Chapter notes:
"If I Should stay I would only be in your way
So I'll go. But I know
I'll think of you every step of the way.
Because …
I will always Love you, "
This chapter dedicated to : Divine Rose, sfdmoment and elusivequeenbee
After what happen in the last chapter, without you guys I won't be able to write this chapter.
(^_^) Love you all!
p/s- There will be a lot of grammar mistakes and mix up tenses, please bear with me as my beta was away for 2 weeks business trip. I will sort this chapter with him as soon as he return. Thank you so much for stay with me (^_^)
The Lily of the Valley signifies "The Return of Happiness"
Disclaimer: The depictions of the characters in this story are completely fictitious. In no way does this represent the views or the story arcs as envisaged by the original copyright owners of this franchise and its characters. The ownership if the characters and the original concept are sole properties of Rumiko Takahashi.
Chapter 20 – Forgiven and Reunion
The reunion for the family of the dog is rather short as exhaustion claims Aito and renders him unconscious.
Rin is almost losing her senses watching her son's body collapse onto her laps. She screams on the top of her lungs while holding her tightly in her arms. She doesn't know what to do, for in this moment the fear of losing her son rushes into her mind. She cries hopelessly, she is too weak to hold herself properly.
The girl starts to weaken as she is about to lose her composure, Sesshoumaru immediately moves to the back of the girl and encircles his arms around her body to prevent her from falling. The demon lord then lowers his head and whispers softly into one of his precious ward's ears.
"Rin, Aito is suffering from exhaustion, he will regain his consciousness after a decent amount of rest. Do not worry my love." Rin raises her head up to face her lord, she mouths no words. She sniffs heavily with her eyes almost half parted out of tiredness.
The Taiyoukai cradles the duo close to his arms and presses his lips on the girl's forehead. In response, Rin shuts her eyes with the contact as she lies her head on Sesshoumaru's right shoulder on top of the mokomoko. Her arms still embrace her beloved son firmly.
"Let's go home now; we need to tend Aito's wounds." Rin nods weakly and shuts her eyes off completely for a rest as the demon lord carries the duo and leaps up into the sky and flies back to the hut.
When the trio reaches the hut, Jaken welcomes them happily with tears streaming down and wetting his cheeks. He expresses his delight to see both Rin and Aito return alive. At this particular moment, strangely enough that the little kappa isn't sighing out of relief for his life is spared now. Truth be told, he is really relieved for the mother and son's return without any major injuries. It is a strange feeling but the green toad doesn't want to put too much of a thought over the growing reactions of concern.
As usual, the Taiyoukai ignores the green toad. He walks to the river and sets the girl on the grass. Rin's eyes part open to realize she is home. She looks over Sesshoumaru's broad shoulders and spots the anxious toad slowly joining behind his lord. She smiles mildly and turns to face her lord.
"Lord Sesshoumaru, it was not master Jaken's fault that caused Aito to run away. There was some misunderstanding earlier which I shall explain later." She states softly in the hopes that the demon lord will accept her plea and set the kappa free from punishment.
Sesshoumaru narrows his eyes unhappily at the girl, thinking why does she have to care to beg for the toad in this situation. Whether or not the green toad is at fault, the Taiyoukai never really bothers and he couldn't care less for his minion companion. As long as his wife and son are safe that's all that matters to him. Why can't she just love herself even more? He sighs at the thought and merely nods in acceptance. The girl then beams thankfully which makes her lord shake his head lightly, surrendering to her kindness.
Rin slightly pulls Aito away and observes her son intensely. The magenta stripes on his cheeks and the crescent moon at the centre of his temple have faded away. His human ear form has returned unlike the earlier pointed ears like that of his father's. Even with all the bruises on the boy's face he actually looks rather peaceful.
The mother slowly sets her son on the grass and gently takes off his haori to reveal the bruises all over his small body. Rin is taken aback, her large hazelnut eyes widen with one of her hands lifted to cover her parted mouth. Sesshoumaru wraps an arm around the girl's waist, slightly pulling her closer to his chest. She then turns to bury her face into the demon lord's shoulder.
"Those bruises have to be the contact with the trees. Aito was pushed with high force when he hit the trees." Sesshoumaru eyes his son's injured body. His free arm clenches into a tight fist and he curses the dead lion. I should have revived that pathetic lion and killed him for the second time! Curses the dog demon but he remains calm, not wishing to worsen the current tensed atmosphere.
Rin scoops her son up and ready to move to the river but is stopped by the Taiyoukai.
"I will bathe Aito." Insists the demon lord.
"But I want ..." A hand raises up in front of the girl's face to cut off her sentence.
"No, your hands have not recovered yet. I will do it." Emphasizes the dog demon. Rin makes no objection; she moves aside a little to allow the Taiyoukai to take up her position.
The demon lord picks Aito up and walks to the river. He has instructed the little kappa to retrieve a new cloth and a clean towel for the kid before stepping into the river.
For the first time in Sesshoumaru's life he is holding his son in his arms and bathing him. Unfortunately this sweet moment is replaced with gloomy emotions.
With one hand supporting the back of the boy's head, the Taiyoukai uses another free hand to cup some water and pour it all over his son's hair, face and body. He gently traces the bruise marks with his heart burrowing in pain, cussing at himself silently for allowing his son to be wounded into such a state.
Rin watches her lord bathing Aito in utter anguish. Her hands press firmly on her chest, holding hard to not allow herself to break down. The boy needs her and if she allows herself to be broken under such a situation she probably will upset the kid again. Besides she can't afford to show anymore weaknesses in front of the Taiyoukai, he would probably get sick of her being the weak human that he despises the most. Really, when she thinks about it, ever since meeting the dog demon again a month ago, she has constantly found herself weeping in the demon lord's arms.
Following Jaken's return with a clean cloth and a dry towel, Rin holds the towel while Sesshoumaru puts Aito into the girl's hands. She immediately wraps the towel around the boy's body to prevent the child from catching a cold. After a few moments when the girl is able to feel the boy's body slightly warming up, she places her son on the grass and dries up his wet body and hair.
Sesshoumaru puts a clean cloth on his son and cradles the kid into his chest, he then heads back to the hut with Rin following closely at his side.
The little kappa collects the boy's dirty cloth and follows at the back of his lord.
Aito is placed on the bed with a blanket covering up to his shoulders. Sesshoumaru isn't happy with the material of the blanket. He is thinking how on earth will these 2 poor things be able to keep themselves warm up during winter with this thin piece of cloth that is not even qualified to be considered as a blanket?
The demon lord rises on his feet, allowing Rin to sit at the side of the bed. He then takes his leave to the nearby mountains to retrieve Ah-un. He wants to keep Ah-un to surprise the girl, since she has not seen the two headed dragon for quite a while.
Sesshoumaru guides Ah-un back to the hut and retrieves a blanket from the dragon's saddle bag before returning by his son's side.
Rin is astonished as the Taiyoukai walks into the hut with a rather thick blanket in his hands. The dog demon approaches his son and spreads the blanket wide to cover his son's body. With his hands caressing the top of the blanket, he smirks satisfactorily as now his son is able to stay warm under this thick and fluffy blanket.
"My lord, where did you get that blanket?" The girl inquires curiously. Taking a seat at the side of the bed right in front of the girl, Sesshoumaru stretches his hands out and takes Rin's hands onto his lap. Her hands are cold in fact he can feel that she is shivering.
"I retrieved it from a trusted friend." His simple answer doesn't pacify the girl's intense desire to know more about the item. She just stares questioningly at her lord.
Before the girl is able to put up another doubt, one of Sesshoumaru's hands caresses her cheek gently and lovingly. His golden gaze falls on the reddish spots on each side of her cheeks. How could someone slap this sweet and innocent girl? The demon lord thinks painfully with his hands now resting on the girl's shoulders.
"Rin, you need to refresh yourself." He commands softly but the girl shakes her head faintly.
"I want to stay with Aito." The girl insists.
"He will not be awake until dawn and probably even after dawn. You need to clean yourself up and eat something. If you fall sick no one is going to take care of Aito. You understand?" The Taiyoukai states firmly with his hands squeezing the girl's shoulders.
Rin tilts her head up and faces Sesshoumaru before turning her gaze onto the side of her poor son. Her lord is right; she has to be strong, for the boy will need her assistance. Does Aito still need my help? Only god knows the answer. She turns back to look at the demon lord and inclines her head in acceptance.
Sesshoumaru releases his hand from the girl's shoulder as she rises to her feet and takes her leave. The dog demon follows right away but stops short when his ward turns abruptly to face him.
"My lord you have to stay with Aito. What if he is haunted by a nightmare and no one is here for him? Please Lord Sesshoumaru, stay with Aito." Rin pleads desperately, she is so reluctant to leave her son alone and if the demon lord insists her to freshen herself up all she wishes is to at least have the Taiyoukai stay by the kid's side.
Sesshoumaru remains silent for a moment, sure the girl has a point but he doesn't want her to go alone. Looking into his ward determined gaze, he has no choice but to agree. He nods in agreement, the girl smiles in relief as she looks over her lord's broad shoulders and observes her son sound asleep. Reluctantly she steps out of the hut and heads to the river.
Sesshoumaru watches the girl's silhouette disappear. He observes the surroundings attentively to make sure the environment is safe enough for his precious ward. Once satisfied he turns to the little kappa who is standing loyally at his side, looking drained of energy.
"Jaken, did the lady send food this evening?" The green toad immediately straightens his back at the voice of his master.
"Yes milord, the food is placed safely on the table." He bows respectfully. Sesshoumaru doubts Rin will want to take her meal. She is too worried about the boy, but compared to letting her stay empty stomached he would rather the girl takes some light food.
"Jaken, collect some fruits nearby. Take Ah-un with you." The little kappa stares confusedly at his lord with his mouth agape without an answer. The Taiyoukai narrows his eyes and glares dangerously at the imp. The panicking servant instantly kneels down with his head on the grass and begs for forgiveness.
"Sorry milord I will go and get it right away." With that the green toad speeds as fast as he can to retrieve the 2 headed dragon and vanishes into the forest.
The demon lord returns by the side of his son and observes the boy cautiously, Aito is slumbering away peacefully. Relief fills the dog demon's heart as he sees no sign of discomfort worn on the kid's face.
Sesshoumaru reaches out with one of his hands and brushes the boy's temples, sorrow rushes in while recalling his own childhood life. At the same age like his son's, the Taiyoukai had never gone through such a hard fraught life like the boy is going through today.
My poor son. The demon lord whispers. "All thanks to the culprit who drove Rin away from my side." The dog demon bares his teeth and hisses infuriately.
Sesshoumaru lower his abdomen and presses his lips on Aito's forehead.
"No one is going to drive Rin and Aito away now or I will personally slaughter them into a million pieces with the Bakusaiga." The demon lord whispers firmly as he pulls back from his son and sits at the side of the bed with his back resting on the pillar.
Twenty minutes pass at the river; Rin is tying a knot at her back with an indigo obi that matches her plain soft purple kimono. She bends down and picks up the dirty kimono but she is losing her balance trying to straighten up her back. The dirty kimono falls from her grip but she manages to avoid falling down with one of her hands clutching onto a tree.
Rin rests her back on the tree with her eyes shut tightly. She feels so dizzy and slowly her back slides along the tree until she sits on the grass under the tree. She tries to part her eyes open but the vision is hazy and unclear. She decides to close her eyes for a moment before returning to the hut.
The next thing she sees as she opens her eyes again, is an elegant woman standing before her. Rin's blurry vision impedes her from recognizing who the lady is as she questions, "Who are you?" The girl could swear she sees the woman smirk but no matter how many times she tries to blink or rub her eyes her vision isn't getting better in fact it is getting worse.
"You broke your promise little girl." Rin snaps her dizzy head up in shock at the familiar voice as she recognizes it instantly. She tries to walk closer to the woman but no matter how much farther she walks the woman is unreachable. The girl grows tired and all she can do now is apologize.
"I didn't break the promise please listen to me my lady ... please." The moment she starts apologizing the woman's figure vanishes. Rin stops in her tracks and searches everywhere. It is at this time another voice comes from a different angle.
"Mother!" A dejected voice calls out for the girl. Rin turns abruptly and sees a blurry image of her son standing not far from her.
"Aito? You're awake?" The girl is puzzled, if her son is awake then where is Sesshoumaru?
"Mother, why did you not tell me about Lord Sesshoumaru being my father? All the village boys laughed at me for I don't have a father." Tears streaming down like rain and wetting the boy's cheeks.
Rin's heart is crushed by her son's statement.
"My dear son, I-I am so sor-sorry. Please listen to my expla.." Her sentences are cut off by the boy's yelling sound.
"I hate you mother! I hate you!" Rin stands immobilized with her eyes shot wide open. The moment that she has wished would never happen is finally here now. Aito hates her and her only hope to live in this world has shattered! Before she is able to move and chase her son, the boy vanishes into the thin air. The girl falls on her knees and breaks down.
"What is happening? Am I dreaming? Why are they vanishing right in front of me? Where's Lord Sesshoumaru?" She asks curiously but just at this moment another voice is audible.
"Rin." That warm and calm voice of her lord is calling out her name. Rin snaps her head up and Sesshoumaru's blur image stands before her. So close yet so far to be reached by the girl.
"My lord! Aito has vanished! Please search for him, he hates me and ..." Before she can complete her sentence the demon lord interrupts.
"Rin, I am very disappointed in you." Rin's hazelnut eyes widen with the utmost shock. Her mouth wide agape but no voice is forming in her throat. At this moment she feels someone tugging at her kimono sleeve, she turns and realizes it is her son.
"Aito, I-.." The boy pushes the girl with full force sending her sliding all the way into the river. Rin is drowning but she makes no attempt to even swim up to the surface. She lets herself fall by watching the moonlight shining on the surface of the river. If Aito and Lord Sesshoumaru hate me so much, why would I need to stay alive?She closes her eyes, feeling her body shiver from the cold and keep falling.
It is alright, I will be gone forever. Aito will never live to face this shameful mother. Lord Sesshoumaru doesn't need to sacrifice for me. They will return to the castle and live on happily. Yes I shouldn't even be revived, my life was long overdue and why was I given a second chance to hurt people around me? But I will be alone again. Will Aito remember this shameful mother? Will Lord Sesshoumaru ever remember me? A useless human? All Rin could hear now are her own voices echoing back into her ears ...
Back to the hut, Sesshoumaru is extremely worried about Rin. The girl has been gone for almost an hour and has not returned. Could something have happened to her? The demon lord shakes his head lightly to discard the disconcerting thought. He does not sense any unusual presence and he is certain Rin is safe.
Jaken has returned with a bunch of fruits that his small body is able to carry. He is dozing off in the corner of the hut and constantly waking to check if his master is in need of him.
The Taiyoukai pulls the blanket up to his son's body and takes his leave but stops at the imp's side.
"Jaken." The green toad snaps his head up and quickly bows to his master.
"Yes milord." He replies clumsily.
"Retrieve two more blankets from Ah-un's saddle bag and lay them at the side of the dining table." The Taiyoukai emotionlessly instructs.
"Yes milord, right away." Before the toad speeds out of the hut Sesshoumaru interrupts him in his tracks.
"Retire for the day once it is done." With that the dog demon walks past the staggered little kappa and heads out to the river. Jaken bites his lower lips with tears rolling down his large eye round eyes at his master's generosity.
"With that generosity I ,Jaken , vow to serve Lord Sesshoumaru forever!" At the end of his sentence a giant rock hits on top of the green toad's head as he loses his balance and falls down.
As Sesshoumaru reaches the river, the water is calm and he knows Rin isn't here. He walks a bit farther and spots the girl slumbering under a tree with her face looking rather drained by the nightmare she has suffered. The demon lord kneels at the side of the girl and watches her carefully. She looks exhausted, her pale face could be due to the nasty weather at night but her painful expression shows that she isn't resting quite well, for the nightmare has once again claimed his precious ward.
Ever since the Taiyoukai found the girl in this village, he has constantly tried his level best to make sure the girl would eat properly and sleep peacefully at night. Looks like life isn't favoring her much.
Sesshoumaru looks down at the poor girl's hands on her laps, the bandages are wet and when he reaches out to touch her hands, they are cold as ice. The demon lord's eye brows drop and he gazes achingly thinking how many nights she has had to go to sleep without a proper blanket wrapped around her frail body to keep her warm? Taking the girl's hands on his lap, he starts to unwrap the wet bandages.
A warm sensation forms around Rin's hands; she quickly gathers her senses and realizes that she is no longer falling. Am I already dead? Have I reached hell yet? The girl wonders. Her hands are getting warmer and warmer, could it be that hell's guardian has decided to burn me? Because of the sins I have committed?
Rin tries to open her eyes, but her eye lids feel so heavy and something inside her heart refuses her to open her eyes and witness the cruel world. But the warmth in her hands makes her feel so secure, so promising. As she tries hard to peel her eye lids, her half parted hazelnut orbs capture a blue white figure.
Sesshoumaru? As Rin blinks her eyes several times her lord's figure is clearly in front of her, tending to her wounded hands, licking her cut palms, and changing to a new bandage. Rin's blurry eyes gaze intensely at the dog demon before her, Sesshoumaru of the west a famous cold hearted demon who bears no emotions and shows no pithiness to humans is now tending to her hands lovingly.
The Taiyoukai probably has sacrificed a lot of his pride to revive the girl, to save her and to protect her. This Sesshoumaru who once despised humans has taken her to his bed and even allowed a hanyou child to be born into this world. With all the sacrifices he has done for me, I left him without a word! Rin's eyes glasses over with unshed tears as she continues eyeing her lord pitifully.
Sesshoumaru knows the girl is awake and can distinctly smell the scent of tears and feel the sadness emanating from her body. Once the bandage is successfully tied securely, he kisses the girl's hands before looking up to stare at her.
Her hands are now resting on the Taiyoukai's lap as he stretches out his hand to brush on one of the girl's cheeks; he notices that her face is extremely cold. When he traces his hands down to her neck, all the way down to her shoulders and arms, he can feel that his ward is shivering and for god's sake she feels like an iceberg.
Sesshoumaru gathers Rin into his laps and gently cradles her head onto his shoulder as if she is the most fragile creature in the world. With her head resting comfortably on top of the mokomoko, Rin can feel the warmth of the fluff touching her cheeks. Slowly she draws her legs up and curls her body close to the demon lord with her arms crossing around his torso in an embrace.
The Taiyoukai's hands stray onto the girl's lower back and pushes her even more closer towards him as he embraces her firmly, and securely. He then blesses her with a warm kiss on her forehead and whispers, "It was just a nightmare." The girl shakes her head delicately.
"No, it wasn't just a dream; Aito pushed me away and didn't listen to me when I asked him to escape. He must really hate me." She buries her cold face into the fluff on her lord's right shoulder and allows herself to wail.
"Aito does not hate you; he was just losing his self control." The girl trails off a little to look up at her lord.
"Tell me Rin, have you ever seen him transform before?" He asks seriously but yet comforting.
"No, I have not. He used to have red eyes whenever he got angry. But never like that transformation." She states while eying the demon lord curiously. "Why My lord?"
"That transformation was out of depression. When he feels so helpless to protect someone his demon blood will overtake his human's. In that situation he will lose himself and recognize no one." Rin's eyes widen in astonishment.
"But he was alright later. How ..." The Taiyoukai interrupts the girl's question.
"Because I was there." The bewildered girl frowns.
"What was the difference between your presence and mine?" She blinks her eyes a couple of times waiting for the answer inanticipation.
"When Aito looses himself in that demon form, he heeds no one but me. He's carrying my demon blood and we are able to communicate through this connection and submit to me." A startled Rin is almost losing her composure at the information received from her lord. Her mouth half parted with her eyes still staring in disbelief.
"What if my lord you didn't show up in time?" Rin asks worriedly but the Taiyoukai doesn't want to supply anymore information to frighten the girl for no reason. He has to end this conversation or the girl would find no peace to even sleep.
"I don't know but we will learn more about Aito soon from one person. He'll be able to answer us but before we plan for the trip, I have to make sure both Aito and you are fit to travel." Rin lowers her gaze to her knees; she isn't feeling comfortable with the less information that the demon lord has supplied. An arm tightens around the girl's waist and snaps her out of her own thoughts.
"You are a great mother, there's no reason why the boy has to hate you." The Taiyoukai brushes his clawed thumb across the girl's cheek as a confirmation to his remark. Rin stares at her lord's golden ambers. The dog demon always tries to make her feel better.
Strong winds blow and carrying her dark raven hair in the direction of the wind along with the western lord's silver hair. The girl trembles under the wind but the Taiyoukai tightens the embrace to keep her warm. A short moment of silent falls before the girl raises an inquiry.
"What if," She pauses as guilt rushes into her veins, "What if Aito hates you?"
Another brief moment of silence falls between them as the winds continue blowing. Brown gaze fixed with golden orbs, allowing both to have wordless eye contact.
"He won't." The girl raises her eye brows in surprise.
"Why are you so sure?" She stares curiously at the demon lord.
"I am not sure." He pauses with a sigh and lets his hand move up to gently stroke the girl's hair before continuing. "If Aito inherits my stubbornness he might hate me just as long as I hate my father for favoring Inuyasha. But," His left hand comes to the girl's face. His finger caresses the side of the cheek and lifts her head up at him.
"But my pup owns a big heart just like his mother. You're an angel and as an angel's son he will be able to understand us." Rin is amazed at Sesshoumaru's remarks; she nods in agreement and sends a genuine smile to her lord before looking away.
"I believe an angel would have been stronger than me. I am nothing but a weak human." The girl admits shamefully. Sesshoumaru laces his fingers with Rin's and presses his lips at the side of her head.
"If you are weak you wouldn't have confronted the demons in the forest. An ordinary human would have just fainted or run away. You are the strongest human I have encountered in my life. I am proud of you Rin." He brushes the girl's bangs and pulls a few strands behind her left ear. Rin looks up innocently at her lord.
"Besides, tears are not your weakness; they are the safety valve of your heart when too much pressure is laid on you. I was happy that you allowed yourself to breakdown in my arms. Those are unspeakable love, and mark of ultimate power for me to protect you even more." Rin's widened hazelnut eyes blink in disbelief at her lord's statements. All the time she has kept thinking that her tears would represent her weakness but who would have guessed the Taiyoukai takes her weak points as her strengths. The girl wraps her arms around the demon lord's shoulders and presses her head firmly at the side of his neck.
"Thank you so much my lord." She whispers into his shoulder as Sesshoumaru buries his nose into the girl's hair and sighs with relief.
"Come, you need some sleep." With that the Taiyoukai carries his precious ward and heads back to the hut.
The demon lord puts the girl down on the dining table. Rin states that she doesn't have the appetite to eat but her lord insists her to at least take some fruits as it was the green toad that retrieved it and she shouldn't waste his efforts. With her head turned to the little kappa that is slumbering away peacefully, the girl smiles thankfully at the imp and starts chewing an apple.
After that, an armorlessSesshoumaru carries Rin and lays her down on the blanket that the imp had setup earlier. They don't want to interrupt the resting boy and therefore they choose to sleep on the floor. With the Taiyoukai's arms still around the girl, he kisses the girl's forehead lovingly and whispers "Good night," in her eyes. He then lies next to the girl and pulls another blanket to cover up to her frail body as he watches her go fast asleep.
Hours passed as the demon lord continues watching his precious ward slumber so peacefully. His arms never leave the girl's waist; determine to assure to her his presence. Never will he allow nightmares to trouble the girl's sleep.
As the Taiyoukai's sensitive nose picks up the scent of dawn, knowing his son might be awake anytime soon or at least he hopes such, Sesshoumaru releases his hand slowly from Rin's waist. Gently pulling the blanket high up to her shoulder, he plants a kiss on her forehead before moving to the side of the bed to observe his son.
Aito remains in the same position as the demon lord last saw; if Sesshoumaru weren't a demon he could have mistaken the boy's life to be under threat. The demon lord's keen ears pick up the boy breathing peacefully and it relieves the dog demon.
Stretching out one of his hands, the Taiyoukai presses his claw fingers at the boy's face to feel his son's body temperature. He sighs in relief knowing the blanket he has brought is able to keep the boy warmed up. The demon lord rests his back at the edge of the bed to keep his son company.
Another good 2 hours pass and the sun shines through the windows, brightening the entire hut. Sesshoumaru turns to check on Rin who's still sound asleep, beautifully and peacefully.Such a beautiful sight that the Taiyoukai has a hard time looking away.
He turns back to his son and the boy stays still. Worry kicks into the western lord's veins; he has never made a wrong assumption before but this time his hesitation is actively kicking in the dog demon's mind. What if Aito hasn't fainted out of exhaustion? Then I would have risked his life by not doing anything for a whole night. Rin might not be able to face that.
Sesshouamru shakes his head slowly to discard the negative thoughts away, he has to be confident now, Rin and Aito are depending on him and thus he can't afford to let himself drown into such a discouraging situation. He lowers his body close to the boy with their faces touching.
"Son, come back to me. You won't want to upset your mother. Be my strongest pup and make me proud of you." Sesshoumaru whispers tenderly into Aito's right ear. Brushing off the boy's bang softly, the demon lord settles back to his usual position and waits forhis son to show some response.
Aito's ears twitch when this very familiar voice is absorbed through his ears, he recognizes it belonging to his father. As he attempts to part his heavy eye lids up, his mouth murmurs something. Sesshoumaru instantly turns to his son when he catches a small weak voice; he watches Aito's eyes twitch and slowly the half sunset eyes reveal themselves.
When Aito successfully widens his sunset eyes and captures his father's frame at his side, the boy's heart fills with bitter sweet joy. Sesshoumaru the most respectable lord in Aito's heart is his father, the man whom the boy was getting fonder with is his long lost father. Why? Is the very simple question that clouds over his aching head.
Sesshoumaru smiles with relief, the boy heard his voice and he feels so proud of it. His hand firmly presses on the boy's head.
"How are you feeling?" He asks in concern. Aito's mind is uncertain; he is torn between the choices of how to address the respectable demon lord in front of him. Will I shame him if I call him father? Will I hurt him if I address him as Lord Sesshoumaru? Aito keeps blinking his eyes while being puzzled with his thoughts.
"You will call me with whatever name you want as long as you feel comfortable. No hurry my son." One of the demon lord's claw fingers rubs tenderly at the bottom of the boy's eyes. Aito's eyes widen in amazement at his father's abilities in reading his mind.
"I take it you are hungry, you have not eaten anything since yesterday evening. I will hunt for you. Stay here Aito." With that the Taiyoukai leaves the bed and heads to the hut entrance.
Aito immediately sits up with his little effort and sits at the side of the bed with his short legs hung down. Facing his father's back and watching him leaving, the boy's jaw hangs down as his voice freezes. When Sesshoumaru is able to grip on the wooden door handle a weak voice stops him in his tracks.
"Father, why?" The demon lord cocks his head and glances at the boy over his shoulder. Two pairs of orbs clash; an inquiring pair of eyes meets a guilt stare. There are no words to be mouthed in this moment, for the Taiyoukai knows what his son is referring to. He walks back to the bed, passing the place where Rin is resting at. A brief glance to the girl to ensure she isn't awake yet to hear this moment's painful discussion that is about to take place.
Kneeling in front of Aito, Sesshoumaru puts his hands on the boy's laps as he looks up at his son's shiny sunset eyes. Pity is the only thing he is able to see behind those eyes.
"I love you." Only those three precious words escape from the Taiyoukai's mouth. A small bead of tear drops from the little pup face on the dog demon's hands.
"Then why you never came to see me? Did I do anything to shame you?" Sesshoumaru widens his golden orbs in disbelief; he immediately pulls the boy's into his arms and embraces him tightly.
"Never! You will always be my most proud son. You did nothing to shame me; it is me who should be ashamed for not being able to find your mother more quickly." The demon lord shuts his eyes off tightly and tightens his hold around the boy's body. "Never ever think you shamed me. Never..."
Aito wraps his short arms around his father's neck and weeps his heart out. At the corner of the hut, Rin is wide awake and watches the duo sharing their most painful father and son moment. Battling with her decisions, does she need to step up and explain the situation? Sesshoumaru parts his eyes and rolls to the girl's side. He shakes his head dimly as an indication of 'no'. He would never allow the girl to once again deal with such an awful situation, he vows to reduce the burden on his precious ward's shoulders.
It is when the Taiyoukai and the girl convey a wordless conversation; the boy tilts his head up and looks at his father's face.
"Why didn't you reveal your identity when we were at the village? When the village boys threw rocks at me?" Rin's eyes dart onto her son upon that question. When did that happened? Why did I not know about it? She feels an arrow being shot directly at her heart.
"Your mother and I wished to tell you in a more comfortable environment. We didn't plan to deceive you, trust me." Aito remains silent at the Taiyoukai's replies but is sniffing heavily. He reaches out his hands to rub away the tears on both sides of the boy's face.
"But I wished badly to let the boys know that Aito has a father, way powerful father than anyone of them had." The boy's hands stretches out wide as he describes the word 'powerful' causing the demon lord's lips to curl into a small smirk.
"You will have the chance, I promise you that." Releasing one of his hands from the back of the kid, Sesshoumaru pats on top of his son's head and kisses his forehead. Sorrow rushes into Aito's heart as he gazes sadly at the dog demon.
"Father," The boy sounds rather gloomy as he continues, "You're not going to leave me again right?" Sesshoumaru's heart burrows in pain at his son's question.
"Never again" Aito's lips curl inwardly into a grin as he beams happily at his father's reply. He lunges himself once again at the demon lord and Sesshoumaru wraps his arms tightly around his son's neck. Sesshoumaru pats the back of the boy as he turns slightly to the place where the girl lays and finds she is no longer there. Rin!
The Taiyoukai slowly lifts his son up and puts him on the bed, and gently pulls the kid's hands away from his neck. He needs to search his ward but before that there is another thing he needs to clarify with the boy.
"Son, was your mother upset last night?" Aito snaps his head up to the demon lord.
"Did she cry?" He asks in apprehension. Sesshoumaru nods.
"Mother must be mad at me; I shouldn't just run away like that. Sorry father!" The boy apologizes but the dog demon shakes his head lightly.
"It wasn't your disappearance that made her sad." Aito blinks his eyes, bewildered.
"Then?" The pup asks curiously.
"Because you pushed her away while she tried to get you to escape from the lion. She thinks you are mad at her." Aito's eyes pop wide open in astonishment.
"When did I push mother away? Aito don't remember anything!" The startled boy tugs at his father's sleeve in anticipation for an answer.
"It wasn't your fault; you were losing your self control." Aito gets on his knees and lands on Sesshoumaru's lap.
"Did I hurt mother? Is she wounded?" The Taiyoukai wraps an arm around the boy and pats his back.
"No she isn't." The boy's gaze falls with his head hung down. Another free hand of the demon lord brushes his son's bang to the side to reveal the kid's disconsolate face.
"Aito," The demon lord's voice softens, he sounds dejected. "Do you hate your mother?" The boy's body tenses, stunned by his father's question. He lowers his head and stares at his father's mokomoko. No words from the kid, Sesshoumaru's heart burrows in agony. He doesn't want his son to follow in his footsteps by hating someone he loves the most. Hate is such a painful feeling and it will lead the boy down a wrong path just like the Taiyoukai himself.
"Father," The demon lord hears a weak whisper in his right ear. "Aito will never grow up to hate you, because mother said no matter what happened in this world, father will always be there watching over us, love and care for us." Sesshoumaru smiles as the boy trails off a little to face the dog demon.
"Therefore, Aito will also not grow up to hate mother. Because Mother is always there for me, whenever I am in danger mother shields me, when I was sick she stays up for me without sleep. Aito loves mother!" The boy inches his lips towards a smile. Sesshoumaru returns a genuine smile to his son. He sighs in relief; to be able to know the boy isn't holding hatred, which means everything for the Taiyoukai.
Strangely enough it is at this moment a picture of Sesshoumaru's father's face crosses the demon lord's mind. The memory of the last conversation between the young Taiyoukai and the great dog demon Lord Inu no Taisho flashes into Sesshoumaru's head.
He begins to wonder, would his father feel a whole lot more relieved if he accepted his father's human mistress. Perhaps I should. Being a father himself now, Sesshoumaru truly understands the sacrificing feeling of being a parent. Like it or not, this new rising feeling has made the dog demon feel a little guilty for Lord Inu no Taisho.
Sesshoumaru lays his son back on the bed and tells the boy to rest until the meal is ready. As soon as the boy shuts his puffy eyes off the demon lord takes his leave. Jaken who has already awaken long back and heard the entire conversation shuts his eyes off the moment the Taiyoukai walks by and leaves the hut. When the imp confirms his lord has gone, he sits up on his own bed. With his teeth biting at the edge of the small half wet blanket, the green toad uses one of his free hands to wipe off the tears from his eyes. As annoying as the little kappa can be he too feels for the mother and kid's lives.
As soon as the Taiyoukai steps out from the hut, he searches for Rin by the river but she is not there. When he is about to turn into the forest, he spots the girl standing under the giant tree with her gaze fixed upon the calm flowing river.
Sesshoumaru's brows furrow at the girl's appearance, she has her kimono on but not completely. Rin is standing there under the bad weather with only a thin layer of inner kimono. A concerned demon lord immediately paces to the girl's side and shields her with both of his arms wrapped around her tiny body.
"Rin, never ever stay outside in such an incomplete apparel, you will get sick." The girl tilts her head up at the perturbed demon lord.
"Why are you preventing me to talk to Aito?" She inquires sadly; her lord arches his brow in surprise.
"Because either you or me, will just explain the same thing. I can do that for you Rin." He answers coolly while brushing the girl's long dark raven hair all the way down to her waist.
"It was my fault, I would rather Aito hate me than you. You did nothing my lord, he shouldn't hate you." her fingers grasp at the fabric on the western lord's shoulder.
"Oh Rin," He gently presses at the back of the girl's head close to his shoulder and lays her face on his mokomoko. "Aito told me he would never grow up hating me because you constantly told him not to and therefore he told me he will never grow up hating you either, because you two have gone through everything together. The boy loves you Rin, don't worry." The Taiyoukai kisses the girl's forehead before burying his nose into her hair, taking in her sweet flowery scent.
"Aito said so?" Rin snaps her head up abruptly meeting her lord's warm amber eyes. The demon lord inclines his head to support his declarations. The girl returns a weak smile to her lord and in return she earns another kiss from the demon lord on one of her cheeks.
"Rin, one of your old friends is here to meet you. Turn around and see." Slowly the girl cocks her head to the side and later to her back. Her hazelnut eyes widen in astonishment at the creature standing at her back.
"Ah-un!" The two headed dragon is howling with joy the moment the girl calls out its name. Rin runs to the dragon demon with her arms stretch wide apart and hugs the creature happily.
"Ah-un, it has been a while; I really missed you so much." Small beads of tears are visible at the corner of the girl's eyes as she hugs the dragon's neck tightly. Rin has Ah-un on each side of her arms while her head lies in the between the two headed dragon.
"Thank you Lord Sesshoumaru." Rin turns her head back to thank the demon lord. Sesshoumaru smirks contently to see his precious ward's smile again.
The Taiyoukai allows the girl and her best friend dragon demon to have a small reunion while he moves away to do some hunting for the mother and son.
When Sesshoumaru returns to the hut, Ah-un is grazing the grass at the nearby river While Rin is spotted standing at the side of the hut with a rather anxious look worn on her face. The demon lord walks up to the girl's side and presses a hand on one of the girl's shoulders.
"Rin, you should stay inside the hut." The girl turns to glance at her lord before returning her gaze back to the entrance.
"My lord could you help Aito to refresh himself?" The Taiyoukai narrows his eyes in bewilderment at his ward's request.
"Why can't you help him?" He asks the girl curiously.
"Because," She lowers her head sadly, "I am not sure if Aito feels comfortable with my presence." Rin turns to smile weakly at her lord before she runs to Ah-un's side. Sesshoumaru mouths no words, he knows the duo need to have some time to adjust to each other after the shocking revelation, but he does not wish to see their strong bond loosened if both are avoiding each other. The demon lord sighs; he steps into the hut and walks over to his son's side and carries the boy out to the river.
Morning passes by quite peacefully with Jaken helping the Taiyoukai to skin the boar and prepare the meal. Aito is introduced to the two headed dragon, Ah-un, and immediately loves his new friend, just like Rin, the boy is getting along well with the dragon demon and it pleases the demon lord. Both Rin and Aito have their meals outside the hut along with the Taiyoukai, the green toad and the two headed dragon demon, Ah-un. Just like a family of five.
Rin and Aito are unusually silent during the morning meal; they neither talk to each other nor even speakto the demon lord or the imp. This has made the environment turn out to be quite odd and tensed. Aito and Jaken are heading to the river to clean some utensils while Rin moves to Ah-un's side and spends her time with the dragon.
Whenever Aito shows up to play with his new friend, Rin finds excuses to walk away from them. She would either rest inside the hut or under the tree nearby the river. The boy makes no attempts to inquire anything from his father, he knows that he has upset his mother and hurt her on several occasions. All he wishes to do now is to give some time for his mother.
The same feeling hits Rin, even though Sesshoumaru has confirmed that Aito holds no hatred towards her, the girl still thinks she is at fault and decides to let the boy spend more time with his father.
Afternoon comes and goes, the mother and son continue avoiding each other brilliantly with excuses after excuses and it annoys the demon lord. Of course they need some time but it hurts the Taiyoukai seeing them act in such a way. They were once very close to each other, inseparable, so to see the duo like this is really eating away at Sesshoumaru's heart. I need to find a way. As he is determined to find a solution the green toad shows up in his sight. Hissing in annoyance, the green kappa pauses his steps and observes the Taiyoukai's face.
"What do you want Jaken?" The imp jumps out of being staggered as he quickly gets down on his knees and bows.
"My lord forgive my interruption but allow me to state the truth." Small beads of sweat are visible on both sides of the toad's face.
"Speak." Sesshoumaru grants coolly.
"My lord, Rin and Aito seem to be acting unusually bizarre. If only .." The demon lord cuts the imp's statement.
"I am not blind Jaken." The little kappa drops his head with his forehead touching on the floor and apologizes.
"No my lord, I did not mean to mouth anything bad, it is just that I think both of them need to speak to each other, alone. With us around they will keep finding excuses through us." Sesshoumaru golden orbs widen, that's right, our absences would be the best moment for them to speak out! But the fact that the idea came from the green toad makes the demon lord wonder as to why he had never thought about this earlier. Determined with the imp's idea Sesshoumaru stands abruptly.
"Jaken." His deadly voice, calling out for the imp, sends a chill all over the kappa's small body.
"Y-yes mi-lord." He gulps in fear as all he can see from his lord is an evil smirk. Jaken knows his lord well; the demon lord obviously has some interesting idea on his mind.
As soon as the sun sets below the horizons, Jaken leaves under the instruction of the Taiyoukai to retrieve several things nearby with Ah-un tagging along. Sesshoumaru himself takes his leave with the excuses of going hunting leaving Rin and Aito unsure with the new environment now created.
Sitting at the nearby tree facing the river Rin and Aito both steal glances at each other from the corners of their eyes. Both remain silent hoping for the demon lord or the imp to return early. Unbeknownst to them, Jaken will be away for the night and the Taiyoukai has hidden somewhere nearby to observe the duo.
The girl starts to feel uncomfortable, never in her life has she ever been in a situation like this. Ever since Aito was born, he has been the only closest person for her and never have they been at a loss for chatty topics. The boy would have many things to tell her and she would enjoy listening to her son talking all night long. When they are not engaged in conversation, Rin would sing for her son until the boy slumbers peacefully. The memories of both of them together bring tears to the girl's eyes. The boy could smell the faint scent of tears and sadness emanating from his mother's body. He cocks his head slightly to the left and captures the girl wiping her eyes with her kimono sleeves.
The next thing that Rin feels is small hands cupping on each of her cheeks. She opens her eyes to see the boy standing in front of her with a gloomy facial expression.
"Mother, Aito is promising to always listen to you, please don't cry." The girl is startled by her son's statements.
"Awww my dear son, it has nothing to do with you." Her hands brush the boy's messy hair with her lips curl into a small smile. "It is just that I miss the time you use to chat with me and how I use to sing for you."
Aito's gaze falls, he feels guilty for avoiding his mother. He drops to his knees onto the girl's lap and wraps his arms around his mother's neck.
"Mother, are you mad at me?" Rin widens her hazelnut eyes in surprise.
"Of course not my son, why would I have to?" The boy rolls his eyes from left to right trying to figure out how to answer his mother.
"Because Aito ran away and made mother worry." The girl smiles in relief.
"Aito, remember that no matter what you do mother will not be mad at you. You are my precious son and there's no way I am going to be angry at you." Rin ensures the boy as he beams happily.
"Mother," Sunset eyes meet with warm hazelnut orbs.
"Always remember that no matter what mother has done, Aito will never be angry or you." Rin's eyes get teary with joy; she nods feebly in acceptance while the boy buries his face in his mother's right shoulder.
"We will chat like how we use to be right mother?" The boy trails off and inquires in playful tone. Rin grins and keeps nodding in agreement.
"And I will sing for you like I used to, deal?" Aito claps both of his small hands and yells, "Of course!" and throws his arms around the girl's neck once again for a tight hug. Rin embraces her son and smiles contently.
Both mother and son enjoy the most beautiful moment in their lifetime while the demon lord smirks victoriously at the most precious things in his life before walking away into the forest to hunt for their dinner. Things have worked out just as the Taiyoukai had planned and he believes at this point nothing is going to break their bond easily.
Together this small family of the dog will head towards tomorrow, with the power of the great dog demon Sesshoumaru protecting them, with the sweet innocent Rin who loves her husband and cares for her pup and the most intelligent Aito who always lightens up everyone's life, their strong unbreakable bond will enable them to face whatever obstacles that lie in front of them.
Chapter end notes:
I have a reason to why I took so long to write this chapter. This chapter is quite challenging, I would rather take longer time to write it and portray their feeling than simply posted something which you guys might not feel for them. This is the longest chapter I have ever wrote with 8.9k word count.
I hope you guys enjoy this as much as I enjoy writing this. (^_^)
Thank you for all the encouraging reviews and supports. (^_^)
Next chapter : Intimate
Anonymous reviews reply:
-Hey Naala, LOL I am the queen of big meanie eh? Trust me I try to aovid that XD. I do have many ideas for stories dear, but I am slow in updating so the ideas might have to be reserved till I finish this Lily story. I am not good in handling multiple stories at once. Well I will be blamed for aging LOL Thank you so much for your support, it will be my pleasure if you stick around with me for my future stories (^_^) Im glad tht last chapter answered your doubt I hope you will love this super long chapter too. Next one will be less tense as we head into 'intimates' *hugs* and *kisses* for you dear Naala ... Thanks for your review (^_^)
-Dear Greased Lightning, thanks for your double review LOL I love you! Thanks for your review (^_^)
-Dear Shinky, Kyaa? (O.o) haha Anyway thanks for your review (^_^)
-Dear orna, Rin did reveal the reason why she left, though she did not mention the name of the person but we are close to knowing this person. Thanks for your review (^_^)
-Hey dear Jolie, sorry another long wait. Thank you so much for understanding Sesshoumaru, he was so worried he might havelost 2 of the most important things in his life. Haha for some reason everyone loves the part where Aito chooses to witness the lion getting shattered into millions of pieces haha. Of course, Aito is proud of his father always. The kappa's fate will always be taken care of by the kind hearted Rin ... We are finished with the reunion next we are off to 'intimates' ... Thanks for your review (^_^)