Setsuna's Cessation of Longing
The dark hair hanyô with a maroon streak in her hair paced back and forth. She and her sister had arrived at the Tree of Ages expecting to see their mother with Sesshomaru. To their surprise, they found no one. Even the small green imp was nowhere to be seen. Her sister only smiled, speaking, "Sesshomaru probably took her away for a moment of privacy. It has been a long time for our father to see mother."
She only nodded staring at the tree waiting.
Night had come and still no sight of either of their parents. Her sister had sat down by this point, laying back against the tree with her eyes closed.
"I do not understand how you can be so relaxed at a time like this." The dark hair hanyô said. She was still pacing, her body on high alert for any sudden sounds or movements.
Her sister sighed, placing her hands behind her head, "Setsuna, father will come with mother when they are ready."
"Are you not…..nervous?" The dark hair teen asked, looking at the moon in the sky.
"Nervous about what?" Her twin asks.
"Nothing," She quickly says.
She feels her sister's eyes upon her, but she turns away, hiding her face.
After some time has passed, she hears her sister's light snoring. Turning, she sees her in a deep sleep. The dark hair teen sighs, finally sitting down next to her sister. Allowing exhaustion to claim her heavy mind and body, she falls into a deep sleep as well.
…..
….
She wakes to the sun warming her face. She stretches her body and sees her sister still sleeping. Standing, she feels the need to relieve herself. Taking her nigata, she makes a short trek into the nearby forest for privacy. Once finished, her senses pick up the scent of her father and one she does not recognize. Her breath catches realizing that it is most likely her mother's.
She swallows hard, knowing that her parents are nearby. She breaks into a sprint, happiness overwhelming her heart. She bursts into the clearing to see her sister hugging their mother. Her feet continue until she stops dead in her tracks. She is only 100 yards or so away from her mother but finds that she…..cannot continue.
Her mother…
She has never had a mother before. She did not have someone to hug her to sleep at night or feel their warm embrace if frightened. She had to grow up fast without any family. Shiori was kind and patient with her, but she was not her mother.
She can see her sister and mother crying as they embrace. Her mother cups her sister's face, tears streaming down her cheeks.
She wants to move but…
What is it like to feel the embrace of a mother?
The only thing she remembers is a lullaby, it's a deep memory embedded in her mind. She has never known where that melody has come from, but she can only imagine that it was something her mother hummed to her.
Her mother's voice…..
She only heard her mother's voice for the first time just yesterday. It was so strained and filled with sorrow. Her heart ached deep in her chest hearing her speak. The teen could tell her she was using all her strength to speak, she ready to sever the tie between her mother and Zero when her mother's pained-filled voice begged her to stop. The young teen could not understand until her mother explained.
Her mother….
How could her mother be so forgiving and filled with empathy at such a time astonished her. She has only known her mother for a short time, but she listened to her words. Deep in her gut, she knew her mother was right.
The dark hair teen dares to move forward to see her mother but…..she is…..scared.
What does one say to their mother?
Especially to a mother, she has been trying to save for the past few weeks….
How can she say she is sorry for taking so long in freeing her from the curse that was placed upon her?
She realizes there are no amount words she can use…she would never be able to fully tell her mother how sorry she is for….almost failing her. If she had been any later to her sister facing down Zero…..then their mother would have perished.
She hangs her head in shame, choking back the sob that wants to escape. As much as she longs to see her mother…..she cannot face her. She cannot bear to see the look of…disappointment in her mother's soft face.
"Why do you hesitant?"
Her head snaps up with tears in her eyes to see her father standing before her.
Swallowing past the lump in her throat, she quietly says, "I…..find myself…..afraid…..chichiue."
Her father merely tilts his head to the side, his features softening at her tear-filled eyes.
"She is your hahaue." He calmly says.
"I almost failed her….she could have died because of me.." She states, holding back her tears.
The teen and daiyôkai look at each other as a soft breeze blows by.
He steps forward, his hand softly cupping her cheek. He studies her face and finally takes in her eyes that are blurry with tears.
"You saved your hahaue when I could not. This Sesshomaru will always be indebted to you. You have given your…..chichiue back his mate, his wife."
The teen gasps, a few tears escaping by this point.
"Your hahaue loves you as I do," Moko-moko gently touches her hand to comfort her.
"She is your hahaue; she only wishes to hold you in her arms. She was robbed of holding you as a small pup, do not deny her that right any longer." Her father's warm hand leaves her cheek and steps aside.
"Setsuna?"
Both the dark hair teen and daiyôkai look to see a small human woman just a few feet away. Her face is bright and filled with love. She holds open her arms, waiting for her youngest's embrace.
The teen looks towards her father and he simply nods. She turns back and finally allows her heart to win, dropping her walls, running to her mother. Her nigata falls from her hand as the force of her hug sends them both tumbling to the ground. She is wrapped around the small human woman, inhaling her scent, burning it into her memory. She feels arms hugging her tight and a soft hum falling from her mother's lips.
"Hahaue…." The teen chokes out, pressing her head to her mother's chest, listening to the thumping of her heart.
Her mother allows her a moment before finally cupping her face and bringing her to eye level. The teen allows her tears to freely flow, no longer caging her emotions. Her face crumples, her lower lip quivers, and the dam is broken.
She openly sobs in her mother's embrace, the soft words of how sorry she was for taking so long in breaking the curse falling from her lips.
Her mother only repeats, "My Setsuna, my precious baby girl."
She is pressed tight to her mother's chest, her mother's hand softly stroking her head and rocking her. She doesn't know how but she feels herself being readjusted and cradled in her mother's lap. Her mother is soon rocking her and humming.
Setsuna feels a deep peace within that she has never felt before, a longing that she had denied existed finally disappearing. She knows she is safe within her mother's arm and for once in her life, she knows the embrace of a…..family.
…..
….
The great daiyôkai of the western lands watches the scene before him feeling a calmness fill his heart that he had never known possible. He helped shift Setsuna in Rin's lap so his mate could fully embrace and hold their daughter as she desired. She sat before him gently rocking their youngest. He watched as Setsuna's eyes grew heavy with sleep and after some time, she is in a deep sleep within her mother's arms.
Rin looks to Sesshomaru with pure happiness on her face, he nods and sits behind her, giving her a place to rest her back against while holding their daughter. Soon Towa is sitting next to them, smiling.
The small family does not speak, merely finding comfort at finally being together.
~oOo~
Author's Notes:
I really wanted to write both the twins' reactions to finally seeing Rin but over the past few episodes, I've really come to love Setsuna so I decided to make her the main focus of this fic.
There is nothing wrong with Towa but I feel that she had a more normal upbringing being surrounded by people that loved her. Sestuna was raised by kind Shiori but Setsuna had her memories taken away to help Rin. Essentially Setsuna grew up a bit more cold, more like Sesshomaru. The idea came to me that at first Setsuna would be happy to see her mother but having some of her memories locked away for so long, I could see her becoming afraid at the last second.
I could also see Sesshomaru being the one to understand what she is feeling and having the right words to help Setsuna open up. They are very much alike in mannerism and thought process.
Thanks for reading!