the palace that way?! What if she stumbled or tripped? She would make a fool of herself in front of everyone, some of which, from what she'd been hearing, would be more than happy for the excuse to get rid of her. He shook his head gently, assuring her that they would go soon, perhaps tomorrow, but it wasn't the least bit necessary to go now.

After a leisurely dinner and the departure of Chieko for the palace, eager to see her mate again now that her duties were fulfilled, Sesshomaru and Rin retired for the night, with Rin curling into a loose ball and sleeping slightly separately from him, which was only slightly unusual.

Rin was reclining on piles of cushions in the seeming nest she had made, her hands draped, relaxed, across a belly of truly impressive size. It was clear she was nearly ready to give birth, and she wondered momentarily if perhaps she was having a litter instead of one child with some amusement. As Sesshomaru pulled her close in real life, he wrapped his warm arms around her form in the impressively real moment she was living now, too. She smiled as he placed one large hand on her swollen belly, gazing lovingly at her.

The scene suddenly, jarringly shifted, becoming dark. Indistinct forms and voices shifted around her in the poor light, and she could see and hear little, her mind dominated by unbearable pain. Tears leaked from her eyes as no matter what she did, the pain only seemed to grow ever more intense, until it suddenly eased. She panted, sweating, and managed to look up, seeing a tiny yellow bundle in the fitful light of the few candles they'd managed to gather in the middle of the night. "please…give him to me…" she mumbled, reaching with trembling arms for the bundle, but they walked out of the room. In all this time she never heard the newborn cry, and a woman knelt between Rin's feet, only her fiery orange hair and black teardrop forehead marking visible in the fitful light. "please…" Rin whispered again.

"I am sorry, milady…we cannot save him…he is in the Kami's hands now…" murmured the woman's voice as she calmly cleaned up from the birth. "no…No…" Rin whimpered, starting to sob—

"NO!"

Rin's voice rang out suddenly in the still night, making Sesshomaru jerk awake, instantly defensive. Seeing there was no threat, he calmed somewhat and pulled Rin into his arms as she sobbed, rubbing her back and rocking her. "Rin, what is wrong?" he asked her gently after a moment.

"I…I had the baby…" she told him between sobs, struggling to calm down. "but he didn't cry. They wouldn't…let me hold him…and when I asked why, they said—they said—" she started to sob harder once again. "I can't lose them!" she wailed softly.

"ssh…it was merely a dream. Nothing will happen." Sesshomaru smoothed her raven hair, making sure her ear was placed on his chest so his heartbeat might soothe her. It wasn't until Rin calmed and returned to sleep that he started to doubt her dream had not been something more…the Yume clan had earned their name, 'dream', from their ability to see the future and sometimes to prevent poor outcomes from happening. If Rin was a Yume, as everything about her appearance seemed to indicate…then every dream she had needed to be suspect.

Most especially the bad ones.