A/N: Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha or any of its characters.

Chapter Sixty: Back to Normal

The demon quietly watched the sun set from the window of his room, narrowing his gaze and noticing the figures getting smaller and smaller and disappearing beyond the hills. A final flap of the two-headed dragon's wings symbolized the travellers' disappearance from his sight, and a grin appeared on his lips as he thought of all the things he would gladly have done to each member of that group.

His mind kept imagining different scenarios, one crueler than another, calming his still troubled soul. In many ways, planning and organizing had always been his favourite pastime. Precisely, he liked to divagate by imagining his victims' cries of pain and their desperate looks. The best moment was always when they realized they had no more chance, and he could enjoy his victory in every way.

The more difficult a goal became, the more it excited — aroused — him to complete it. And this time, his had proven to be damned complicated. He grinned; how much would he enjoy the moment he finally defeated the bastard with whom he also shared blood?

Oh, he foresaw great satisfaction, especially since he would be playing with him and his family until the very end. Every single second would be engraved in his mind forever and make him forget every century of waiting or day spent in his current prison.

He sighed when a sound from outside interrupted his daydreams; that woman was always able to show up at the worst times lately. At the very least, she was still good at satisfying his carnal pleasures. Especially now that he had fantasized a bit too much, he needed someone to take it out on.

In retrospect, the interruption hadn't been all that bad.

A few hours later, desires partly satisfied and his soul quieter, Noboru listened silently to what the demoness next to him was recounting. From the few indiscretions, Tsubasa was convinced something serious had happened to his nephew. Why, then, hadn't she already found out what instead of blathering on uselessly?

Damn! Sometimes even fucking her couldn't make him forget how annoying she could be. What kind of a news source was she if he couldn't even glean them properly? He really hated his stay in that cage and wondered how much longer he would be forced to stay there. Now that the filthy half-demon and his degenerate family had left the valley, he was curious to know the reason why his nephew would keep him locked.

Seeing that Noboru was contemplative, Tsubasa observed him and then resumed in her usual mocking tone, "If, as is your wont, you're thinking about your current condition, I wouldn't get so depressed."

Noboru snorted. "Let's hear your brilliant guess."

She ignored his mood and continued, "The new Lady has been here for a while, hasn't she? And now that little brother's gone, a few prerequisites come undone."

"You forget that, officially, this precautionary measure has been erected to protect the entire valley as well," he replied, annoyed.

"My dear Noboru, perhaps you have not taken into consideration the suggestive power of words. It will suffice to begin with a few complaints, to make it clear how unfair this situation is for you, and in time Sesshomaru will no longer be able to keep you locked up with feeble excuses."

He huffed again. "I won't continue a conversation like this, and while I still believe in my chances of winning, that doesn't mean I'm deluded so easily. It hasn't even been two months, and there are very few followers left, not to mention the distrust of those who are still on the side of the bastard dogs." He finally got out of bed, frustrated at her naiveté — or overconfidence — and began to pace the room slowly. "You certainly can't push very hard right now, especially now that moron cat got himself kicked off the council."

"We knew the wait wouldn't be pleasant," she added as she let her fingers wander along her naked body, looking at him mischievously.

"Don't you ever get tired of telling me that?"

Tsubasa shrugged as if she didn't really care about the subject anymore; it wasn't like she was the one who had been forbidden to leave those rooms.

"Cover yourself instead!" the dog-demon burst out; he was now losing what little patience he had gained. "Sometimes you disgust me! Aren't you ashamed to be exploited like this? To be taken so violently and treated as if you were no more than a doll on which we men vent our urges? Look at you, I'm barely done, and already you seem to be begging for more." He came closer and grabbed her by the neck, blocking her airway. The demon's eyes turned red, and he felt a blind rage invade him.

Inexplicably, however, she remained calm; her gaze didn't show even a hint of fear. When Noboru loosened his grip a little, a grin appeared on her lips, then she spoke, "Oh, are we sure I'm the one being used? You men are so weak," she sighed. A flash of hatred passed through his eyes, and before he could tighten his grip, she added, "And don't even think about leaving a scratch on me, dear Noboru. Remember that if I don't leave this room unharmed, your position will only get worse. The clock is ticking; shortly, the guards will come and ask me to leave."

The dog demon backed away in disgust and turned his back to her.

"Weaklings," Tsubasa repeated. "Pathetic. You, men, think you have the upper hand over us, and yet...you always come crawling back, begging, thirsty and willing to do anything to receive even a little comfort. And don't think you're any different, dear."

Noboru gritted his teeth and ignored her. It wasn't his style to attack, nor to show his weaknesses; he had already given her too much satisfaction. He couldn't stand her anymore; he wanted her out of his life. She had completely ruined his good mood, and that hour in which he had possessed her body had not even been as satisfying as usual. A waste!

Without waiting for those nosy people outside the door to come and hassle him, he called them himself, loudly, for them to release him from that agony. When the guards appeared to escort Tsubasa away, she was smiling in amusement, unconcerned by the inquisitive glances of the two that lingered on her slender neck, still a little flushed, and on the disorder of their bed.

One of them shot a warning glance at Noboru, and he rolled his eyes. As if two stupid like those, playing guard, could intimidate him.

When silence finally descended upon the room, he urgently removed the sheets from the futon and threw them away from him, in an outburst once again unworthy of him. The smell bothered him, penetrated his skin and made him regret ever having gone into business with such a mean and whorish woman.

Incompetents surrounded him: no one satisfied him, no one was his equal. Ah, but the day would come when he would finally rule over that mass of ignoramuses and set everyone straight. At that point, no one would ever allow himself to be insolent with him again. He would have a way to vent his discontent from those years in more ways than one. In the meantime, he waited, still, for the end of confinement that could not have lasted much longer.

Sesshomaru had accompanied Katsuro on one of his patrols, returning from escorting his brother and his family to the borders. He hadn't had too many hindrances, mostly consisting of nosy, whiny demons who always had an excuse or a complaint ready to hold him back. But Sesshomaru certainly had more pressing things to do than listen to their useless monologues. At the same time, considering the discontent that hadn't still fully dissipated, he couldn't afford to dismiss them too soon by giving the impression that he didn't care — even if he really didn't. This meant that he responded with his monosyllables and neutral expression, hiding his anger at those interruptions that kept him further away from his mate. In that way, the fools believed that everything was back to normal.

Because a Sesshomaru who continually let his anger run free was not what they were used to seeing. The Inu-no-Taisho they knew manifested his displeasure with icy, murderous glances, disposed of nuisances in cold blood, and didn't even have time to waste on excesses of anger. He was always controlled, even when he was exploding inside. None of them had ever really witnessed the dog demon irate.

Seeing him walk through the valley's territories seemingly calm also calmed them down, and at that point, they felt safe enough to go and disturb him, not realizing the danger they were in. They believed it was their right to demand certain information after all that had happened. And no one paid attention to the fact that, normally, Sesshomaru would never lend himself to that idle chatter.

Now at his limit, the demon finally entered the palace and headed quickly towards the royal wing, ignoring any other sound that came to his keen ears.

When he finally reached Rin, he looked at her as she turned her gaze towards the now dark orange sky. The woman, who hadn't realized yet that her mate had arrived, indulged in a sigh as a melancholic smile stretched on her lips, reflecting the look in her eyes. Simultaneously, her hands tightened around her abdomen as if searching for something that was no longer there.

Sesshomaru inhaled heavily and the acrid smell of her pain burned his nostrils.

Without waiting for a second longer, he reached for her and once their gazes met, he welcomed her into his arms. There in the silence of their bedroom, for the first time since they had lost the fruit of their love, Rin wept with him.

The young woman cried and cleared her body of all traces of pain, frustration and anger. Away from prying ears, inquisitive glances, misplaced questions, or set phrases.

The room was empty except for them. There were no golden-eyed children with shining silver hair, no half-demons trying to lift you up by pretending nothing had happened or priestesses scrambling to offer their support until you suffocated.

It was just Rin and Sesshomaru and they didn't need words. The only thing that mattered was each other's presence. A shoulder to cry on and lay your head disconsolate. A life mate who finally showed herself in all her weakness, throwing away that mask of a strong woman that had hidden her even from his penetrating gaze.

Rin was not invincible.

Rin was hurt and could show herself weak.

Rin clung to those strong shoulders and bared herself before the man she loved so much, allowing him to caress her wounded soul and tell her that everything would be alright, that time would ease even the deepest wounds.

And in their now darkened room, without even the pink-orange glimpses to brighten their faces, Sesshomaru and Rin looked at each other without barriers. They embraced their pain and let it out for the last time.

Tomorrow would begin another day filled with appearances, impeccable clothes and masks on their faces. There would be genuine smiles and those of convenience, false. They would look at themselves in the mirror and convince themselves they could do it until the words became reality and everything else easier.

That day, however, there was only room for sorrow and a bitter goodbye.

A few hours later, across the region, the air was slightly less heavy. Two conscious parents were trying, a little on purpose and a little by accident, to lighten it even more by staging rather common theatrics.

His face dark, the half-demon came running towards a little fox still young and at the same time not so little and innocent anymore.

A fist-clenched hand rose menacingly, and a second later, the red-haired demon was covering his newly sprouted lump by muttering ouch ouch ouch.

"You left my children alone when I asked you to take care of them?" Inuyasha hissed in a tone capable of freezing the blood in his veins.

"I just went behind those trees to do my business!" the fox exclaimed, his cheeks now red and puffy, annoyed.

"You still looked away for what were crucial minutes! Is that how I raised you? Someone could have taken advantage of that!"

"You raised me? Give me a break. As big and tall as you are, you're more immature than your own children," Shippo goaded him.

The back-and-forth continued while, at the same time, the two began a years-old dance consisting of chasing each other. Usually, Shippo got the most bumps, and then Inuyasha would end up face down on the ground if the reason for the fight did not justify his violence. Other times new kitsune tricks would catch the half-demon off guard, and Inuyasha would find himself trapped by some weirdness.

Kagome watched quietly, one hand resting under her chin, while next to her, two children laughed in amusement at the little skit that, though tried and tested, always had the same comic effect. None of the three took the bickering seriously — just as the two protagonists did not — because they were used to seeing the same things at least once every three days.

The young mother sighed. "And here we go again. We're really back to normal," she muttered to herself as she turned the fish on the fire. Checking if it was cooked just right, she turned to the youngest who had eaten the least and asked, "Would you like another bite, honey?" He nodded and carefully took the food his mother offered him.

Inuyasha and his family had stopped for the night after leaving the West. As requested by the half-demon, the route was not the one they usually took. In fact, they had detoured slightly so that Ah-Un could take them to a beach that Kagome and Inuyasha had discovered once, years ago, when they were still travelling in search of the Shikon shards.

Even though it might not seem so to the naked eye, every member of the small group was tried by those difficult weeks: from the kids trying to make up for lost time with their parents and needed constant reassurance, to the teenager looking for relief for his demonic ears and, finally, to the parents who would have liked to forget about the world around them if only for a few hours.

And, in fact, the goal of that short vacation would be just that.

During those couple of days, they would try to be just a happy and carefree family enjoying the sea air and the warm sun on their skin. Once they returned to the village, life would start again with work and duties. Each villager would greet them, overwhelming them with their demands, not at all respectful of what the two adults had been through, nor wondering if they wanted even five minutes to settle back into their house. It would not be Inuyasha and Kagome but the strong protector and the educated priestess.

So, in order to ensure that the former didn't set foot in the village and told anyone who disturbed him to go to hell, it was best to make sure that tempers lightened at least a little and that the children, too, experienced moments of simple everyday life.

That evening, after setting up camp for the night and putting dinner on the stove, Inuyasha and Kagome had briefly left the children with Shippo — hoping the fox demon would be old and experienced enough for such a task — while they sought ten minutes of respite from everything.

Of course, they had had no time to regain some intimacy, they never had any on the road, nor would they ever allow themselves to engage in such activities there in the open. However, as they were dressing after washing up, they had been alarmed by Toga's sudden and hysterical crying.

Arriving first at the camp, Inuyasha quickly realized that Shippo was missing, as his pup clung to him in fear, crying and murmuring that he had woken up and found no one. Sighing and clutching his son to his chest, Inuyasha felt a pang in his heart at the thought of the traumas they would carry for some time.

He was sure that, as they grew up, they would become strong warriors and leave behind bad experiences. But when he first became a father, he had promised himself that his children would never experience the fear that he himself had felt when he was still a pup like them. Instead, at just five and seven years old, the children already had too many alarming episodes behind them.

When he thought about those things, his first instinct was always to blame his older brother, the one who had dragged him into his problems. It was inevitable not to tell himself that if they had continued with their quiet life in the village, they wouldn't have been so stressed.

Yet, at the same time, he saw all the great progress they had made, marvelled at the time that had passed and the relationships that had changed. He and Sesshomaru were two completely different people now. They retained their distinctive traits, one gruffer and the other more standoffish, but from the way they moved — consciously and together —, the way they coordinated, Inuyasha could hardly believe they were the same as they had been almost ten years ago.

Therefore, inside, he was no longer sure he could say he would have been happier if nothing had changed that night when Sesshomaru had forced his presence upon him. He saw the demon his brother would become in just under five hundred years and told himself that he too was part of that change, that he had at least partly inspired him to be a better person. Finally, he wondered who he was in the modern world, who was the Inuyasha who had lived for all those centuries, and who he would have been had the two's paths not crossed at some point.

But that wasn't exactly the time for philosophical musings. As Kagome returned to the camp a few minutes later and helped him comfort the frightened child, he was more focused on the demon popping up from behind a tree all quiet and oblivious to the situation.

It was in that way that the usual spiel had come to pass, and Shippo had ended up with a few too many bumps, while Inuyasha emerged unscathed. Kagome agreed with her husband and, while she didn't appreciate the violence — she knew, as did her children, that the beatings inflicted on the kitsune were actually light and Shippo complained more out of habit than anything else —, she wouldn't excuse their friend for leaving their children alone for even a couple of minutes. He knew better than that!

Finally, the show ended. Shippo was forgiven, and the children were put to bed after some complaining and sighing. That other heavy day was coming to an end, but soon they would arrive at the coast. They intended to enjoy the peace they so richly deserved.

That first evening, sometime after the children and Shippo had gone to sleep, Inuyasha and Kagome were still awake.

The half-demon's gaze followed his wife's to the cloudless sky; the stars were in great numbers that night, even for that era. He remembered how many times she had told him that in the modern era the many changes and developments had meant there was no clear sky.

As he wondered what exactly she was thinking so absorbedly, Kagome turned to look at him and then spoke, "Will it get a little better now?"

There was a spark of worry in her eyes, but at the same time, Inuyasha read all the faith she had in him. It was as if she wanted to tell him that whatever doubts she was having, whatever anxiety was gripping her chest, would disappear with a single word of comfort from him.

Accepting her implied request, Inuyasha held her close, kissing her head lightly, and then replied, "It'll get better, koi. It'll get so good that you'll start to get annoyed with our quiet life."

She giggled. "Like that's even possible. Don't you know that life with you is always full of surprises, and that's one of the reasons I love you so much?"

"Oh, yeah?" he leaned over her, their lips almost touching. "And here I thought you did it for my attractive ears. I'll try to remind you of that the next time I mess up and you want to sit me."

Kagome's laughter intensified in the darkness of the night, and she quickly brought her hands to her mouth to avoid waking the little ones beside them. Inuyasha gently moved her fingers apart, then brought them to his lips and kissed them one by one. Their eyes met once more; their intense gazes conveyed an unconditional love, capable of facing any difficulty or challenge that came their way.

A moment later, their mouths sought each other ravenously, and for a while, the two lovers forgot all worries and anxieties, enjoying each other's contact. Every word became superfluous; their gestures and kisses said enough.

Finally, the two days passed, though too quickly. Soon, Inuyasha and his family found themselves at the edge of the forest that housed the Goshinboku. The two-headed dragon landed gracefully in front of their home, and after too many strokes and recharging, Ah-Un resumed its way west.

With the two pups still gazing at the horizon and waving their hands toward the sky, the five of them returned to the large hut before any neighbours with keen eyesight and hearing could assault them. The rooms were perfectly clean and airy, and Kagome breathed a sigh of relief, mentally noting to thank the people she knew had taken care of everything. The weight on her shoulders was certainly lighter now that she knew she could go to sleep after hours of riding a dragon without worrying about having to thoroughly clean her house.

At the very least, she reflected as she put her children to bed with her husband, she would be able to sleep soundly before the stressful — but also fulfilling! — life as a priestess would begin again.

As expected, the villagers welcomed the return of the family of demons and humans with great enthusiasm and did not waste a second in overwhelming them with their demands. In a tone that was calmer than he would have believed but still a little rough, Inuyasha informed them that they would resume their duties only after having breakfast with old Kaede. If anyone dared disturb them during that time, he shouted loudly, he would make sure the culprits would be the last ones he would help.

Hearing such a threat, they all closed their mouths and quickly headed for their homes, hoping that, in that way, the half-demon would come to them first rather than their neighbour.

Inuyasha snickered as he clasped Toga's short legs currently on his shoulders and then winked at his wife, who, while wanting to appear serious, couldn't help but laugh.

Arriving at the hut at the foot of the shrine, Kaede greeted them with a beaming smile for the children and a guarded look for their parents. Next to her, much to their relief, her special stew simmered on the fire and smelled particularly enticing.

They arranged themselves neatly around the fire, aware that such order would be short-lived; they ate eagerly and in silence. Once the bowls had been cleared of even the last grain of rice and the children had moved away, followed by Shippo, the adults remained to discuss serious matters. The air in the hut suddenly grew darker, and without needing words, Kaede realized that his suspicions had just proved to be true.

"I see," she began, breaking the silence. "How is little Rin?"

Kagome gave her a sad smile. "She will recover; she is strong."

"I'm assuming, given the length of your absence, that you made sure everything was okay before you left the West."

The young woman nodded and, at the same time, reached for her husband's hand for support; Inuyasha immediately shook it.

Kaede observed them both with her good eye. They seemed the same ones she had greeted that afternoon when Kagome had first appeared in that era; the half-demon had not changed one iota since the first time she had seen him over sixty years ago. However, their more mature and experienced looks betrayed them. She was also pleased to see how their love was just as intense as it had been eight, nine years ago. Their experiences, if anything, had helped bring them even closer — if possible — and strengthen that sentiment.

"I have no doubt both you and young Rin have chosen companions who, though more gruff or unfriendly at first glance..." — a resentful "Oi, baba!" interrupted her for a second; she ignored him, continuing undaunted — "...know how to be the strong shoulders that certain situations require." She gave her an eloquent look, then continued, "Do you need a few days of rest before returning to your duties? Honoka and I can take care of everything." She addressed the question only to Kagome because she knew she would offend Inuyasha's pride if she merely implied he was weak enough to need days of rest. However, they knew that the elderly priestess cared equally about both of them, making no distinction.

Even just the fact that she had decided not to ask for specifics or dwell on the subject too much spoke volumes. Not because Kaede wasn't interested or concerned about what had happened to Rin, but she had already figured out everything on her own and felt it would be best not to press her old apprentice for the time being. There would be time to talk about everything, and she didn't doubt that, soon, Rin would come to see her as well. She would have a chance to ascertain her condition for herself.

Kagome smiled. "Thank you, Kaede-obaa, but I'm ready to get back to everyday life. Then again, we already took a little break on the coast before heading back to the village."

Kaede nodded as if to approve of their decision. "Very well then. I already have a long list of places to send you. I'm sure a lot of sick people will pop up now that you're back." She shook her head and turned to the half-demon, "As well as the thousand requests to you, Inuyasha. It's amazing, it seems this village can't live without you anymore; they've all gone soft! I expect you to set them straight a bit."

"Keh," he replied, letting go of his wife's hand and crossing his arms, assuming his usual bad-boy pose. "As if you needed to tell me, baba. I'll show those pushovers; the first one will be that perverted monk."

Kagome stifled her giggles behind her hand as the half-smile that popped onto Kaede's lips blended in between the many wrinkles on her face.

It was just nice to get back to normal.

A/N: Hi everyone!
I hope you liked the chapter; you can leave a comment behind to let me know, if you want.
Right now, I can't keep my old schedule, thus, the next one will be published in two weeks.

Since this is my first update this year, I also send you all belated wishes for a wonderful and rich 2022.

Until next time! ❤