Chapter 19

Almost three years have gone by and Rin still remained within the same little hut with her half-demon daughter Taura. In all those years Rin never returned to the castle, nor spoke of her daughter's father Sesshomaru.

Taura is a spunky and outgoing child. She too was like her mother Rin, adventurous, loved running through the forest and enjoyed lying within the flowers near her home. Her silver hair rested past her shoulders. She wore a kimono, handcrafted by her mother Rin. On full moon nights she became human. Her hair turned black, almost dark as the midnight sky. Her eyes were the same as her mother's, a chocolate brown.

Late one evening they both rested in the hot spring taking their nightly bath. "Momma, can I ask you something?" Taura asked in her cute toddler-like voice.

"Yes, what would you like to ask me?" Rin pulled her into her lap and ran her fingers through her daughters wet hair.

"Who's my chichiue? And what does he look like?" She curiously asked.

Rin knew that this day would come when she would have to explain to Taura who her father was. She wrapped her arms around her little frame and said, "his name is...Lord Sesshomaru. He's a dog demon like yourself. But he's a full demon. He has long silver hair just like yours." Rin ran her fingers through the child's hair again. "On his forehead here he has a crescent moon. On both his cheeks are double maroon stripes." She pointed out each area along her face. "You even have his eyes."

"Is he big and strong?" Taura curiously asked again.

"Yes, yes he is. Nothing scares him. He is fearless and brave."

"Does he know about me?"

Pain shot through her heart knowing she would have to give her daughter the right answer. "No, baby. He doesn't. When I left his home I didn't know I was pregnant with you. Remember I told you was my little surprise?"

"Oh...will I ever get to meet him?"

Rin's eyes saddened when she was asked that. "I'm not sure baby. He...upset me about something which I'll tell you when you're older."

"How did he upset you?" Taura wondered. Her golden eyes look at her mother wanting to know everything about her father. "Please momma."

"He...he broke a promise to always tell me the truth. It's the reason why I always want you to tell me the truth," she explained as they both got out of the hot spring.

"Oh." As they dried off, "mama, where does he live?"

"He lives near the ocean, along the shore, in a big huge castle."

"Really? Momma, I want to see the ocean. Please promise me you'll take me. I want to go to the exact one he lives near. I want to meet him," Taura jumped cheerfully and pulled on Rin's hand. "Please promise."

Inside Rin knew she wouldn't be able to keep the promise to her daughter. She still felt the pain of being lied to. So the only thing she could come up with was, "soon, baby. I promise we'll visit. But for now we must rest."

Taura grabbed her mother's hand and fisted the air with her other hand and shouted, "yay."

After Taura fell asleep curled up in her bed, Rin stepped outside and looked up to the crescent moon. It was the exact same form upon Lord Sesshomaru's forehead. As she looked up to the night sky still, she could see his face. She could remember every detail that her finger traced along his skin. She remembers how his face was soft to the touch and warm. He only allowed her to touch him.

As Rin stood there not realizing that it was getting cold out, she fell to her knees and allowed her tears to fall. "What do I do, Granny Kaede? If you can hear me, help me make a choice." It was at this time, she needed Kaede's guidance. "Please, help me make the right decision." She hid her face within her hands and she didn't care that she was getting cold.

A gentle breeze and a bright light of warmth wrapped itself around her as she remained where she was sat. A calm elderly voice followed afterward, "dear Rin, I am here my child."

Rin lifted her head slowly to see the elderly woman who she had missed for the last three years. As tears still streamed down her cheek she shakingly said, "granny Kaede?" Her shaking hands reached out to Kaede's wrinkled face.

"Yes, my child, it's me. I heard you call my name and I came to help give you guidance," Kaede helped Rin to her feet. They stood there and the atmosphere changed around them. It became warm and it was like they were on a floating cloud in a light blue sky. "Rin, look how much you've grown these past three years. You are a young woman, a loving mother and very beautiful."

"Granny Kaede, you're here...where...where are we?" She looked all around not knowing where she was.

"Between this world and the next. My child please consider taking your child to see her father, Lord Sesshomaru. A child like her needs both her parents in her life. Though you still feel the pain from being lied to about the fang, I know you still love him and I know he still loves you."

"He lied to me, how can you know he still loves me?" It came out quickly. Her hands gripped her night yukata, teeth gritted and heavy tears still fell to the ground.

"I've been watching over both of you. I was there when you gave birth. I was there for everything else, except when you and Lord Sesshomaru were alone together. My child, remember I've always told you to learn and forgive those who hurt you. It's just like when you accepted to not hate humans anymore," Kaede softly said as she wiped Rin's tears away. "Rin, since then you've always made your own choices and you'll know what to do now."

Rin knew her granny was right. She knew in several years, her time here on earth would be up and her daughter Taura would be all alone by herself. She would have no one to call family and would not survive on her own. "You're right granny. I don't want Taura growing up like I did for the first three years after my family's death. I want her to wake up each morning and feel safe. I want her to know she has someone to love her always. I want her to know Sesshomaru and he needs to know about her. I can't let myself go on like this much longer. If I don't go now and I grow old and gray, I won't forgive myself when I'm on my deathbed." Her cries were heavy and echoed through the forest.

"Then go to him, Rin. It's going to be difficult, but you'll know what to say and so will he." The atmosphere began to change again to the same night sky and cool evening. "My child, go and get warm before you catch your death. Remember I'll always watch over you." With those words, Kaede disappeared.

Rin stood there in the dark, just outside her home. "Goodbye granny and thank you." She wiped her tears away and headed inside to find her daughter Taura still fast asleep. Rin laid in bed with her and pulled her close and whispered, "tomorrow my darling, we set out on our journey to the sea. Goodnight my baby, I love you." She kissed her head of silver hair and fell asleep and allowed the last tears to fall.

Rin and Taura left early that morning before the sun rose into the sky. She wanted to get as far as she could on foot. She knew she had traveled a long way from her lord's home. She knew it would take several days to get there. She knew when she arrived, a long expected talk with him was what she saw coming.

Rin didn't tell Taura that they were going to see her father, Lord Sesshomaru. She told her that they were going to visit the sea. Taura was sad that she wouldn't get to meet him quite yet, but she was excited to put her feet into the water. Rin explained to her how different the ocean was from all the lakes and rivers she was used to playing in. "Momma, how big is the ocean?" Taura looked up to her mother with a bright smile under the moon-lit morning.

"It's big, open and goes on and on. I don't think it has an end. It has many sea creatures that live in it. Some our friendly and some our very dangerous. I loved to have my feet in the water and allow the waves to bury them in the sand," she explained, picking her daughter up and carrying her.

"Wow! Really? Can I do the same and allow the waves to bury my feet?" Taura gave her mother the pouty lip and her puppy dog eyes.

A sight giggle left Rin's lips as she kissed her daughter's hair, "yes, of course."

Taura once again fisted the air with joyfulness. She then wrapped her arms around her mother's neck and whispered, "I love you momma. Promise we'll always be together for hundreds and hundreds of years."

Another shot of pain went through Rin's heart. In her mind, "should I tell her? I made a vow to alway tell her the truth. What will her reaction be that I'll die of old age? I know she'll be hurt when I tell her. I fear everyday how she'll be without me. It scares me that some random man would try and harm her. I don't want her to face the same fate as me. She doesn't have the ability to defend herself."

Taura could tell her mother Rin was in deep thought. It worried her. "Momma, are you okay?" She placed her little hand to her mother's forehead, "you don't feel sick. Should we stop and rest?"

"No baby, just a small headache. I'll be okay. To answer your question, we'll always be together." She smiled at Taura as a promise. She noticed her little yawn and softly said, "try and sleep some more. I'll take a break after the sun passes over the treetops and we'll have breakfast."

Taura nestled her head along Rin's shoulder, yawned again and quietly said before she fell asleep, "night momma."

"Night my little princess." She kissed her little forehead and continued on towards the sea. "My Lord, will you accept us? Will you forgive me for how I treated you and after I told you I no longer wanted to be a part of your world?" Her questions plagued her mind. Then she remembered what her granny Kaede said, "if her words are true, then he'll accept us. I know he'll be shocked to find out I've given birth."

Rin looked at her daughter Taura again and covered her head with the cloak she made for her. She did the same with herself and pulled the hood of her own cloak over her head. She headed down the path along the river. She knew it would eventually lead her to the sea.

To keep her mind at bay, Rin hummed a familiar tune and turned into a lullaby for Taura. She had been doing this almost every night after her daughter was born. It didn't matter what time it was. If her daughter woke from a nightmare, Rin would sing to her till she was asleep again. She kissed the skin of her daughter's forehead and continued on her journey.

Everyday for the last three years, Sesshomaru would walk by Rin's room that sat facing the ocean. He would only stop outside and would not enter, in fear of drawing her scent away. The last person to be in her room was his mother, Lady Masuyo, on the day she left. Everything was left the way Rin left it. Though the only thing that was taken out of her room was the fang necklace. He kept it on his person, inside the sleeve of his haroi.

Sesshomaru looked out along the beach of his home. He remembers how he used to watch his other half Rin, his love enjoy walking along the shore and jumping in and out of the crashing waves. He missed the smile he brought back to her and the laughter that came with it.

Sesshomaru imagend his Rin out on the beach, walking with their child, a son or daughter and playing in the sand. He could see them standing along the shore where the waves would crash and stop as their feet were buried in the sand. He could see Rin lifting their child by the hands to jump the waves and hear the sound of the child's laughter. It was what his home needed, a happy child and the pitter patter of running little feet.

As he stood there, he couldn't bear to wait any longer. "I will find you, Rin." He turned on his heels and went for the stall where Jaken had been cleaning the double headed dragon. When he arrived he ordered, "Jaken, prepare Ah-Un at once. We are leaving."

"I'm on it, My Lord." The small green imp hurried inside the stall and grabbed the reins for the double headed dragon. "I wonder what matter Lord Sesshomaru needs to leave the castle? It's been a long time since we traveled like this."

Sesshomaru waited patiently for them at the front gates. He wanted to leave and be on the road as soon as he could. Time didn't matter to him when it came to traveling. Being a full-blooded demon, he didn't need to sleep and he could walk and not feel tired. "My Lord, pardon me for asking, but where are we headed?" Jaken asked as he came up behind his lord.

Before he walked out, Sesshomaru informed him by saying, "to find Rin. I'm bringing her home." Then he propelled forward outside his home. Jaken didn't say a word. He knew his place if he mentioned why. Sesshomaru knew he wouldn't return until she was found and they talked things through.

Guys ahhh! This story is at 77 reviews. I'm so happy. I hope to see 100 reviews before this story is complete. It would make my day to see that happen. I'm happy that I shocked a lot of you with Rin giving birth. It was my intention to go with that twist. I love doing that with every story. Guys I agree with Elohiniar and let's make it a challenge to help other authors reach a goal with reviews. I want you to go to a story that you love to read or have not read yet and review them with every chapter.

GothBanshee: A lot of others didn't see that coming. Yeah I wanted Rin to find out she was pregnant and giving by birth that night. I thought it was interesting and totally different from all the births I've read in other fanfics of her. It truly does happen a lot of time.

Elohiniar: Yep she had a baby. Were you shocked she gave birth? I'm glad you loved how I describe the labor and birth. I had to watch so many episodes of 'I Didn't Know I Was Pregnant'.

InuKag4eva: The reason she did not know she was pregnant was because she didn't have a growing belly and continued to have her period. With the authors note I left on the last chapter it was because I got the idea from the tv show I didn't know I was pregnant. I hope this chapter gave you hope with Sesshomaru going to look for her again. How do you think he'll react to finding out he did indeed fathered a child?

Guys please don't forget to review! They make my day.