Chapter two

Legends

Rin's POV

-Flashback-

"Her hair…it's so black…I thought it would be silver like yours" I spoke allowed as I stroked the black silk on top of new-born's head.

Sesshomaru reached out and touched her hair that was surprisingly thick and full, his finger then caressed her tiny cheek.

"She has your hair" Sesshomaru commented, his eyes glued to our daughter's tiny face, "she's perfect."

She was…truly was. There was such an unbelievable energy just radiating from her, it was like I was holding a ticking time bomb in my arms, when she was older, she would explode into the world in a fierce burst of colours and extreme force. For now, all that power was tightly packed into this tiny form, that I would nurture.

We had already decided on a name for this beautiful blessing of ours, Kotone…for even her cries sounded like the beautiful sound of both a harp and flute that played in harmony.

"Come" My lord husband spoke, "let us introduce her to her destiny." He took her carefully in his strong arms and led us to the throne room.

There he sat upon his golden throne, cradling Kotone, "You are my heir Kotone, one day you shall sit here…a glorious queen in your own right and you will continue what I have built."

It was a beautiful picture, I didn't want to interrupt, she was to be our last child, she was our heir.

I was so engrossed with the picture before me, I didn't want to impose, my other "fully grown" children didn't feel the same. They came crashing in through the doors like excited children.

"Where is she? Where is my little sister?" Kasumi demanded cheerfully.

"I get to hold her first!" Katsu declared.

"I think not brother, I will fight you for that privilege" Kenta teased.

Yoshi appeared "All of you should back down, I am her eldest brother and I shall be the first to hold her that is how it has always been."

I sat back and smiled as they bickered about who got to hold her first, Sesshomaru seemed oblivious to them and the rest of the world; he was engrossed with staring at our daughters face.

From the moment she drew her very first breath, Kotone was so loved, so adored and would be till the day she drew her last…

-End of Flashback-

There she laid, my little Kotone….Takara was hovering over her…a golden glow from her palms as it lay upon Kotone's now smooth forehead.

When Sesshomaru brought her here, I didn't even recognise her…her hair was a dark matted grey and her firm skin wrinkled…she looked so weak!

Yoshi and Kenta got the guests to leave and Katashi rushed to get his wife. Takara told us that only a few should enter the room; I was of course on of them, as was Sesshomaru, Katashi, and herself…to my shock she allowed Kei to enter. My other sons were being consoled by their wives and Kasumi wept upon her husband's shoulder, all of them distressed at the state their little sister was in.

I don't know what Takara did, but Kotone now every strand on her lovely head was black and her skin as smooth and white as a pearl.

Tears were down my face, for she still looked so weak, I wanted to cradle her and I could feel Sesshomaru's despair just as deeply as my own. My Lord now had his arm around me, without him there I dare say I would have fallen. Katasi kneeled on the other side of Kotone, holding to her han. Ever since he became a father, he showed a lot more open and affectionate.

Kei however hovered in corner, he watched on darkly, his eyes not leaving Kotone for even a second.

Takara ceased what she was doing and turned to us, I held my breath.

"What is wrong with her?" I asked shakily, "what happened?"

Sesshomaru squeezed my shoulder, it was his way of telling to be calm.

Before Takara could answer, Kei piped up, "Taro! That bastard must have done this to her! He was the last one to talk to her before this happened!"

Was this true? Kei had always been so truthful with our family and so very loyal, though I did not like him as a match for my daughter, I did adore him as a person.

"Actually, I believe the finger points at you wolf" spoke Taro as he entered the room as though he owned it.

Kei growled and Taro continued, "Were you not planning on running away with my betrothed?"

That created a lot of questions for the rest of us, first of all did this mean my daughter accepted Taro and was she really planning to run away?

By the look on Kei's face it was true, I could not control my son, he was much too quick. In a blink of an eye he had Kei held up against the wall by his throat.

"You vile thing! Has that been your plan all along? Gain my sister's trust and affection then steal her away from us! I trusted you…we trusted you…Kotone trusted you! What did you do to my sister?"

"Enough!" Sesshomaru boomed as he zipped over and effortlessly restrained our came to Katashi and instantly he calmed himself. Sesshomaru assisted Kei to his feet. The young wolf demon looked quite confused that my lord would be so courteous to him.

Takara scowled at Katashi, "My silver storm you strike your thunder upon the wrong victim! Truth is…neither of these males are responsible for this! The is no one's fault…it's genetic"

My stomach tightened, what did this mean? What is going to happen to my sweet girl? I found myself clinging more tightly to my husband.

"Hurry up and be clear woman!" Taro snapped. I didn't like him and it shocked me that Kotone had actually accepted his proposal.

Katashi narrowed his eyes at Taro, "speak so rudely to my wife again I'll melt the eyeballs from your sockets!"

Taro backed down, I noted the look of pride on Sesshomaru's face.

Takara proceeded to explain, "You must have wondered why Kotone's hair us black, while all her biological siblings have silver like their father. Well, the more children you've had the more the demonic gene in them has deteriorated. Basically, Kotone is more human than she is demon. Now that she has come of age and at the point where most demons and hybrids become truly immortal…she is to have the opposite, she will age quicker…and die of old age….possibly in the next two months, maybe less. Right now she only turns into an old woman if she stressed."

I cannot describe how silent the room became, how dread filled every corner. My little girl was doomed to die of old age…at eighteen!

"No" my lord spoke with such a deep and dark tone, "this will not be allowed….fix this! Tell me how to fix this!"

I had to take his hand, I was blinded by tears and my breathing was almost out of control, "No!" I screamed, "We already must face this kind of pain with Yoshi and his family! I have lost my friends to old age and I will not lose her now because this will kill us!"

I began to breathe erratically, my heart racing…I panicking! Panicking! Sesshomaru buried my face him chest and stroked my hair. He kept such a calm exterior, he was always able to hide things well. But this panic that was overwhelming was not mine alone, it was his also. I breathed in and out till I calmed a little.

Katshi could see that his father and I could not speak and with a faltered voice he asked his wife "is there anything we can do…anything?"

Takara wiped her own, "I'm not sure…the future is no longer mine to see…I will look through all my old scrolls, there has to be something….there has to be."

She looked over us and when I turned I saw that Takara was looking directly at Kei who now had collapsed in a corner…his expression beheld frozen shock and despair. It was like his soul had left his body and he sat there a white shell, with water leaking relentlessly from the eyes.

In my own grief I had forgotten he was there. Takara looked upon him as though willing him to prove something to her. When she saw that there was very little life in him at this moment, she gave up.

She took her husband's hand "Lady mother…Lord father, Katashi and I will explain to the others for you"

I truly appreciated that and I know Sesshomaru did too…but how would we explain this to her.

Taro cleared his throat, "Fix this…till then she is no bride of mine" and with that he left. Were my lord not so overcome with grief, Taro would be a dead man now.

Sesshomaru and I knelt either side of her and took one hand each. "Listen my sweet girl...if you open those pretty little eyes and get better…we'll never shout at you again, we'll never tell you and we'll do anything you ask, I give anything…I promise you…anything!" I wept in her hand.

Her hand suddenly moved and it was cupping my cheek, I opened my eyes and there she was, awake and smiling up at me.

I choked on my joy and kissed her palm, "mother…" she uttered quietly.

She turned her head to her father who placed his hand upon her forehead, "You caused quite a scare, my little one."

She smiled at him, "terribly about that…daddy"

I was glad to see her awake, but I didn't know how to tell her that she may only have a couple months to live.

"Kie…Where's Kie?" she asked.

He was standing now, his frozen fear cracked with relief to see her awake. Sesshomaru called him forward and guided me away from the bed with him.

Kei grabbed her hand, "Hey there K….you drama queen, you always gotta be the centre of attention, don't'cha" he said light-heartedly, though his face still wet with tears.

She chuckled and cupped his cheek and with her thumb she wiped away some of his tears. He laid his hand on hers as it lay upon his face. "You're hands…they're freezing "he whispered shakily.

"It seems I have to do something dramatic to get your attention these days, idiot" she countered, she was always a witty one.

Kei grinned though his sadness, so happy to hear her talk back to him like that. "if there is one thing you've never failed at, it's getting my attention, Kotone."

I was astounded by how much he truly cared for her, in all the years I have seen the two together, he had never show any romantic interest. Yet now he look her and wept for her like a lover…they were lovers tear cried and I had to ask myself….would it really be so bad if they were to marry? At least my baby would safe. However dread again washed over me when I realised, she may never marry, have children and she would never see nineteen. I again began to cry.

"Kei…I'm sorry I yelled at you, will you please get me Abyss?" She asked.

He kissed her fist; "Whatever you ask, K, whatever you ask!" he then shot off to find the wolf.

Kotone sat herself up, she looked faint and Sesshomaru steadied her. Kotone rested her head on his shoulder.

"I'm scared…Something bad is happening to me, I feel it…mother, father….what's happening to me?"

Sesshomaru's eyes were squeezed tightly shut….

Sesshomaru's POV

I had no heart once, there was an empty space there before. Rin came and that was when it began to form, it grew with my love for her and then continued to my children were born. The more I brought into the world the more my heart grew, along with the grandchildren and great grandchildren they gave me, turning me into another person completely, a better person. Each held one fragment of my heart. Now a little piece of it was dying along with the sweet young girl that laid feebly in that bed.

I wanted this tragedy to vanish; I wanted to be her armour….my child, my last and final edition to my great legacy.

I wanted someone to blame, which was how it worked out in the past. I would find the person responsible, kill them and all would be well again. But I couldn't fix this….how could I? For the first time I didn't know what to do, I didn't know how to swoop in and save the day! I was the great and powerful Lord of the Western Lands, the mighty Sesshomaru and yet I was helpless to save my own child and I felt like such a failure as a father.

As I told Kotone the situation, she sat as still and motionless as a statue, saturating everything I was telling her. It was breaking the heart I shared with Rin. This is not fair on a parent, it isn't fair on the child!

"How long?" She asked me, a single tear falling from her eye. "How long do I have….before I turn to dust?"

I couldn't answer, I didn't want to. Before me I saw her wither and crumble away in my hands, I quickly snatched, maybe if I held tight enough…she would not go.

"We're going to find a way….whatever it takes." I assured.

She moved away, "I need to take a walk…please I'll be fine." With that she fled.

It hurt enough to know I would lose one child to old age…but two? I looked at my wife, both sharing the same thought. I brought her into my hold, this was all I could do…be a shoulder to cry on, that was it….I felt so pathetic!

I punched my fist into the wall, a crack appeared, Rin took my fist in her hands and kissed my knuckles. "we have been through so much my lord" she whimpered, "can we survive this?"

Kotone's POV

I remember when I was once so scared about losing Yoshi to an inevitable death that all mortals were faced with. I was quite young, only seven years old when I was told that he was human and was in fact adopted by my parents; this of course made him no less my brother in my eyes, just it made him no less the son of my parent's in theirs.

What brought me tears was that I was going to see him age and die, along Airi who I adored like a sister and my nieces and nephews would join them and also the children they had.

I ran to Yoshi and soaked his shoulder; he waited for me to calm down before uttering a single word.

"I don't want you to die" I had said, with my eyes wide and childlike, "Yoshi…promise me you won't die…aren't you scared brother?"

I'll never forget how gently he smiled at me and his reply, "No little sister…I'm not afraid at all." He told me, I was astounded and he lightly chuckled as he continued. "I will not lie…I of course was once so terrified of this. However I can honestly say that…I am at peace with it, I will leave this world having lived so beautifully. I can't promise that I will live forever, but I promise to be with you forever, I will remain in your heart, your soul…hold me there and I will always be with you."

This did not sit well with me. "No Yoshi! You have to live forever with us! You all do! You have to live forever!" I was adamant.

"I'm going to tell you…exactly what I told mother and father and the rest of our siblings. I don't want to live forever, I want to die someday. I want to see my children and grandchildren grow, then I will let go and make room for them to grow. My wife and I want to await our loved ones in the bliss of heaven, we want to be there to welcome them and bring them to peace. I want to grow old and die with my wife, she want this too, so that she can unite with her kin when the too pass on and I must join her there. Every moment is so precious to me; I love to my fullest ability because my time is so limited. It's okay to be scared, I love that you want me to stay with you forever. One day, you will understand all this, this won't make my passing any less sad for you…but it may ease your grief to know that I am safe, I am loved and I at peace. I need you to grow up strong, so that you can watch over my descendants and all those that follow in the many generations to come, until I can meet them in the afterlife. Okay sweet one."

I loved each of my siblings equally, I had learnt something very different from each of them. But I absolutely idolised Yoshi. I admired his kin of courage, the kind of courage only humans have. They had this magical ability to accept the inevitable. Now I learned that I was more like them than I realised and I had not that courage in me, because I was not at peace with this, I couldn't accept this and I was terrified!

I wanted to run away from this place, but it would not change my fate, but at least I wouldn't see my kin suffer. However if I did run, I would only cause them more pain and I know they would search every corner of the world to find me, dead or alive.

I strolled along the battlements, tracing my hands over every stone, savouring the rough texture against my fingertips. I wandered down into the gardens and smelled almost flower, their perfume had never smelt so sweet. I came to the bridge over the pond, I watched moonlight dance on the surface of the deep blue water, where the pink blossoms floated and the pale white and silver fish dance beneath. Why could I not appreciate this as much as I did before?

"Kotone…" came a voice, I turned and there was Kei again under the caress of moonlight. He too had never seemed more beautiful to me and with the sudden truth of my fate I learned the truth inside my heart. I had accepted that I did truly love him, I wanted him to be mine and I wanted to give him children. I wanted him to love me just as equally.

He approached me upon the bridge, "you should be resting, Abyss has gone…he will be back. I believe he has sensed the situation and needs to run free for a while to clear his mind, he will be back though."

Of course, Abyss was like me in animal form…he did as I longed to, run free for even an hour or so. Kei laid his hand on mine. I had to tell him that my dying wish was to be his wife.

"Listen to me" I uttered, holding his hand, "I need to tell you something…before-"

"-Don't!" he snapped abruptly, "Don't speak as though you're speaking your last words, as though you're saying goodbye! Don't give up just yet…I'm going to save you K! Just as I always have, me…your mother, father, brothers, sisters…we're going to save you!"

I smiled at him and touched his face, I wanted to tell him. But then I realised that it would be selfish of me, if he did not feel the same, he would feel so much guilt and I would not inflict that upon him. If he did feel the same, it may hurt all the more when he lost me. I would not tell him, loving him secretly, protecting his heart…was the most selfless thing I ever did, that was the Rin in me. When I died, he could flirt and love as many women as he wanted without guilt.

"It's been a long night" I finally spoke, "you should get some sleep…I want you up early tomorrow, you'll make me breakfast and feed it to me."

I meant this only in jest, but then he respectfully bowed to me, "Whatever you wish Lady Kotone."

I frowned, "Don't do that Kie…talk back to me like you always have, tell me to get over myself. I need you to be the m Kei right now, my wild and ill-mannered guardian."

He seemed reluctant, "screw you K, I'm sleeping in tomorrow, you won't breakfast, get one of ya lousy servants to do it for ya!"

That was more like it. "Very well, then you won't eat for a week." I countered.

He glared playfully, "I hunt my own meals princess, I do what I please…I have only obeyed you as much as I have because I wanted to…don't push ya luck."

That's my Kei.

"Kotone, Kei…come, we are gathered in the throne room" Spoke Kenta, his tranquil voice like a fountain in spring. I turned to him and saw his eyes were brimmed red, he had wept for me too.

I went to him, and arm in arm, my head upon his shoulder I went to the throne room with Kei following close behind.

Kei's POV

When I she told me she was marrying that prick of a lord, I realised that I cared more than I should, when I learned she was close the death…I realised…I loved her.

I was in love with Kotone! I wanted to tell her, I was going to when I found her on the bridge. But then I recalled her words "I have no wish to marry Kei" those words…cut deeper than ice now. I decided it would be selfish of me to tell her, she had so much to worry about, an unrequited love on my part was not something burden her with, not at this time.

I followed close behind as we entered the throne room, It was only her parents and siblings and their wives and husband present.

All of the had information, Yuna, encouraged by her husband, was the first to speak "Kenta and I will travel to the water goddess I once served and see if she can help, she may have that power…we will leave tonight."

It was settled, the held Kotone close and left immediately, wasting no time. Next Sun and Katsu approached. "My sons and I found a jewel that brought Sun from the dead, allowing her to emerge from the tree that bound her here. It was said to come from the treasury of immortality, each jewel said to give life to one of true heart, I will locate this treasury if I can, Sun will come with me. She has many connections in temples from her travels as an arrow maid."

With that they too bid fond farewell and would race on into the night without sleep.

Sora and Kasumi were next, "Sora heard legend of a feather from the back of the original crow demon, the blue winged saviour."

Sora interjected "it is said only to be a story told to me when I was a child…but I am willing to look into anything at this point, even myths."

They too left immediately.

Everyone looked to Takara, surly as a former Tenshi, she would know the most sacred way of immortality.

"Forgive me…" she spoke, "I cannot interfere, the stars…my former friends, after so many years have spoken to me, I must remain silent…the answer lies not in me…but another in this very room, he just needs to dig deep…and find it." She looked to me almost meaningfully, "it's in there, I cannot speak it for him, he must find it within himself, he must." The desperation in her eyes were clear.

Katashi growled with disapproval, but he had to trust his wife, she had never failed him yet.

The answer was in someone in this room? Was she referring to me…wait!

"Lord Sesshomaru!" I spoke up, "there is a legend in my father 's tribe. Some demons were once considered deities, god amongst men, the wolf and dog being one of the first among them. They say the first wolf and dog god came to life when they drank from the sacred lake granting them eternal life and power. The humans then began to fear us…and then referred to us as demons."

Takara seemed to smile with relief.

"We know this story" Sesshomaru cut in, he sounded so frustrated, "It is not a ledgend, it is fact! We searched for this lake many years ago, we wanted to offer the water to Yoshi and his family…but when we reached it we learned that the humans had destroyed it and not a drop of water remained!"

"I would not have drank those waters anyway" Yoshi said, his arm about his wife's shoulder. "there are too may awaiting me in the afterlife."

I looked away, "that is true, what the wolves wrongly kept from the dogs…was that we had saved a vile of that water and it is protected by the tribes, it is now under chief Koga's protection."

Silence came, Sesshomaru looked so angered and I believed he had never hated my kind more than he did at that moment!

"You will go to your father, tell him he can have whatever he wants if he gives us the vile willingly, otherwise…its war and you know as well as him he will not win…not against of us, mine and my sons and daughter's armies combined." Sesshomaru ordered.

I cringed, "I'm not sure I am the best one to send, my father disowned me long ago, he will not do this for me."

Sesshomaru sighed "yes he will"

"How do you know?"

"Because I'm a father also, he will submit…any true father would."

I hoped he was right. Kotone was at my side and laid her hand on my shoulder. "I will go with him!" she declared.

Her mother gasped, "No! You are not well enough! You need to remain here where its safe!"

"Please mother! I need to feel as though in even a small spec of my life is in my hands! I need to do this!"

"She will be safe with me, you can count on that" I assured.

Rin's eyes softened on me, "I have no doubt…very well, if you have my lord permission I will yield."

We looked hopefully to Sesshomaru, he gave one simple nod.

So that was it…I was going to see my tribe again after all these year, I wanted desperately to take Kotone by the hand, but forbade myself to do so.

Chapter three coming soon.