Sesshoumaru stood and walked through his castle, it was silent the days were dark to him. The weather out seemed to match his mood these days. Heavy rain and dark clouds. It was perfectly fitting he knew. He walked in slow graceful steps. When he passed his dark glum filled aura affected those who were near him. A sigh left his now pale lips, he hadn't been eating right. One would think that he would not need to eat as a full demon, but he hadn't eaten in nearly a year. He wondered what it was that allowed him to live on, when it was so clear that he saw no point in life. Not without her. A passing servant saw him, to see him walking around his castle was a shock as well. He hardly left his room sending major decisions regarding the country through letters under his door. He just wanted to smell her once last time and the only place that he would find that scent was the last place she'd spent some of her last days, a place preserved by magic and forbidden entry to anyone save him.
"Rin…" he said as he entered the room, his voice hadn't been used in so long that it was unrecognizable even to himself. He sat down in a chair and took a heavy breath. The comfort of it all lulled him into a safe sleep.
4 months later.
It was the early morning in the castle of the great taiyoukai family when Sayuri woke with great pains in the middle of the night. Midoriko had come over with Rin as soon as a young messenger came to her house in a panic. She was dressed in the dullest kimono she owned and she carried Rin on her hip as they climbed into a carriage. The carriage arrived in haste and Midoriko chose to leave Rin with Sesshoumaru in his room. Rin was crying upset that she had been woken up so early. She grabbed on to Sesshoumaru's hand and put her face into his side. Sesshoumaru was aware of what was going, but Rin was not. The only thing she knew was that she smelled a strong amount of blood coming from a room that was far away.
"It smells!" she whimpered.
"My mother is birthing a child." he told her in a quiet voice as if were something that was meant to be a secret.
"Gah!" Rin could hear her scream protruding through the thick doors. She could smell flushes of blood. Her hearing had been sharpening lately and she couldn't focus right anymore.
"No!" she cried pulling her hands over her ears with salty tears pouring from her eyes. Sesshoumaru did not know what he should do to help her. He wanted to, but he didn't know what there was that he could do. It would have to be a secret escape. Rin was afraid and young. Her heightened senses had only just started to peak and everything was overwhelming. He had been trained in his senses while Rin's mother didn't know how to train her to control them. Sesshoumaru felt her tears soaking through the cloth of his sleeping clothes. Her eyes were still swelling with more tears and they were flowing so freely. Sesshoumaru grabbed her hand and started running with her down the hall. His grip on her was tight and strong as he pulled her into the garden of white roses. His mother's screams could only be faintly heard even by himself, but he was trying to censor the sounds.
"Calm down." he ordered her. She stopped crying and took deep shuttering breaths.
"Pretend you can't hear anything, just focus on what you see." he told her calmly. Rin looked at a flower and covered her ears with her hands. Rin watched the rose as the breeze made the stem sway, the way the petals fluttered. Small drops of moisture on the soft petals. She felt Sesshoumaru reach up and pull her hands away from her ears. She didn't hear anything she was listening with her eyes. A smile started to stretch across her face, when Sesshoumaru heard the scream of his mother again. She went to cover her ears but he raised his to hers with their fingers intertwined. Her small hands in his, he realized how fragile she was. Frail and in need of protection. He winced and then heard the loud cry of a baby.
"It's over." he told Rin. She followed behind him as he led her to the room where his new sibling would be with their father. Sesshoumaru knocked on the door and her the happy laugh his father.
"Come in, come see your sister." he said. Sesshoumaru walked into the room and saw the soft silver hair on a child white as snow.
"What's her name?" he asked his eyes widening in awe of the small bundle.
"Yuuki." his father said.
"And mother?" he asked.
"She is resting." Inutaisho said his eyes tracing the crescent on the newborns forehead. Sesshoumaru was in a way dreading this day. Now they would be going to their main castle in the west. It meant that the great taiyoukai family would be away from this country heaven. Sesshoumaru knew that he would not see Rin for a long time. He began to catch himself memorize the small child's scent. The smell was a mix of roses and vanilla a breath of sweet air whenever she passed. Sesshoumaru held tight to Rin's hand as Midoriko called her name. Rin pulled from his grasp and towards the direction of her voice. Midoriko walked in with the scent of blood on her hands. Rin still walked towards her. She could never fear her mother's face. Midoriko noticed the protective air that surrounded Sesshoumaru as he looked into her eyes. He finally released when he realized that he was staring at her as if she had stolen something from him. Sesshoumaru knew that she wouldn't hurt Rin, but at the same time he didn't want her to take Rin away from him.
"It's very early and Rin still has to prepare herself to start her schooling." Midoriko said as Rin walked towards her. Midoriko was a strong woman with a brave heart. She was known far and wide as the most powerful priestess in all the land.
"I'm very tired." Rin said as her mother scooped her up in her arms. Midoriko nodded.
"I'm sorry for calling you here on such short notice." Inutaisho apologized.
" It was nothing at all. Sayuri has been a great friend to me these past four months." Midoriko said. These were the kind of demons that would never need to fear her. They were the kind of peace and loyalty. Midoriko carried Rin home. When they arrived she placed Rin in her bed and smiled at her. Rin looked at her mother and smiled back. Midoriko brushed a hair from Rin's face and tucked it behind her ear.
"You, know. I'm really sorry that I couldn't explain what was happening to you. It was very hectic. I know you must have been afraid." Midoriko said sitting on the side of Rin's bed.
"I was very scared!" Rin said.
"I know, baby. At least you weren't alone." Midoriko said.
"Sesshoumaru, took me to the garden and helped me cover my ears." as she said this she covered her ears.
"It seems that he is very fond of you." Midoriko smiled. Rin was a princess of the south even if she wasn't the daughter of the Lady Yuuriko, she was the first and only child of the south. It was a widely known fact that Yuuriko was a barren demoness and had only been married by Lord Satori because it was arranged by his parents. Something that had never been in his plans, he had tried to run away with Midoriko many a time and finally did the one thing he could made her his mistress. They were very public with their affections for each other. Rin was born and was the first and only child of Satori, making her the only heir.
"He is very pretty, just like a rose!" Rin exclaimed to her mother, who smiled in response.
"He is very handsome isn't he." Midoriko said.
"Yes." Rin said with a yawn.
"You look so beautiful right now, my little princess." Midoriko said kissing the top of Rin's head. When she looked down at her she was fast asleep with her long lashes brushing across her cheekbones. Soon the day for the western royalty to go back to court came and they were gone as quickly as they came. They swept by to say their farewells and were gone again just as if they had never been there at all. Rin cried as Sesshoumaru said his farewell to her. The parents of each watched with a knowing eye.