CYCLE OF RIN

By Lady JenDragon

EPILOGUE

Ten years later, Rin returned from her slaying mission to find her hut in shambles. Pocketing her Kotsu's, that replaced her former "sairaikotsu" weapons, named for the sound they made through the air, Rin smiled. The shiny weapons Totosai and Tenmari made for her to keep her children in line once they were born. Inuyasha was disappointed that Totosai hadn't bothered to create a powerful sword. Just like a male, Rin mused. Her Kotsu's could do more damage than any sword. And she was still learning just what those skills were since neither Totosai or Tenmari were willing to openly divulge such information. All she was told was to "experiment"…often. Shaking her head, Rin focused.

Now for the immediate problem, Rin sighed. Her four children were at it again. She sighed spotting the three demon children sitting around the fire ring as if nothing happened. However, she learned years ago that demon children were just as likely to try get away with unacceptable behaviors as human children. She paused, hands on her hips, to watch them.

"Where's Roru?" Rin inquired about her fourth child and the only half-breed among them. "You didn't attempt to kill him again did you?"

Her demon daughter and two sons kept their eyes trained on the fire burning brightly to avoid her glare. As toddlers, her children were playful and noisy. Now that they were older, and up to her chest in height, all three began to mimic their father's silent façade and movements.

"I see." Rin sighed. "Escaped did he…" She noted the look of disappointment in their expressive eyes, the only way to tell what they felt. "Good for him. Now off with you. Your father will be here shortly."

Rin still had the best rapport with Sesshura, her eldest and only girl. Born at the three month pregnancy mark, Saro was another story. He was the least interactive with her and kept her at arms-length. She bore him after six months of pregnancy. Semaru was born after a nine month pregnancy.

Sesshora, the eldest, got to her feet elegantly and turned towards the hut. "I do not understand why father does not allow for us to travel with him."

"Agreed." Saro, the oldest boy, agreed.

"Your father travels to a lot of dangerous places, Sesshura." Rin sighed knowing the children provoked this debate every time Sesshomaru was due to arrive home. "You're all too young for these travels. Being here with me, I'm a demonslayer and won't allow another demon to hurt you." Rin smirked that his children weren't as trained as Sesshomaru. "And because I won't kill you like other demons and humans will."

"Mother." Sesshura turned at the door. "Why are you allowed to slay demons when we are demons?"

"I get rid of the worst demons." Rin replied evenly. "So you won't have to when you get older. Off you go Sesshura, Saro, and Semaru."

There was another reason they were forced to remain with their human mother.

"Father will harm us if we disobey mother." Semaru replied evenly as the three entered the hut to await their father's visit.

Sesshomaru made the point very clear to his offspring.

Sesshura replied. "We should listen to mother until father allows us to travel with him." She paused for effect. "She brought us into this world. Mother has earned her title despite what you believe Saro, Semaru."

Not that her brothers agreed with her but they nodded as if they did. The fact that mother was a human versus a demon was not lost on Saro and Semaru. However, neither of her brothers communicated with mother during pregnancy as she had being the first. They did not know what the experience meant for a demon to be connected to a human for a short period of time.

Watching her demon children enter the hut to await Sesshomaru's arrival, she turned to her immediate problem. Find the fourth one. He was as conniving as the other three and worse at getting into trouble when she was off on a mission.

Rin pursed her lips wondering where Roru went off to hide from his brothers and sister again. "I'll find him."

Roru was a surprise to everyone. Sesshomaru calculated the Cycle to give him four children. Alas, before she got pregnant, the Cycle stopped without warning to anyone. The entire pregnancy, she expected a fourth demon child. When the half-demon child arrived ten months later Rin felt elated that she finally had something that was both her and Sesshomaru's.

But Sesshomaru was hesitant to acknowledge his third son, remembering his father's mistake and Inuyasha's ever constant presence in their life. Inuyasha was more than happy to make the most of the situation. He took to being an uncle most enthusiastically. Inuyasha was going to show Roru just how good he could be against his demon siblings. Rin sighed, reaching out with her instinct to locate the demon side of Roru.

It took roughly ten minutes to located her half-demon son sitting in a tree near the river. Rin didn't like leaving the children alone when she went out on a mission but someone had to keep the family going. Roru and the others could essentially take care of themselves.

She found him hiding among the leaves of the largest tree branch. "Here you are!"

Rin didn't tell him that it was difficult to hide his white hair among the trees. It was a dead giveaway every time. But she encouraged him to try his best to hide. He would make a good demonslayer if he would settle down a bit to focus.

"No thanks to the trio from hell!" Roru grimaced as he leaped down from the tree covered in leaves. "Literally."

Fall was approaching, the leaves would be turning soon.

"What did I tell you?" Rin tapped his chin to catch his attention, his yellow eyes looking up at her.

Roru was a handsome boy, just like his father. But he would have a tougher teenage life since other demons might come looking for him. Sesshomaru's reputation was one thing. Being a half-demon was another. Sesshomaru didn't make allowances for Roru being only half demon. He expected his children to obey him at all times.

Roru sighed knowing it was hard to be good when mother was away. "Not to go near them?"

"I meant provoke them, and you know it." Rin corrected. "Don't think you're always the innocent one here, Roru. They retaliate just as you would've." He started to protest but she cut him off. "I don't want to hear it."

He sighed knowing mother knew him all too well. "When is Uncle Inuyasha coming for a visit?"

"Tomorrow." Rin replied. "There'll be plenty of time to play with your cousins then. Now, I want you to go and apologize to your siblings and get the firewood going for dinner."

Roru lowered his eyes to the ground. "Yes, mother."

Rin watched Roru drag his feet in the direction of the hut. Once he was out of sight, she sighed. Having a half-breed among three demons in her household was difficult living. Few of the villagers ventured to meet her, which was usually halfway between her home in the woods and the village. Being painted as the victim of a demon's vulgar demand, Rin was mildly allowed to venture into town as long as the children weren't with her. Her profession as a demonslayer made her a commodity in the village when any demons came near. Kagome and Inuyasha lived a few miles away near Miroku and Sango. They would come tomorrow for their weekly visit.

She paused then turned to find Sesshomaru standing behind her.

Rin turned towards the hut. "The children will be glad to see you." She glanced over her shoulder finding Sesshomaru hadn't moved yet. "Is there something wrong?"

"Roru is growing tall." Sesshomaru stated evenly approaching Rin. "He is capable of surviving the torments of Sesshura, Saro and Semaru."

"He has to otherwise they'd kill him." Sesshomaru only arrived to meet the children on the road typically when his visits were more frequent than normal. "Is there something you want?" Rin pointed out on purpose. "The road's over there."

Which meant on thing.

"You require my presence." He left off tenderness on purpose.

"I told you I can live without you…" Rin hated that he could tell when she was thinking about him, unless her body was already betraying her again. "The children need your presence."

Some nights when he was away, it was difficult to sleep alone. She missed his touch, his being nearby when he came to visit. Though she had little choice in when and how often he would visit, she hoped he would come around more so than he allowed himself. She sighed knowing she couldn't move a wall being human once more now that the Cycle had finally ended. Rin was left on her own a majority of the time.

"Why do you fight your emotions for this Sesshomaru?"

She wanted him to understand how much she really did need him but knew he would never agree to be so close all the time. "I love you, I can't change that. It's that you can't be here all the time." They had been through this before never reaching an agreement verbally. "It's about you not being here for them." Rin hated that she was placed in such a position. "All four of them."

"You are angry, Rin." Sesshomaru's armor was already gone, his kimono loosened, dropping to the forest floor. "Tense and frustrated."

Rin felt her emotions betray her. "Rough hunt today."

She wanted him close, closing the distance between them. Rin knew life with Sesshomaru would be difficult. But then, she hadn't expected three demon children and a half-demon son out of the deal either. At least the Cycle finally stopped tormenting her. Part of her silently feared that a dozen demons would be born from her. Some would consider her unlucky with four. Rin was just happy the number of children was in the single digits.

Sesshomaru kneeled to allow Rin to kiss him. She took advantage of his limited visitations when she could. Her hands held onto him greedily as their passion intensified. Meeting her passion, he tasted the emotions within her on her lips. She was recovering from fear he realized. Her body felt tense and rigid.

"This Sesshomaru will relieve this tension." He concluded, the remainder of his kimono dropping to the ground.

Rin dropped onto the moss covered forest floor in anticipation of their union.

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Roru watched his parent's passionate union alongside his other siblings, curious as to the process. Not that any of them could really see anything once their parents dropped to the forest floor. It was just kissing at the moment even though father was half naked from the waist up. Clearly father sensed they were watching and kept them from viewing their most sensuous moments. Almost seven, Roru displayed a heightened sense of curiosity about his heritage and his role in his parent's life. Though the three oldest mimicked their father perfectly, only Roru's eyes, hair and growing height were inherited from his father.

"Why does mother constantly defy her emotions towards father?" Sesshura did not understand humans despite her father's explanation.

Roru replied. "I guess demons make humans mad at them all the time."

The other three said nothing to this explanation. As this was the generally accepted consensus between the four. It was also agreed that mother did indeed care for their father on a level they could see but not understand. She just appeared to always be frustrated which seemed to be related to father's infrequent visits.

"Come." Sesshura turned back towards the hut to await their parents return. "Mother seems to have brought home a wild boar for roasting."

"I set up the spit already." Roru added. "Just like Saro showed me."

Even young demons had to eat meals every day through the growth cycle. Though they were relegated to eating human food, once they reached adulthood, their preference for other kind of demon food would manifest. Until then, they ate together.

Roru did enjoy toying with his siblings whenever possible. However, they were full demons and he was only a half-demon. Uncle Inuyasha told him that even though his abilities weren't as strong, he shouldn't discount his ability to match his siblings in battle. Look at him! Inuyasha had managed to survive every battle with his father despite the numerous attempts made to remove his uncle from the planet.

Roru would make it yet…

THE END