No matter how much I love the Inuyasha series, as do us all, I have no ownership of anything Inuyasha.(sigh)
Just a quick note, please forgive the time lapses between postings, i'm having internet connection problems at home so i have to go to the library to get the internet. I will try to post as often as i can so please bear with me!
Chapter Eleven
Inutaisho stands beside his son, Inuyasha leaning back against the house as the two men watch the two women across the yard. Kagome and Rin saunter across the yard, stopping occassionally so Rin can pick a stray flower.
"It's almost the end of the week." Inutaisho comments quietly. Inyasha nods. "Has he told her about the curse yet?" Inuyasha nods again.
"They talked about it a few days ago. She kept reassuring him and he seemed to believe it but Kagome admitted to me yesterday that Rin is pretty scared." Inutaisho nods, his golden eyes studying his two daughter in laws.
Kagome's shorts accent her long, slim legs. Her long sleeved, loose shirt shifts slightly whenever a breeze brushes her body, tugging her hair into her face as she turns to look at the two leaning against the wall. Her eyes seem to sparkle and Inutaisho glances between Kagome and Inuyasha. He merely sighs, shaking his head. Inuyasha looks over at him then looks away, assuming a scowl on his face. Across the yard Kagome laughs, turning to answer Rin's confused question as Inutaisho merely shakes his head again.
"You can't keep anything from me." He says quietly. Inuyasha merely grunts then glances sidelong at his father.
"We're not sure." He says quietly. "Even i can't tell yet." Inutaisho chuckles, tapping his nose once more before leaving the wall and heading across the yard toward the women.
Rin watches as Inutaisho crosses the yard and smiles a greeting as he stops beside them. Kagome waves at him from where she kneels nearby, pulling a few errant weeds from the flower bed.
"I'm stealing her Kagome." She waves again, one hand covered in dirt.
"Go right ahead." He chuckles, slipping a hand around her waist and guiding Rin away, toward the shade of a nearby tree and the bench beneath it.
As she sits he stands over her, staring down at her as she sighs.
"Thank you." She says quietly, one hand reaching up to cover her eyes against the glare of the sun even though they are in the shade.
"How bad is it?" He asks, kneeling beside her. She shakes her head slightly.
"It's just a small headache. To much sun i guess." When he doesn't answer she looks up at him, noting his solemn expression. "It's starting again, isn't it?" He nods and she reaches out, clutching his hand. "I'll be fine. You and your sons will find the person doing this and it will all end soon." He continues to study her and her expression faulters.
"Do you want me to find Sesshoumaru?" She shakes her head.
"No, he needs to get out of here for a while. Him leaving on this patrol will do him good." She says quietly. "And he won't be back until this week is over."
"I know you're frightened, Rin. You don't have to hide it." Her face crumbles and her hands leave his, both reaching down to stroke her stomach slowly, smoothing the cloth over her rounded belly.
"I'm not so frightened for myself as i am for the child." He reaches out, laying his hand atop hers and holding them still against her body.
I'm sure the child is fine. Did Sesshoumaru explain how that is?" She nods, fighting back tears.
"His blood is protecting the child." She says quietly. Inutaisho nods.
"That is right. Now come on, lets get you inside. This sun isn't making it any better. I promise i will stay with you in my son's stead." She nods, allowing Inutaisho to lift her to her feet. Instead of her walking he scoops her up, cradling her gently against him as he gives Kagome a nod before heading into the house.
One Week Later
Sesshoumaru lands lightly in the front yard, the act seeming impossible for his immense size. As he transforms back to his human-like form his brother leaves the house, his arms folded inside the sleeves of his hayori. Sesshoumaru frowns, studying the red cloth of the fire rat that Inuyasha had donned.
"What is with the history lesson?" Inuyasha glares at him, shuffling his feet.
"Kagome insisted i wear it. Apparently a class is coming to the shrine today to tour it like they do every year and she made me wear this." Sesshoumaru laughs, resisting the urge to make a snide comment when Inuyasha sneers at him.
"I wouldn't be laughing just yet." Sesshoumaru frowns.
"What?" Just then Kagome comes from the house, hurrying toward him with a large garment bag in her arms. Sesshoumaru groans and Kagome stops beside him, smiling widely.
"Seshoumaru, i got these ready. Hurry up and go put them on." She demands. He raises one eyebrow at her and scowls darkly at her but she is unfased, trusting the bag at him.
"I'm with your brother, remember? That won't work on me. Now go." He merely stands there, staring at her.
"Where is Rin." He demands. Kagome hesitates, then looks up at him.
"She is in her room. It's already over and she's sleeping off the effects. Now go change." She says, less solemn this time. Inuyasha laughs as his brother shuffles past them toward the house but the laugh is cut short as Kagome turns to him.
"Sit!" Inuyasha flinches but stops when nothing happens. Kagome laughs at him as she heads for the house.
After donning his attire he stares at the mirror of the room, studying himself in the mirror.
The black boots are spotless, as they always were, the long white pants tucked neatly in and secured in place with a blue and yellow sash around his waist. On either side of his waist the sash slips down, almost seem to drape down his legs to rejoin in the middle of his waist, the ends hanging down neatly.
His armour he had worn so long ago is gone, destroyed in a battle he had long forgotten. His white and red hayori seems unchanged by all the years since he had last worn them. His silver hair hands down his back, seeming longer now. The "fluffy" as Rin had called it as a child is gone as well, but still he sees a difference in himself that hadn't been there before.
He doesn't realize that Rin is at the door until he hears her chuckle slightly. Rin is leaning against the door jab, Tenseiga in her hands. He smiles slightly when he sees her and she enters the rooms slowly. His smile disappears as he watches her move, replaced with a look of deep concern.
"I'm sorry i could not be there for you, my love." He whispers to her, threading taloned claws through her hair gently. She smiles, one hand tugging at his sash enough so she can slide Tenseiga into its place.
"I'm glad you weren't there." She whispers. When his hand drops back to his side she hastens to explain. "It was not something i would wish you to see." She says quietly, refusing to look up at him. He takes her chin in one hand, tilting her face to look up at him.
"What was it." He states, clearly not a question. She sighs.
"Pain. And nightmares."
"Two at once?" She nods, turning away to stare at his reflection in the mirror. He does as well, studying them together.
Rin's kimono is made entirely of soft blue silk, the light blue shade making her hair appear all the darker. The top is plain, the obi around her waist a bright yellow tipped with dark blue much like his sash around his waist. the bottom of her kimono is embellished with long stemmed dark blue flowers. The long, flowing sleeves are embellished with the same flowers. He turns back to his own reflection, self concously adjusting Tenseiga at his waist.
"Something seems different." He comments softly. She nods.
"Something is different." He looks down at her and she looks up, smiling.
"It's your face." He frowns, leaning forward to study his face in the mirror.
"What's different about it?" He says, frowning. She chuckles and tugs on his shoulder, guiding him around to face her.
"I'll show you." Swiftly she plants a smouldering kiss on his lips, gripping a handful of his hair tightly and pulling slightly. He responds immediately and it is a few minutes before they draw appart. As they back away slightly, Rin turns him back toward the mirror.
"That's the difference. Back in the old days, you never let yourself show emotion. Not any. I can count on one hand how many times i saw any emotion on your face. Now look at yourself." He nods slowly, turning back to her with a toothy grin.
"And it's all your fault for the great Sesshoumaru's downfall." She stares at him a moment, then she looks away quickly. Startled by her reaction he touches her shoulder lightly.
"Rin?" She keeps her back to him a moment before glancing over her shoulder at him.
"Do you mean that?" He stares at her, shocked a moment before shaking his head.
"No, of course not." He walks around her, wrapping his arms around her waist as well as he can around her pregnant belly and holding her close. "If anything, i attained the immense power that i always sought." She stares at him, frowning.
"Oh." Her tone makes him smile and he lowers his lips to her ear.
"I attained the power i sought by loving you."
Suddenly there is a knock at the door and Inuyasha's voice at the door.
"Come on. The kids are here and Kagome's having a field day planning this grand entrance that pop and us are supposed to make. Hurry up and get down here before she makes it a damn parade." Sesshoumaru chuckles as Rin replies.
"I just have one more pin for my hair, then we'll be down brother." They listen to him grumble something and Seshoumaru laughs again. Rin sighs, seperating herself from him.
"Well, i guess we should go."
"Hold on." She stops, waiting. Sesshoumaru reaches behind her to the table near the bed, picking up a folded piece of cloth. He holds it out to her, smiling.
"A little something i picked up on my travels. It's for you."
Rin unfolds the cloth carefully, inhaling sharply when she sees the comb lying nestled in the fabric.
"It's beautiful." Three stones, one larger one flanked by two smaller ones on either side, glitter purple and green in the sunlight filtering down through the window. Small diamonds are scattered across the top of the pin like stars in the night sky, the dark ebony of the comb taking her breath away.
"I heard of the stones a while ago. I think they are called mystic fire diamonds or something like that." He comments offhandedly. "I saw them and immediately thougth of you." She beams up at him and picks up the comb gently, studying it a moment before handing it to him. She turns his back on him and closes her eyes, tears brimming her eyes as she feels him slide the comb lovingly into her hair.
Trying not to let the story go all dark and depressed all at once. Is it working?