A/N: TRIGGER WARNING **MAJOR SPOILER**
This section of the story is called Death (duh, says it in part one) understandably so the entire world is going through a tough time and loss can be something that manifests itself in many different outlets. For me in times or turmoil I turn to the arts, mostly writing and drawing. This is a pretty rough (rough as in the subject matter is hard to swallow) chapter, I started writing it as soon as I finished the previous story but I never committed to it until now. The following chapter contains infant death as well as childbirth complications, I didn't go into a lot of detail since it can be quite the touchy subject and I decided to leave it up to my readers. Please read on and understand that there is still hope in the world, as well as this story.
Chapter Two:
I settle into his chest, listening to the low thump of his heart, his voice rumbles as he speaks.
"After you left, Rin continued living with Kaede and Jinenji. She helped them pick herbs and was even beginning to learn about medicine.
She was a part of the village, she was happy, she had her own life there, then Kaede died.
I came to check on her as soon as I heard about what happened, I was building myself a home in the Western lands.
My father started building it just before he died, as a place for him and Izayoi to live with Inuyasha." He doesn't look at me when he speaks, instead he stares at the ceiling. I can hear the minute amount of emotion in his voice.
I don't think he's ever told this to anyone before.
"I had just finished building it when Rin asked if she could come home with me. I'll never forget how she said it." I stay quiet, listening, watching as his brow seems to furrow. I want to hear what she said. I want to hear her voice once more.
"She must have been the same age you were when you fell down the well at this time. We sat next to the river and watched the sunset together, she turned to me and asked if she could come home. I was surprised, but it made me… happy, that she considered living with me home.
I would be remiss if I didn't admit I missed having her following me around. So I brought her home, she said goodbye to your friends and as soon as she set foot in the palace it was like a weight had lifted from her shoulders.
She was so excited to have people to talk to and play with, Rin never lost her sense of childhood wonder when it came to life.
For a few years she was quite content reading and debating with the servants. She even became close friends with a few of them. Rin always wanted to help out with daily chores.
The servants took a long time to warm up to the idea of my young ward assisting them in kitchenly duties, but they accepted her help eventually.
Rin planted an entire vegetable garden one spring. She spent weeks reading about what seeds would do well in our soil, she visited the local village and spoke to the old farmers and came back with a wealth of knowledge.
That summer she asked me why I chose to build my home on the side of a mountain. We spent the warm months together and I taught her about war tactics, and using terrain to help in defensive strategy.
In the fall, once the final round of vegetables were harvested, she took them down to the village and gave them out. Her and a few of the servants spent the afternoon handing out anything we couldn't store or use during the winter.
I think that's when she met him." He takes a moment, tracing absent minded shapes on my back with his clawed hand.
"Rin lived a life much like you, she was human and loved human things, but she was exposed to so much she could never properly connect with humans, until she met Touma.
He was a little older than her and his family were merchants who dealt in textiles. He was educated and could read and write, I found a stack of letters hidden in her chambers after she died. They had been sending letters back and forth to one another since the moment they met.
During the next few months she spent more and more time in the village. She didn't speak of Touma until he came to the palace one day that following spring, he was asking if he could marry her." His voice trails, like telling this part of the story pains him. I know we're getting to the end.
I can't help but imagine poor Touma asking to marry Rin, Sesshoumaru sat upon a great throne, servants lining the walls leading to him.
The palace must have been exquisite.
"They were married in the summer in a small ceremony, Rin and I went to the capital together and I purchased her a Shiromuku, we spent the day looking for one with cranes on it. She was so beautiful, she lit up as soon as she put it on, I'd never seen her so happy."
His voice is soft in the stillness, lips curling into a smile, he closes his eyes as if looking at a picture.
"I went away for a while, having the palace empty was something I didn't want to deal with just yet. When I returned, I visited her and found out she was pregnant."
There is no longer a trace of a smile, the words fall into the dead air and there is no joy in his voice.
"Touma was overjoyed. He told me over and over again that it was a boy, he wanted to name him Hiro, so he would grow up as generous as his mother. Rin came to visit the palace more in those few months she had left. She shooed away all the servants when they tried to help her, she insisted on cooking when she came to visit and tending her gardens.
"She got very round during her pregnancy and suffered headaches. On one visit when she was heavily pregnant, she was so overcome with nausea and vomiting she could barely sit still.
I overheard a servant taking care of her on a night she just couldn't make it home. Rin was sobbing, she just kept saying over and over that she wasn't ready. I chose not to go into the room and comfort her…"
Voice trailing he takes a deep breath.
"I know now that she had something modern medicine calls preeclampsia, she may have even had eclampsia by then. She went into labour soon after her visit with me, she was in her third trimester but not far along enough to actually have the baby.
Touma was distraught when I arrived, Rin was bent over in pain, the village midwife was bringing in buckets of fresh water and making her drink. She tried to stand when I entered and I remember looking into her eyes and seeing agony." I can see him swallow the lump in his throat, reaching out I place my hand on his chest.
"You don't have to tell me if it's too painful" I whisper, kissing his cheek. He isn't looking at me but I know what his eyes look like.
"Rin and the baby died that night. She had a little girl who wasn't even strong enough to take her first breath. Touma begged me to do something, he threw himself onto his knees in front of me and screamed for me to save her, but I couldn't. I just...I wasn't powerful enough, I wasn't strong enough to save her…" His voice is low.
He has never forgiven himself for not being able to save Rin. The smallest tear falls from his closed lids, it leaves a damp little puddle on the pillow. I do my best to scoop him into my arms, I want to take all the pain away.
"I'm sorry Sesshoumaru" I whisper. He pulls me into him and I feel a small sob, he catches himself before he breaks down. Taking a deep breath he pulls away, hiding his face, he sits on the edge of the bed. Placing his head in his hands, I can do nothing but wrap my arms around him, squeezing him as tight as I can.
"You know I love you, right?" He reaches his hands to me, lacing his fingers in mine.
"I know" He kisses the side of my face, rubbing his nose against my cheek. "I love you too"
End of Chapter Two
