Feudal Affair

I don't own Inuyasha

Chapter XVIII

Rin couldn't help but feel like Sesshoumaru's love was still new as he kissed her. She looked up into the tree, eyeing the branch that she'd climbed several years ago just to see him again as he'd stood along the edge of the forest and watched her. The moments where she got to be alone with Sesshoumaru came and went as Kisata always kept them busy. But even Kisata had awoken a deeper side to Sesshoumaru that she'd always known was there. His reserve seemed to disappear, and no matter how hard he tried not to, Kisata always got a smile out of him and even a few laughs. Kisata was certainly her father's daughter though. She had Sesshoumaru's sharpness and she did have a habit of staring Jaken down if she felt insulted by him.

"What?"

Sesshoumaru knew his wife well enough to know that she'd fallen into thought, most likely about something in their past. He loved the way that her eyes softened, the way she seemed to relax, the smile that touched her features. Looking into her eyes never got old. The woman that he loved then was the same now.

"I was just thinking about how much Kisata is like you."

"They eyes didn't give her away?"

Rin shook her head as she laughed.

"There's so much more than that and you know it. Her kindness isn't all mine and the way that she looks at Jaken when she knows he's wrong is your mirror. I wish that you could see the two of you doing that at the same time. And there's one other thing..."

Rin paused at Sesshoumaru's concerned reaction.

"What's wrong?"

"Blood..."

"Kisata?!"

"No, Kohaku's."

"Where is Kisata?! Where are Taro and Aneko?"

"Her scent is too close to his and they're with her! We have to go now!"

...

Kisata ignored her cousins' pleas not to approach as her curiosity and the scent of blood drew her closer. Just beyond the cover of the trees she could see the man who had killed her mother. She swallowed as she approached him, her jaw clenching at the thought of what he'd tried to do. Kisata looked Kohaku over even as he met her eyes. She could see the surprise, the recognition that he knew exactly who she was.

"Kisata." Her name had been spoken through gritted teeth of pain.

"You killed my mother."

"I never thought I'd see you again, at least not this close. You look like her."

"Why did you kill my mother? Because of me?"

"You're only a child. You wouldn't understand." Kohaku looked away from her, not wanting her to see through the words.

"Then you killed her because she loved my father?

"I tried to kill her because she broke her vows to me."

"But you loved her didn't you? Why would you kill someone you love?"

"Because it would kill you to see her with anyone else. She was my best friend, the only person I wanted to spend my life with."

"But that doesn't make any sense. That's not reason enough to kill someone. At the least you could have still been friends."

"It doesn't work like that. And you should talk to your father about what is reason enough to kill someone."

"What do you mean?"

"Your father is no saint."

"My father does what he has to to protect us."

Kohaku attempted to sit up despite the wounds. He looked the child over trying not to remember the last time he'd seen her, how he'd held her thinking that she was his. The moment he'd made the decision to take Rin's life, he'd also accepted the fate of a child that would never be his. Was it a victory to still have lost his sister when Rin had cheated death again and survived by the powers of the child he'd refused to kill? There was a part of him that had been relieved that Rin was still alive. He'd known that he'd regret what he'd done; the part of him that wished he could have taken it back as soon as he'd pulled the blade from her back. He could've left the pain of Rin's affair behind and let her be. But just as well, there was the other part of him that was angry, furious that he could do nothing to hurt the man that had taken her away from him. He'd known that killing Sesshoumaru would be nearly impossible. It was easier to envision Sesshoumaru in every demon that he slayed, seeking them out and destroying them. The hunts had become an obsession, a way to ease the pain. And yet, here he laid, waiting for the darkness of death because of an obsession gone too far, taking on too many demons at once. It was a reckless decision that would bring him to his end. Maybe, deep down, he'd longed for this day.

"Avenge my attempt on your mother's life. I can do nothing to stop you."

Kisata watched him cough up blood, his hands already stained, his clothing soaked from attempting to stop the bleeding from his abdomen. His breaths and words were already labored.

"There is no honor in killing someone who is already dead."

"Your father talking. What will you do then? Will it be satisfying enough to watch my end?"

"Do you feel any remorse for what you tried to do?"

"These last seven years would have been easier if I hadn't."

Kisata knelt next to Kohaku looking over the wounds again. They were deep and fatal. They would require more energy and possibly too much for her body to handle.

"What are you doing?"

"..."

Kohaku felt the warmth of her energy as her hands drifted over him.

Kisata steadied herself and tried to keep control as the energy around them grew, her demonic aura rising. She could feel the markings on her cheeks beginning to grow, every sight and sound sharpening. She closed her eyes to keep Kohaku from seeing the redness that had taken over. She'd remembered feeling this way only once before, a year ago. She'd healed several others from a battle but it was her final attempt to save an old man that had put her over the edge. She couldn't save him. She'd lost control with no memory of what had happened after. She'd simply awoken in her father's arms, her mother kissing her forehead. They hadn't told her what happened but she knew it must have been something awful. They'd never returned anywhere close to that village and they'd forbade her from getting anywhere near it again.

"Kisata, stop!"

Kisata could hear her father's voice, feel her mother's presence but was too afraid to look at them out of fear of what they might see in her. She was too far into the healing process to stop it.

Rin fought back the urge to go to her daughter and she knew that Sesshoumaru was doing the same. Even as Kagome and Inuyasha arrived they'd only been able to look on as Aneko and Taro turned to them for safety. None of them were sure what would happen if they tried to stop Kisata at this point. She might have maintained control but there was the higher possibility of losing herself if she was disrupted. The energy flowing out would have nowhere to go, her aura would continue to rise and she would be bent on destruction.

Kohaku could feel the wounds close. He knew that it was how Kisata had healed Rin, kept her alive in the face of death. Even as he felt a sense of relief he looked up into the face of the little girl, a half demon who looked more pure demon now. He hesitated at her appearance, the way that her body shook as she tried to regain herself. She'd dug her fingers into the earth beside them fearing what she might do otherwise. Her jaw clenched to keep from baring fangs.

Sesshoumaru hated watching his daughter struggle against herself. It wasn't fair for her bring relief to someone else at the sake of her pain. The thought brought something else to mind. He'd never be able to teach her how to control it but maybe he could teach her how else to use it.

"Kisata, you can still hear me. Heal yourself."

Kisata's body quieted at her father's voice. She wrapped her hands around her and she could feel the markings beginning to fade, the redness draining from her eyes. She could feel her energy peak once more then dissipate as she regained control.

"Kisata are you alright?" Rin hugged her daughter, pulling her away from Kohaku even as she did so.

"I'm okay now."

"Kisata, what were you thinking? He's dangerous!"

"If I can forgive him for what he did to you, the least he can do is forgive you. I remember that you told me that you can't help who you love and you can't force it. It just happens."

Kohaku tried his legs as he stood.

"It would seem I am in debt to your daughter until I forgive you." Kohaku looked to Rin and then to Sesshoumaru as the dog demon seemed to be teetering on the edge of undoing his daughter's work.

"I forgive you, but if it eases you at all, I remain in debt to your daughter for the rest of my life."

"So be it."

Rin nodded to Sesshoumaru's response but found little to say. Yes, she had had an affair and disregarded her vows to Kohaku. For that she was sorry but Kohaku's attempt on her life would never let her forget who he had become. Kisata's actions had been so much more than any amount of forgiveness she could render. Kohaku's remaining debt to Kisata meant little but if at any point he disregarded it Sesshoumaru would have open grounds to destroy him and he knew that. It wasn't until Kohaku parted their presence that she'd let go of Kisata.

"Momma does this mean I can come see Aneko and Taro more?"

"We'll see."

"You're still in trouble for going outside of the village. Don't forget that."

"Aww."

Sesshoumaru noticed Kisata's sigh turn into a yawn as her ears and eyes drooped. Although she'd managed to heal herself she was still too tired to do much else or even protest it as she usually did. She'd managed a good-bye to her cousins and aunt and uncle before falling asleep on Aun's back.

Sesshoumaru was sure that Rin had been shaken and so had he by Kohaku's presence and with Kisata's proximity to him when they'd arrived. Even now Rin kept her eyes on the little girl as she slept knowing how different the outcome could have been, but what mattered now was that Kisata was safe.

"Rin..."

"Hm..."

"Back at the tree, you were going to say that there was another way that Kisata was like me. What was it?"

Rin smiled thinking about what she was going to say, "Sometimes she does things that you would never expect her to do and for reasons maybe that no one else would understand."

Sesshoumaru nodded as he looked back at their daughter who still seemed to be resting soundly. He gestured for Rin to come with him as Jaken straightened at the alert to watch Kisata.

Even now, every moment with him was filled with the unexpected and the excitement that Rin had longed for. Every kiss, every touch was just as gentle as the day they'd first laid underneath these stars. Despite all that they'd been through to find these moments uninhibited, they'd found the silver lining. They'd known that they were always meant to be together no matter how much they'd tried to distance themselves, out of fear or out of love. It meant so much more to take the chance at happiness no matter the time it would last. As Sesshoumaru looked into her eyes he'd never known how he could make the decision to leave her behind for the sake of her life. Rin's smile and content told him all that he needed to know. Her life was with him and the only one she ever wanted to know.

End

A/N: I hope you all enjoyed it! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year everyone :)