Chapter 22 Common Sense

Rin and Shippo jumped at the voice behind them.

"He… Hello Lord Yomi." Rin shuddered as Shippo scrambled into an upright position and pressed himself against the tree trunk.

"Greetings Rin," Yomi smiled at Rin before turning to face Shippo and frowning slightly, "and who is your friend? I don't know why but you seem a bit familiar, have we met before?"

"No!" Shippo said a bit too quickly. "I don't think so, I'm sure I would have remembered if we had run into each other."

"Hmm…" Yomi seem to be considering Shippo's words.

"Father I think he's hiding something." A boy standing next to Yomi said.

"Yes, I do as well, but no matter. Rin allow me to introduce my son Shura." Yomi gave his son a slight push forward towards Rin.

Rin remembered lord Yomi saying something about a clone when she and Sesshomaru had visited him, but to think that the boy had grown so much in the scant few months since that time was amazing.

Shura glared up at Rin before turning to his father. "Father, why am I being introduced to a human?"

Rin giggled and the sound caught the boy's attention and he glared at her again. She was about to say something when the familiar arm of her mate rapped around her waist and Sesshomaru's calm yet firm voice spoke from behind her.

"Because it is common sense to know the powers that may affect your place in the world."

Shura stared wide eyed at the demon and recognized the markings on his face from a picture in one of his books. The book had told of the dog lords of the west; of their rule lasting for millennia, and the power they had in battle. They had few challengers and the ones that did come didn't stand long. "Lord Sesshomaru…" He muttered, awed at the sight of the living legend.

Sesshomaru chose to ignore their audience for a moment as he tested the scents that clung to his mate, satisfied that only the young fox had touched her, he turned his attention back to Yomi, "Lord Yomi," was his only greeting.

"Lord Sesshomaru." Yomi bowed his head slightly in greeting. "I am glad you found one worthy of Rin to be her mate. Only a lord could deserve one of such grace and power as Rin."

"Hnn."

"I don't blame you for wanting to keep her for yourself. Although I certainly do regret that I was unable to grace my home with her presents." Yomi gave Rin a small smile as her face heated up. "Additionally there are a few rooms on the northern side of the stadium for privet viewing of the tournaments held here; they have always been reserved for the lords that do not wish to be stuck in the crowds. You and your mate are more then welcome to watch from there; that is if I hear correctly and you are not planning to participate."

"No, I am not," was Sesshomaru's only reply.

"Well I hope you enjoy the entertainment." Yomi placed a hand on his son's shoulder, "Come Shura, let us finish our preparations."

"Yes, father." Shura gave one last awed glance at Lord Sesshomaru and Rin before following his father.

Shippo had sat as still and quite as he could very glad that Lord Yomi seemed to have forgotten him when Sesshomaru had arrived. Once Yomi had disappeared into the stadium he stood brushing leaves and grass from his pants and tail.

"How on earth did you get so tall?" Rin marveled as Shippo straitened to his full height.

He now stood eye to eye with Sesshomaru and he shrugged, "My father was taller then I am now."

"You will probably have another growth spurt in the next fifty years," Sesshomaru commented. "Most red foxes are quite tall."

Rin shook her head, "Anyway, did Kurama say what time the tournament is going to start?"

"Not for another two hours at least, but all the opening stuff should be starting soon." Shippo said, "I've been working on some new tricks but I need large groups to see if they work. Today is going to be so much fun." He rubbed his hands together and sported a wide grin as he eyed the growing throng of demons.

"You're not going to fight?" Rin asked relieved.

"No way! There is no chance of me winning and there are consequences to losing this tournament. If you live you have to serve the king and enforce his rule. I ain't about that life."

Rin giggled, "Well you can always come and watch the fights with us in the northern viewing rooms if you get bored, alright?"

"Ok, and did you say Kurama is here?"

"Yeah he brought us from human world." Rin confirmed.

"Awesome, I'll catch up with you two later; I want to see Kurama before things start." Shippo waved and ran off leaving Rin and Sesshomaru alone under the tree.

Rin smiled up at her mate, "He said you helped him a few time while I was gone. Thank you," she hugged him tightly.

Sesshomaru stroked her hair, "You do not need to thank me; I take care of my pack."

She pulled back to look up at him, "Shippo is pack?"

"Hn, InuYasha did eventually submit to me as his alpha and the boy is his, so the boy is mine." Sesshomaru started walking towards the north side of the stadium as he spoke, Rin at his side.

"Hmm… anyone else in our pack I should know about?"

"Only InuYasha's pups and Yusuke."

"Yusuke? You licked him?" She asked surprised, she didn't think Sesshomaru particularly liked Raizen's heir.

"Yes, he needed to be marked." Sesshomaru said completely serious.

Rin giggled, "How was his reaction?"

"Amusing"

Rin curled up next to Sesshomaru on the big over stuffed sofa in the privet viewing room, his tail rapped around her legs and over her lap for warmth and his arm across her shoulders holding her close. Sesshomaru watched the large screen on the far wall as Rin dosed. The announcers where explaining the circumstances that led up to the tournament and interviewing 'experts' on the chances of certain demons for winning.

"Sesshomaru?" Rin murmured half asleep.

"Hn?"

"Yusuke's not going to die in all this is he? I don't want to lose anymore family…"

Sesshomaru looked down at his, now fully asleep, mate. She was no stranger to pain and loss and he knew that she had and would morn deeply at the loss of friends and family. He would keep her from as much as he could but violence and death were part of demon society and she would face it again; he would just have to help her pick up the pieces and move forward if they came to close to her heart.

He pulled her tighter to his side and watched as the preliminaries got underway. They went quickly enough and he knew many of the winners, seeing both Raizen's and Rin's friends among them. Nothing truly surprising until that drunken Chu surrendered to a woman in order to ask her out; Sesshomaru closed his eyes and resisted the urge to shake his head in disgust.

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I have an announcement I have started posting my second story. It's a crossover of Doctor Who and the Bible. Forward onto earth: the early years of the Doctor is a dribble story I am co-writing. If that interests you please check it out! ^.^