Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or any of its characters

Chapter 70: Reacting

The following morning, everyone who had not been present at the previous evening's meeting was shocked to hear the screams coming from an old, and once well-regarded, cat demon being released from dungeons.

Goro had dropped all pretence and hadn't thought twice before loudly announcing his displeasure with the treatment he had been given. Unfortunately for him, Sesshomaru was in no mood to put up with him and let the guards know that if they dared disturb him because of the former elder, there would be repercussions for them as well.

The dai-youkai couldn't understand why on earth the demons of that valley had decided at the same time to forget the appearances and behave immorally, following their delusions. First Noboru and then Goro; as much as he didn't mind getting rid of both of them, he already had too much on his mind to deal with them — and he knew that in his current state, he would be far crueller than good judgment would normally allow him to be.

At least, he mused, locked in his office with his face hidden in his hands — another incredibly unusual pose for him — Tsubasa wasn't joining the party. He wasn't going to put up with her either; with her and Commander Shou, who had kept quiet.

There was too much to think about, too much to put in order, and none of it really interested Sesshomaru. Sitting at the desk commissioned by his father, in the chair that had once belonged to him, he thought he had never felt so close to him. When he was still alive, Sesshomaru had always felt an insurmountable distance between himself and his father figure, even when the latter had had nothing but smiles and good words to spare for him. As he grew up, he understood he had been the one to increase that distance and make the atmosphere icier whenever they were in the same room.

In those days, he understood him like never before.

Having changed, having seen his surroundings from a different perspective and, yes, even having followed him in some of his steps, had opened his eyes to see better who Toga really had been: a proud yet humble demon.

What would he do in this situation? Sesshomaru wondered. Then he laughed.

He didn't need to wonder because he had the answer at hand: Toga had abandoned his duties for Izayoi's sake more than once and had never regretted it. Life hadn't been kind to either of them, he mused, but in his heart, he was sure his father would have done it all over again, in the exact same way, if it would have ensured him the portion of happiness he'd had, the love he'd never regretted.

Hadn't Inuyasha, after all, said something similar the first time Rin had been introduced to the council?

Toga had been an honest and honourable demon, but he had understood before Sesshomaru did that certain choices had to be made even when it wasn't easy. Some things were more important than others, and in order to defend them, pride and any masks had to be put aside.

Sesshomaru suddenly got up and headed towards the door without any doubt. Everything around him could wait; he had already done the minimum necessary and no one could accuse him.

Now, he had to go back to Rin and face her. Standing still like that would not do either of them any good; even if he had no idea what to do or how to help her, he had to keep his promise to stand by her in any situation. Hiding behind duty, running away from the rooms they shared by telling himself that he would want to stay but couldn't was a cowardly attitude that Sesshomaru didn't want for himself. Above all, he knew that wasn't the way he wanted his relationship with Rin to go. If she wouldn't take any steps toward him, even if just to defeat her enemies — internal or external — Sesshomaru would do the work for both of them. But he wasn't going to let them drift without even trying. He wasn't like that, and he refused to continue as they had for the past few days.

When he arrived in their room, the young woman was sitting at the edge of the bed facing the window. As soon as she heard him coming, her shoulders stiffened and Sesshomaru saw her raise her hands to insistently wipe her eyes which he was sure were red and swollen.

"Rin," he said without preamble, still not expecting any response — after all, that was how she was acting by now.

She didn't turn around and Sesshomaru reached her, kneeling down so he could be face to face with her. At first, Rin avoided his gaze, but his eyes were so insistent that she was forced to meet them. Though hers were tired, reddened, and swollen with tears, Sesshomaru was amazed at the mask of indifference they attempted to assume.

However, he was the one knowledgeable about masks and immediately read the true feeling behind hers. That amazed him even more.

"I think you and I should talk and deal with what's happening to us, Rin," he began.

The fury he had just glimpsed a few seconds earlier seemed to triple as he spoke those words. Rin let go of the pretence and, in a cold voice that Sesshomaru had never heard, said, "There is nothing to discuss, Sesshomaru. We both know there is no solution to what happened, so why to talk about it?"

Keeping a firm grip on his self-control, Sesshomaru told himself that whatever anger his mate was experiencing was not directed at him or herself; it was just the result of events that would have upset anyone. He himself had been an example of that.

"On the contrary," he contradicted her softly, "it does no good to bury your feelings right now. And I wish you would talk about it-"

"Pff, you want to talk about me burying my feelings?" she interrupted him abruptly before she started laughing without enthusiasm. "Are you sure you want to start this conversation, Sesshomaru? Because the list is long, and I could go on forever with examples of every time I've been the one to air my feelings for both of us. Come to think of it, always, which is a pretty long time."

Sesshomaru clenched his fists but didn't let her taunt him. That was certainly a different Rin than the one he had known, but no one was immune to change, and more importantly, he repeated, she had just suffered a traumatic event. Plus, compared to the silent woman she'd been until the day before, he preferred her now: it showed him that she was fighting back.

"I don't want to dredge up the past, and I'm well aware of who I was. However, you also know that I've changed, and right now, I'd like you to avoid shutting me out or completely ignoring what happened to us, thereby ignoring me as well." He stressed the 'us' in the sentence to let her know that she couldn't expect to fix everything on her own or in the way she thought was the best while also ruining their relationship in the process.

"I'm not ignoring anything, Sesshomaru. In fact, I have just told you that I don't think there's anything to discuss because," she took a big breath, gritted her teeth, and closed her eyes before reopening them and continuing, "I see the problem and understand that there's no solution to it. I would like us, therefore, to put it aside and get back to our daily lives. That's what I'm trying to do, but you're not helping me this way. I thought you loved me, Sesshomaru, so why do you keep reminding me of what I want to forget?"

This time it was he who needed a few seconds before he spoke to regain control and tell himself, once again, that Rin didn't really mean that. But it was difficult because his feelings were also at stake, and — unlike what Rin had said just before, something she didn't believe in either — Sesshomaru had never been able to hide them from her.

"I know you didn't mean to question how I feel about you, Rin," he replied in a whisper, "but I'm not going to keep pretending, nor am I going to lie to you and tell you that I'm happy with the way you're reacting." His gaze was slightly harder now, and she felt, for a moment, like a child being chastised. "Hearing you say that you want to resume the life you've always had or forget what happened — and our daughter — only confirms what I was already thinking which is that you're hiding behind lies that even you don't believe. I would never ask you to start living again as if nothing happened or belittle your pain, but that's what you're doing with me right now. In an effort to feel yours less, you are pushing aside my feelings and those that bind us together."

At that point, Rin was trying to maintain her own facade, but the anger and pain mixed in weren't having a good effect on her; both had filled her eyes — which were now throwing daggers at her mate — with tears again. "You know nothing of what I am feeling now!" she exclaimed.

"On the contrary," he contradicted her again, "I know your emotions — even more evident as this conversation goes on — and I know you. But I have to admit that I don't appreciate this desire of yours to keep belittling our relationship. Perhaps, you don't even realize it while you're doing it, but I refuse to hear you talk like that. It has a much stronger foundation than this, or else the bond between us wouldn't even exist; it wouldn't have formed.

I came here to keep the promise I made to you and remind you that this challenge, more than any other we have faced so far, cannot be overcome if you leave me out of it or pretend not to see it. It may be the worst thing we've faced — which is saying a lot since you and I, even alone, don't have an idyllic past — but we can do it. But I refuse," he reiterated, "to let what we've built fall apart, what is too strong to be torn down by this pain, by what has happened or won't happen." They looked into each other's eyes again, both determined, but Sesshomaru could clearly see that Rin was beginning to give up. "I did not come here to argue or question what binds us, but because I could no longer sustain the silence or the walls you were trying to put between us. Evidently, though, I didn't give you enough time to digest it all. I am willing to wait, Rin; I am willing to do anything. But not to do what you asked me just now." The firm tone with which he had spoken so far reaffirmed his determination but also how well he knew his mate and how much he cared about her well-being.

Sesshomaru had seen right through it, in fact, and leaving aside the initial astonishment due to her reaction, he had carefully chosen his words. The only thing he could have avoided, perhaps, was the attitude with which he had addressed them to her that had made her feel just like a child being scolded. "Now, since I recognize that you may not be in the proper state to carry on this conversation, I will let you reflect on what we have said. But when I return, I don't want to think that you have given up on us; I'm not willing to accept that." With that said, he got up and walked without hesitation towards the door, only to stop a step away from it. "Have a nice day, Rin; as soon as you're ready you'll know where to find me."

He left her there, open-mouthed, more confused than before and hurt. However, she wasn't hurt by his behaviour as much as she was by her own. And what made her feel even worse was that he would never blame her for what had happened. She would have loved to share that thought, to know with just as much certainty that nothing was her fault.

Although he had remained in control of himself throughout the conversation, Sesshomaru needed a few seconds to collect himself as he left the room.

He hadn't been naive enough to believe that he could solve everything right away, yet what he found was completely different from what he would have expected. Still, any reaction was better than none. What had happened was a manifestation of Rin's pain, and he was sure that she could open up to him in earnest by the next time.

It wasn't an easy road they would have to travel; it wouldn't be an easy loss to digest, but he wasn't willing to let it wear them down either. Their bond was stronger than any challenge they were facing and he wasn't about to give up.

He pondered for a long time whether it was appropriate to visit his brother and his mate that same day, but putting it off wouldn't do any good. Besides, he wanted to have a word with Kagome as soon as possible — and apologize.

He didn't know if Inuyasha would be in the same mood as the day before, though he knew enough to be aware of his temper. However, it was also no secret that Inuyasha was easily mollified by his wife; more importantly, he didn't create a disturbance if the latter needed to rest and not fret.

In short, analysing the situation, he agreed that it was definitely appropriate to go to them that very morning.

There he found them in their rooms in the company of their two sons and Shippo; they were laughing and Kagome had a relaxed smile on her lips that would not have hinted at all at the hardships of only two days before, not that she had come close to death twice in the space of a very short time. If he'd only had to take that and the content look in her dark eyes into account, Sesshomaru might have said that nothing had happened to her.

But the illusion lasted only one-thousandth of a second. As soon as they noticed his presence, everyone stiffened except Kagome, who kept that smile and turned it to him. Again, Sesshomaru detected no trace of resentment, and it struck him almost as much as Rin's anger.

As much as he was aware of the priestess's forgiving nature, he was sure that she would have reserved the slightest bit of resentment for him. But on her face, none of that was visible. Turning to face his brother, he did not find the anger of the day before — surely, this was Kagome's doing — while Toga had lowered his head as soon as he had heard him enter; Sesshomaru hoped this would not last long, though he knew the pup took after his father.

"Good morning," he announced himself. "How are you, Kagome?" He thought it would be best to make sure of her condition first and then state the intent of his visit.

She didn't even have a chance to respond that immediately Shippo stepped in. "I've been locked in this room far too long; you don't mind, 'Gome, do you, if I go out for some fresh air? Why don't you two come with me?" He turned toward the two younger demons.

Muteki stood up without protest, having realized what the kitsune's intent was, but Toga remained motionless, his eyes focused on his mother. Shippo approached him and placed an arm around his neck. "What is it, pup? Are you afraid of being beaten if I happen to challenge you to a duel?" he taunted him.

He got the desired result — and no one had doubted at all. "Who would you like to beat? Do you want me to fix that bald tail a little more?" The shi-hanyou hastily got up and, after casting a nervous glance at his parents and uncle — avoiding direct contact with the latter — followed his brothers out of the room, leaving behind a stifling silence.

Fortunately, it was relatively short-lived.

"Sesshomaru, we've been waiting for you." The way Kagome stressed the plural forced him to hold back a wry smirk; instead, he simply watched as his brother huffed.

"I arrived as quickly as I could," he offered.

Kagome nodded, reaching out to Inuyasha's hand and squeezing it. "I hope Rin's okay."

"As okay as she can be under the circumstances," he replied direct, inevitably causing silence to fall over them. After a few seconds, he cleared his throat and began again, "I hope you will soon have a chance to see for yourself how Rin is doing, but I came here with a specific goal."

"Of course."

Sesshomaru looked at her fixedly in the eyes without hesitation. "What I have done in the past few days is nothing new on my part," he began, shocking Inuyasha for a moment, who glared at him, thinking his brother was trying to justify himself. "However, who I am today is not the same as who I was then, and given that, I realize my mistake. An apology will not suffice, but I believe you know that what I did was not rational."

Inuyasha snorted. "Apologizing is the least you can do, but you don't know how to do that, do you?"

Kagome gave him a dirty look, then turned to Sesshomaru. "I cannot deny that what you did hurt me — and not physically, mind you. Still, it's enough for me to know that you retraced your steps and that every word you said that night was not sincere."

"What did he say?" her mate immediately wanted to know.

"Nothing you don't already know, Inuyasha," Sesshomaru replied. "You were very intuitive, after all, weren't you?"

"Well, if you're done competing with each other over who's more stupid and immature," Kagome interrupted them before the argument could escalate, "I wanted to conclude by saying that your apology would be of no use to me if I knew you were still stuck on that irrational thought."

"I am not, Kagome," the demon retorted immediately as if offended.

"There won't be, then, any unreasonable reactions in a little while when I finally tell you my medical opinion of your and Rin's situation?"

Sesshomaru gritted his teeth but did not resent the question. It was legitimate, and then again, he had never reacted well to such medical opinions in the past. "No."

Kagome sighed. "Not that this is easy for me to say, but you know I care about Rin's health; I love her as if she were my sister." Sesshomaru nodded as Inuyasha squeezed her hand. "Where I come from," she finally began again, "childbirth is a less painful and much safer occurrence."

The dai-youkai arched an eyebrow.

"There are...instruments that can monitor each woman as best as they can; they can let you hear the baby's heartbeat while it's still inside you, show you when it's just a little bean and not even legs and arms are formed. I wish I could show you, but of course, that's not possible; I still keep evidence of my pregnancy with Muteki."

"They're also capable of telling you if you'll have a boy or a girl," intervened Inuyasha, who understood his wife's intent. "We already knew we were going to have a boy."

Sesshomaru inhaled and exhaled slowly, letting them speak, but his eyes looked like those of a bird of prey.

"These instruments that will be invented in a few centuries are effective in finding anything wrong during the nine months; they can tell you if you are infertile or even help you conceive even when you think you are."

"Without a shadow of a doubt, you come from a very innovative era. Some may ask why you preferred to stay here in the past." Inuyasha ignored her taunt, as did Kagome.

"What I'm trying to tell you is that I know what the future holds for you if you are patient enough."

"What exactly will it hold for me?"

"A child," Kagome replied simply. If she hadn't met Nibori personally, she would never have been so direct and sure. For all they knew, either of them could very well have suffered from a rare genetic disease that prevented the conception of a healthy child — as inconceivable as the idea that a demon of Sesshomaru's lineage could be sick was. Still, that vision from the future gave her a certainty; it assured her that she could see her nephew born and grow if his parents were patient. "I know that if you wait, one day you will have the opportunity to face a pregnancy without being afraid of an outcome worse than this one, with answers that at the moment — and with the tools of the age we live in — it is not possible for me to give you."

Sesshomaru nodded. "You seem absolutely certain, miko, unlike all the other times you've repeated that the future is always uncertain. Is there anything else I should be made aware of?" he asked her without being able to contain himself.

"Sesshomaru!" Inuyasha cried, leaping to his feet. "I thought you didn't come here to start something; I thought we were done with doubts. Here I am trying to ignore what you did to Kagome, and you, instead, keep implying who knows what?"

"And you keep reacting, making me even more suspicious," the elder of the two retorted.

"I have nothing to add to this exchange," Kagome interjected again. "And I believe I have said all that was necessary about Rin. Time will tell us the rest. For now, Inuyasha and I can offer you our support and comfort; we are family, after all."

"And we know well how Sesshomaru treats his own family," Inuyasha hissed with his back to him. Apparently, anger and resentment were setting him back a few years.

"You will never learn, little brother," Sesshomaru scolded him. "Always so naive; unfortunately, there is no cure to your temperament."

The half-demon turned his head and opened his mouth, ready to spew more venom at him, but a look from Kagome made him shut it up. "Keh," he only huffed.

"Nevertheless, your medical opinion, Kagome, was a conclusion I had come to on my own as well. It will be my job to discuss it with my mate. I did, however...appreciate what you did for us."

"And I would do it again," she confirmed without hesitation. After all, her mission had been to save Rin, plus — despite the risk taken — they had finally managed to catch Noboru red-handed. Lucidly, putting aside the pain, Kagome admitted that that was a victory and not a defeat.

A couple of days passed, and it was decided it was a good time to hold a small ceremony in memory of Sesshomaru and Rin's daughter. The spirits were far from cheerful, but even less so was for the demon who knew it would not be an easy task to discuss the matter with his mate.

Rin hadn't picked up on their discussion yet, but she had stopped spending her days crying or ignoring him — though she was still ignoring what had happened between them. But she couldn't keep doing so if they wanted to say goodbye to their child.

At lunchtime, he joined her in their room and proceeded to open the windows to change the air and let the light in. He was sure a servant had already done it that morning, but Rin had probably closed them again. Then, he rested his gaze on the figure leaning against the dressing table, slowly combing her hair but still dressed for the night.

"Do you need advice on what to wear this afternoon? Should I send someone to help you get ready?" he asked her by way of greeting.

"What's wrong with what I'm wearing right now?" she replied, not caring and not stopping the movement of her wrist for even a second.

Sesshomaru arched an eyebrow. "Understood that it's not productive to stay in the robe you wear at night during the day, I don't think it's appropriate to show up at our daughter's funeral like this. It is indeed a function reserved exclusively for family, but-"

"Oh," Rin said as if she had only then understood the point of the conversation — though she had always known. "I'm not coming."

Sesshomaru froze, breathing in and out furiously. "You're not?" he repeated, hissing. "Forgive me, Rin, but I don't think I quite understand."

"What is there to understand? I don't feel able to cope with this event, so I'll stay in my — our — rooms."

He took another big breath. "You think it's easy for me, then?" he accused her. "Do you think I'm so insensitive as to consider our daughter's funeral as just another inane meeting organized to talk about amusing topics? I thought we had already discussed this a few days ago and that I had been clear when I stated that I did not appreciate these accusations of yours."

At this point, Rin turned to look at him, her expression seemingly innocent and unaware. "I'm not accusing you of anything, Sesshomaru."

"You're implying it!" he shouted, abandoning all forms of control. "When you tell me that you can't handle it — even if you mean you don't want to; when you abandon me even though I've told you over and over again that I want to be there for you, that I want to help you deal with every pain you don't think you're capable of facing; when you refuse to help me!" He laughed maniacally as he ran a hand through his hair, ruffling it. "Look at me, Rin; take a good look at me. Do I look like what I've always been? Do I look like the controlled, cold, impassive Sesshomaru you've known? Hell, this mask must be working just fine then because I don't feel that way at all. I guess this is what I get after pretending for ages and ages and hiding every bit of emotion."

The hand with which Rin still held the hairbrush began to tremble as she watched her beloved's face crumble under the weight of his words and feelings.

"I told you that I would not give up on us, I would keep my — our — promise, and I was more sincere than ever. However, you didn't read between the lines or catch my plea for help. Again, I guess that's what I get as a result of my behaviour; after all, when have I ever asked for help? I should have known I wouldn't be able to get this request across. I was hoping it would be different with you since you've always picked up on my every nuance, but it's a disappointment I'll have to learn to live with."

Rin opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out; Sesshomaru watched her, waiting for whatever words she had to say to him, but eventually, her lips closed again.

"Apparently, you've made your decision, haven't you, Rin?" he asked her, rhetorical and also angry. "You've decided not to consider what I said the other day. Very well." He straightened up and then fixed the hair he had ruffled earlier. "I'm not sure I'll be able to resist for the duration of the ceremony on my own, but this is our daughter we're talking about — who wasn't even given a name because her parents were too busy ignoring each other, fighting or lost in their grief, forgetting everything around them — and I don't want her soul to be trapped, unable to reach who knows what lurks on the other side because of our behaviour or resentment. I will bear, therefore, any pain that I have always rejected and can no longer hide. I want you to come with me and, in a few hours, I will come again, hoping that you have changed your mind. But if not..." his chest rose and fell frantically, and Sesshomaru closed his eyes to search for a shred of control, an inner strength that kept escaping him. "If not, I will understand."

Rin looked at him now with teary eyes as the brush slipped completely out of her hand and produced a thunderous sound going to crash on the floor, reverberating in the silence that had engulfed the room as soon as Sesshomaru had stopped talking. She brought her hand to her mouth and continued to tremble, wracked with sobs.

He felt as if a hand had just pierced through his chest and ripped out his heart, squeezing it in an iron grip as he watched helplessly. He took a step forward, ready to comfort her, embrace her, but seemed to have second thoughts; he wasn't even sure it was what she wanted from him.

"I'll come back to you, Rin," he murmured finally. "I have no doubt, but I wish it was the same for you," he told her before leaving her alone.

And Rin stood there, still in the centre of the room that now wanted to close around her, aware of the significance of what had just happened.

Sesshomaru felt weak and powerless and had openly declared it to her. Even years before, whenever they were faced with yet another miscarriage, such a thing had never happened — even when she had clearly read in him the weakness he was trying to hide. How selfish she had been then if he had been forced to tell her openly, to ask her help for a pain that was not hers alone, but his, theirs. And he had had to tell her more than once for her to become aware of it.

Maybe it was still true that Sesshomaru was the stronger of the two — and he proved it every time he got up and kept fighting, that he wasn't oblivious to what had happened — but that didn't mean he didn't need a shoulder to cry on. And not just any shoulder, but hers, his mate's.

How could she have gotten to that point? What had been going on in her mind since the little one was born and died? And they hadn't even given her a name.

Another sob shook her all over and echoed in the silence that surrounded her.

She couldn't do it; she wasn't strong, not at all. And yet... and yet, as Sesshomaru had told her over and over, she wasn't willing to give up, nor did she want to give that impression anymore.

As promised, Sesshomaru returned to pick her up that early afternoon and was glad to see her ready. Her demeanour had changed as well: her shoulders were straight, though tense, there was no trace of the tremor that had shaken her earlier, and though her eyes were still a little red and her face pale, she had tried to cover it up with a little makeup.

They didn't say anything to each other at first, nor did Sesshomaru want to resume the conversation: he thought that actions, in this case, should have spoken clearly. Fortunately, Rin's already spoke to him.

Then, she joined him on the threshold and raised her face to meet his intense golden gaze. Her lips were parted in a straight line, her jaw clenched, and there was a fire in her eyes that Sesshomaru had missed.

He reached out and stroked her hand with his fingers, then his forearm, until he grazed her shoulders. He already guessed that what Rin was about to tell him would make that moment fundamental and — he hoped — erase the insecurity that had marked them in those days. Not that it would erase that pain because he didn't want to, but he wanted to put behind him that interlude in which they had both felt alone.

He saw her lips part and her breath condense into little clouds before the sound reached his ears.

"Kazuko," she said, determined, challenging him with her gaze. "Kazuko," she repeated, "that's her name." She would not change her mind or allow him to contradict her.

A smile slowly stretched across Sesshomaru's mouth. "Harmony," he nodded, referring to the first two syllables of that name. There was no trace of disagreement.

"I don't want to cause her any pain; I don't want her soul to be tormented or destined to remain in limbo because of my reaction or inability to deal with what is happening to us." She was careful to stress the plural of the sentence as he had done earlier. "As much as I can, I want to help her, hoping that by giving her a name that invokes harmony and peace, I can help her achieve her own as soon as possible. I want to think of her like this, happy, glad to have been our daughter even if only for a short while. Kazuko."

"Kazuko," he agreed, nodding again. "I think it's perfect."

That afternoon, time seemed to stand still for a moment as the entire family huddled around Sesshomaru and Rin and shared their pain, trying to bear with them and encourage them. When necessary, they understood their need for solitude and left them to mourn that loss in the way they preferred and saw fit.

No one was unaware of what had happened between them in such a minuscule amount of time, but they did not rub salt in their wound; the emotions were a lot to digest for everyone, but for the two of them even more so.

In the open air, pressed against each other — almost as if they wanted to become one — face to face with the sun, they let the wind be the only thing that disturbed them.

Rin closed her eyes and welcomed the caress on her face, suddenly feeling invigorated despite her still heavy heart. She realized how much the determination that Sesshomaru had passed on to her and the insistence with which he had repeated that he would never give up on them had worked wonders on her torn soul.

She smiled, though hers was still a sad smile, wet with the silent tears that marred her face. "I'm sorry," she finally said, knowing that Sesshomaru would catch the meaning of that apology.

He did not turn back to her but continued to look straight ahead. He nodded, but she couldn't see him in the eyes. "There is nothing to apologize for," he stated stoically and uncompromisingly. He wasn't going to accept it because there was no need to.

They both had their share of mistakes behind them — he first — but he didn't want to make lists or dredge up the past. The only thing he was interested in was knowing that, while they would continue to change and evolve, never standing still in the same spot, the two of them would always fight for that bond that united them.

It was pure and true, and if there was one thing Sesshomaru was completely certain of, it was that it would never be tainted as long as he had a say in it.

A/N: Here we are with a chapter that finally sees Sesshomaru and Rin face off and tell each other everything. I think it was necessary and they both needed to be harder on both themselves and each other to really come to terms with what had happened. It would have been bad to split the chapter so I preferred it to be just one. The little girl's funeral, on the other hand, was only hinted at primarily because I didn't want it to be too detailed but also because I wanted it to be another means of dealing with their grief.

I hope I haven't disappointed you and, of course, it's not all over now. In the next chapters, we will also go back to Inuyasha and Kagome and solve the last unresolved issues. Looking forward to hearing from you. Until next time!