[AN: This is a shorter chapter, but I'm proud to get it out in such a short time. I will be trying hard to get out more chapters at least weekly. The most I want to be gone for is two weeks.]

Rin had awoken early, learning how to rise before the sun instead of sleeping well after it. A proper lady should not sleep the day away for she had many duties to attend to. She started off the day as she usually did, eating her small breakfast. She had become accustomed to the miniscule meals given to her here. At first it seemed like Lady Tsukiakari was being cruel by giving her less to eat but she explained that eating too much weighs down the body and it isn't good for one to be sluggish all day. Also if something were to happen and Rin needed to be at the ready her it would be bad for her digestion system if she were running around full to the brim. Rin was complacent in all that was told or ordered of her for she knew it was for her own good. She wanted to be as noble as she could possibly be. Of course, she was still a wild child inside but there would be a true lady there too. After eating her breakfast, she went to her ladyship and found her staring at her own reflection in a mirror. She wasn't being vain, she was never that type of woman, but instead she was thinking of someone else not of herself. She was thinking about her son again. She had this feeling that something was not right with him today, she could just sense it. Rin sensed something too, that there was things out of her control that were going on and that something was wrong in the atmosphere. She hoped that Sesshomaru was okay but she believed in her heart that he was.

"What is it Lady Tsuki?" Rin questioned with earnest curiosity and a sincere touch to her voice. She had come to care for the woman after months of closeness and if something was distressing her it distressed Rin too.

"Hmm… I wonder. Never mind, I'm sure everything is fine."

"You mean with the battle?"

She nodded her head, trying to keep her thoughts to herself as she always did. She too had grown close to this woman beside her who diligently kept up pace, close enough to consider her a trusted member of the royal court. In fact she trusted her far more than she trusted her own guards or other servants who had loyally served her for years. With Sesshomaru choosing this woman as his intended mate she could expect one day she would govern the western woods with him and thus she would be part of the family. With everything that had gone on in her life it was expected of her to hate this decision and hate everything that was going on but she did not. Truthfully Lady Tsuki hated very little things, she could not even bring herself to hate her late husband all that much. She did, however, hate his new wife. That she could do without much trouble. She did not hate Rin though, there was simply no reason to. True she was not fond of most humans, saw them as beneath her just as her son did but she did not hate them. She used hate sparingly, she did not waste her energy on hating things because it did nothing for her except darken her soul. Rin had proved herself in the many months she was here that she could become a well trained principled lady as well as being one of the most loyal creatures to exist in human form. Rin also deeply respected her, honored her, and was honest with her. That was a rarity amongst humans, true honesty and gained respect not out of fear.

It would ridiculous of her to say she loved Rin for she only had room in her heart for so much but she did have compassion at least and was concerned for her good health. She was empathetic enough to have saved her life once and if asked she would do it again if only to make sure her son was happy. She knew Rin would protect her too if she must, she would do anything for her within reason. Lady Tsuki trusted Rin like she trusted no other except her dear son and as the days passed by churning slowly like water in a mill she came to see her as something more. She had indeed wanted a daughter of her very own to raise in the ways of ladyhood, to be a proper princess and now it seemed she was getting her chance with Rin. It was not the best circumstance but she was content with the experience of it all and having someone to talk to was nice as well even if they were just a human, it was still something that eased that burning in her spirit for a daughter. She only wished she looked like her, oh how beautiful a girl would look with her appearance. She'd have a powdery complexion with gorgeous white hair and that ever present crescent moon. She yearned for that too but had to be satisfied with what she was given.

Rin continued her training today as she did every day and entertained Lady Tsuki with her shamisen as usual as well as singing for her. Today she sung of a war hero returning home to find his wife with a new baby but the child did not resemble him. Something about that stirred something in Lady Tsuki that she had not felt in a long time, eons even. Sadness swelled within her heart thinking of that warrior who had come to find his beloved had an affair while he was off trying to risk his very life for her and his country. She let out a sigh that was heavy with dismay remembering her own lover who had gone and done the worst thing he could do to her in her mind. He had no self-respect or he had lost his mind to think he could go behind her back and sleep with another woman like that without getting caught. It was the first time he did that to her and it was the last. She had smelled the woman on him prior but convinced herself it was nothing serious. How wrong she was. She should have trusted her keen senses like she always did but sometimes she ignored them because as they say ignorance is bliss. Rin stopped her playing noticing the forlorn face her ladyship was wearing and it did not suit her. She quickly realized she was doing something wrong in singing this song so she stopped playing immediately.

"Forgive me Lady Tsuki. I did not realize I was upsetting you."

"No, Rin. Do not apologize for you play and sing with such passion that it could even touch me. Continue, I wanted to hear the end of it. I wanted to know what became of the man."

"Very well. If it pleases you, I will go forward."

Rin continued her song where she had left off. It was a melancholy melody that sounded almost like the marching of a band. The story of it continued that the war hero fell to his knees in disbelief and wept into the night at losing his wife to another for she thought he was dead. However he promised he would still be a father to the child for it was not the child's fault this happened. That made Lady Tsukiakari think of Inuyasha of which she rarely ever did and she wondered if she could ever see herself as a foster mother to him but she never did. She could not bring herself to raise an uncommonly filthy mutt that was the bastard son of her ex-husband and his lover. She could not learn to forgive and forget and learn to love the child as the song claimed this man did. She knew of one thing though, that whatever children her son had she would offer her protection to and cherish them as if they were her own even if they were half breeds which given the circumstances there was no way they wouldn't be. She had resigned herself from caring about what they were and instead focused on who they were, they were her grandchildren and she would give them all the love she could muster up.

She wondered what the child or children might look like. Would they be born with those ears on top of their head or would they be born looking so unusual it might make them hideous or would they come out as beautiful as the night sky full of stars? Would they look like her son with flowing white hair or would they look like their mother with rich brown eyes full of tender feelings and sweetness that Lady Tsuki could not comprehend. She pondered this throughout the day as they played an old game together during their down time. It was peaceful in those quiet moments together both women enjoying each other's company as much as they could until it was that the silence and peace was broken by a smell in the air that Lady Tsukiakari did not like nor did she recognize. She sat upright and focused her senses and ears trying to hear and smell what was coming. She told Rin to stay where she was and she would go investigate. She went down the halls until she was at her throne room where her guards stood there bravely. They were on edge and poised as if ready for the attack for they too could sense something was coming that they did not like either. It seemed to be a large number that was coming their way, larger than her own staff that were on hand. It was then that Lady Tsuki understood what was going on. Someone must have heard where Rin was going, someone working from the inside of Sesshomaru's castle, and Lady Fuyumi sent part of her army here to kill them all.

Lady Tsuki felt that she was being dishonored somehow because this meant that Fuyumi thought she was too old to fight now or would be easy to end. This was not the case at all. While she did not at all want to get blood on herself, she would if it meant defending her kingdom and her honor. She did not have any weapons on her besides her poison claws but she was confident that was all she would need. She told her guards to be on the ready for it was now their time to fight. Soon the army did come and without hesitation or questioning started to battle those in front of them. One of the guards was fighting a relative of his but it appeared his own love of the queen and loyalty to her was beyond that of his family ties. The clanging of swords, the war cries, and other sounds had alerted Rin that something was wrong. When she reached the throne room she saw before her what was going on and surmised that Fuyumi's group had diverged and one half was attacking Sesshomaru while the other was trying to get to her and only her. Instead of running and hiding like she should have she gathered her bow and arrow, for she was wise enough to bring it, and went right beside her ladyship's side and starting shooting off.

She hit one of the enemies straight in the eye sending him to the ground in a fit of pain. She did not have a lot of arrows to spare but she would use them all and when that was done, she would use anything she could get her hands on. Lady Tsuki looked at Rin, valiantly fighting by her side, proving her devotion and courage in the face of battle. She was not at all perturbed by the dead bodies or the blood or anything else that was going on nor was she afraid at all for her own life. She was no longer the scared little girl who ran and hid behind her tall lord every time something came up. No, this time she would fight instead of cowering away. If the worst came to be then and only then would she try to run but that was only if Lady Tsukiakari was taken down for she was the strongest component of their team. She fired another arrow swift and true, silently wishing she could have Kagome's prowess with the bow but she was not so gifted. Still she held her own in war. She reached behind her for another arrow and found that there was no more left so what was she to do now? She saw a decorative dagger on the wall and took it off to use that. She apologized verbally to the lady about ruining her decoration but she must have something to fight with. As she rushed into battle with her dagger, unafraid and stronger than she appeared, Lady Tsuki had the smallest smile on her face remembering those words she told Sesshomaru. "In war everything is a weapon." This Rin was very resourceful and quick on her feet to think of that.

Rin plunged her blade rapidly into those that came toward her, striking in their neck as she was going for the main artery that when cut would end them instantly. She was slashing away with her small blade at who she could feasibly take on by herself. With all those that were there the fight went on much smoother and it appeared no one was a match for her ladyship. She appeared almost to be dancing through the enemy line, going from one person to the other like changing dance partners. She was so graceful and beautiful and did her killing without ever getting herself messy, staying pristine the whole time. One of the people from Fuyumi's army was especially aggressive and was large enough and strong enough to take down many of the guards and they were able to get to Rin. They were too much of a threat for the woman, even she knew that, and Lady Tsukiakari told her to run now before this ended in disaster. Rin did the sensible thing and started to leave but the offender was not about to let his great chance at doing service to his lady and to what he thought was a higher purpose get away from him.

He was able to grab her by the back of her kimono but Rin was tougher than she looked and smarter too and untied it rapidly to get away from him. She was left in nothing but a slip and her undergarments but she didn't care for her modesty. She continued running when the opponent swung his weapon and sliced through her skin causing her to fall over. Now that she was down from her non-fatal injury he could easily kill her but Lady Tsuki was not about to let that happen, not while Rin was in her charge. She rushed over to her, bent on protecting the human woman, but it appeared she need not to. A figure rose from the skies and split the assailant in two. That figure was Sesshomaru who had come just in time to save Rin from her dreadful fate. He stood there now surrounded by corpses and covered in blood, looking like his name suited him now. None of that mattered, what mattered was he was there and Rin was spared. He went to her and tried to help her up but as soon as he went near her he sensed something had changed about her. When he touched her it was confirmed.

"Rin you're…"

She looked up at him from the ground and smiled gingerly. "Don't worry I'm alright."

"No it's not that…you are…with child."

"I was going to tell you as soon as you came back but it appears I don't have to. Yes… I'm carrying our baby. I was so happy once I found out. Lady Tsuki was the one who figured it out for me and she said it's going to be a boy."

Sesshomaru was shaken but not in a bad way. He could not believe his ears. Rin's stomach was full of new life, a new life that they had created. A child that would carry on his lineage and rule his woodlands. Rin was able to lift herself up with some help and touched her stomach trying to gauge if the baby was okay. Sesshomaru looked at her with a gentle gaze, full of warmth and love for her and their new child growing inside of her. He placed his hand on her stomach and searched within for a heartbeat, finding one that was strong and proud like his own. A boy she had said. A boy. He bristled with joy and pride at knowing this. Of course he would have been happy with any gender she gave him but the thought of a son did make Sesshomaru just a bit more glad than normal. He imagined his son with him fighting by his side, training with him, learning from him, and staring up at him with adoration and reverence. His heart was full of happiness at this moment because Rin was not only alive, and thank the heavens above for that news alone, but she was with his child.

When he finally got her off the ground he held her tightly in his arms, both of them uncaring about their appearances right now. They were just happy to be alive and experiencing this together. Sesshomaru could not wait to enjoy the life of a father, of a role model to his son, and be looked up to the way he looked up to his own father. He would be everything his father was and was not. He would be there for his child day in and day out, showing him how to hold his head up high and live in this world. It would be a while before he got to greet his son but he was anxious and excited for that day where the child he had made with love would be born. Rin needed to be tended to and that was taken care of immediately. Her wounds were treated and she laid down to rest, after all she had done she needed to sleep. Sesshomaru looked at her as she slept, caressing her cheeks thinking of their new life together as a family that he was sure even after his son would keep growing. He also thought of something very important, Rin's mortality. He did not want to see her wither away and leave him alone in this world with just their children, all mourning her loss, weeping tirelessly over her grave, He could not bare the thought, he could not even fathom it. His mother was there by Rin's bedside looking at her beloved child and studying his concerned face. She took him aside away from Rin so they would not wake her.

"What troubles you my son? I can tell you are worried about her but why? Is she not healthy and soon to be birthing you a child? Are you worried about the child?"

"No. I…I cannot have Rin aging. The thought alone…" He left that sentence there, the sadness in his eyes told it all. "Is there any way in this world to prolong mortal life?"

"Oh I see. You do not want her to ever leave you… you really have changed to be so romantic and sentimental. I suppose I understand you not wanting to leave behind the person you care about so much and watch them crumble away to nothingness. Come with me, let us talk away from here so as not to rouse her."

Sesshomaru followed his mother away from the doorway and into the hallway, past all the paintings and tapestries that depicted so many stories he had heard in his youth. They entered into a room which was lined with scrolls, he had a room just like it at his own place. There was much recorded in these scrolls, mostly just accounts of history. She took one of the many scrolls and rolled it out on the long table for him to see. He looked upon the imagery with interest but wondered what this had to do with anything they were talking about previously. She pointed at one of the creatures on the scroll with her finger. It looked to be half woman and half aquatic creature.

"These are the ningyo," she explained though he knew that already. He was well versed in the mythology of the land. "There is a legend about them that states if you eat one of their scales you will become immortal."

"That's just a myth, ningyo don't exist."

"There is much to learn about this world my son and that is that some legends ring true even to this day. I have heard tale of a man who caught one and made it give up one of its scales. He lived a long life afterwards but ended it after three hundred years of immortality. Seeing his loved ones pass on without him had gotten to him."

"Why did he not just get another scale to give to those that he cared for?"

"Because the ningyo are tricky creatures and will only give up one. If the same person asks for it again, they will not do it. Their scales are very precious to them for they care far too much about their own beauty to continue to give out their own scales all the time. It is a part of their flesh and it is painful for them to rip it off, that and their vanity combined are why they don't give more than one."

"Are you so sure they are real? To my knowledge these have all been just fables."

"Even if they are what have you to lose in trying to find one? Rin is still young even if it takes a few years to find one what will it matter?"

"I will have wasted my time then."

"But if it is true will not your time have been well wasted? You can take her with you even if you are so worried about her. Has she not traveled with you before?"

"But in her condition…"

"My son I fought in great wars when I was pregnant. I did not let that stop me from living my life."

"You are not human. It is different for you than it is for her."

"That is true," She considered, pondering what to do now. "But I still think she could make it. You did not see how fiercely she fought today even though she was pregnant."

"I wish not she fought at all…she could have been…."

He inhaled sharply as if he was in pain but it was just the thought that if he was but a mere few seconds late he would have lost not only her but his unborn son. He shuddered at the thought. Lady Tsukiakari put her hand on him to comfort him in the only way she knew how.

"Sesshomaru, you have no other options available to you right now other than this one. I know of no other way to make a human immortal outside of this. You must at least try."

"…I will try then but as soon as it's time for Rin to give birth I will stop looking. That is more important to me than anything else in this world."

"I understand. When you were born nothing else mattered but that. I almost miss those days when you were small and so eager to learn, so bright eyed and looking forward to the future. I suppose I shall relive those days vicariously through your children."

"You actually want to be a part of their lives even though they are… what they are?"

"Yes," she submitted with slightly downcast eyes. "I should be ashamed of my answer but they are your children and I will adore them because of that alone."

"…Thank you."

She opened her eyes a little wide at him. She had never heard him say thank you before, not once in her entire long life. "Thank me…for what?"

"For…everything," He told her with a compassionate voice before bowing to her as deep as he could manage without losing his own self-esteem.

"That girl really has changed you…"

Sesshomaru nodded in agreement then started to leave before his mother interrupted gently.

"Wait."

"What is it?"

"I must warn you of the ningyo for they are deceitful little creatures who will not give you their scales simply because you asked. They will want something in return, something valuable to you personally. Mere riches will not coerce them. What they may ask of you may be too much to give and you cannot take their scales by force, the magic will not work that way."

"I would give…anything…for her."

"Anything?"

"Anything."

As he strode away into the sunset like a gallant knight, she watched him, astonished at his love for Rin. She had never seen it before, such true love like that, and it shook her to her core. Her son the destructive power house was now a man who had tender feelings for a mortal, a thing he used to despise. She knew he would find what he was looking for and that Rin would become immortal but at what cost?