Theme 39: Dreams

Sesshomaru kept watch that night. With the moon shining brightly above, bathing their group in light, he watched as the Kagome and his new ward, slumbering in each other's arms.

Kagome had the little girl tucked up against her chest, her chin resting on a head of clean black hair. The child had an expression of peace, something he hadn't associated with her during the time when they had first met. Kagome brought out that side of her.

Upon meeting several days ago, they two took to each other almost immediately.

As Sesshomaru approached the group, he was greeted with the sight of a furious Kagome. She stomped towards him, rage bounded of her in waves, like a canine shaking water from its fur. "Inuyasha!" she shrieked "Where the heck did you go. I had to wake up to Sango telling me you left and…"

"Kagome, I expected a welcome, not an interrogation" he interrupted. Although his sounded bored, the empty niggling feeling in his chest desisted at the sight of her. He felt calm again

Kagome looked like she wanted to say much more than an interrogation, but then she noticed the small person at his side and blinked in surprise. "Uhh…Inuyasha…whose this?"

Sesshomaru glanced to his side where the child was clutching his pant leg and answered quite simply "This is Rin"

"Oh" the Miko said dumbfounded "Umm…Hi Rin"

They nodded to each other, unable to look away.

"Where did she come rom" Miroku stepped forward, bending down till he was eye level with the girl, "Hey little one, where's your parents?"

"She has none" Sesshomaru announced, growing tedious with their questions.

They all looked up "What do you mean?"

Sesshomaru looked at him with a raised eyebrow, was he really to explain himself?

"Inuyasha? Kagome said, her eyes inquiring. Sesshomaru turned his head away "This one found her injured by wolves, the whole village was torn apart."

"And so you just picked her up, like a stray" for some reason, she seemed it find this humorous. Kagome bent down till she was eyelevel with the girl and smiled brightly "Hey, my name's Kagome. You look pretty dirty Rin, wanna come with me and get cleaned up?"

Rin was silent for a long while as she assessed the woman, she seemed unwilling to let go of Sesshomaru's leg. But then Kagome reached out her hand "I promise I don't bite, there's a hot spring nearby, and doesn't warm water sound nice? We can get your hair looking pretty again?"

Rin hesitated a moment more, then she slowly, shakily, took Kagome's hand.

Slowly after that, Rin began to open up. She spoke a little more each day and while she was still weary of the group as a whole, she seemed to like Kagome and the Kitsune. Rin followed him around like a shadow, when she wasn't learning how to read and skin game with Kagome, she was by his side, watching his every move and learning.

And Sesshomaru allowed it. In the strangest of ways, he felt…responsible, for her life seeing he had been the one to save it. Besides, Rin was a thoughtful girl who did not trouble him too much. She knew how to fish, which came as a welcome change to his pack.

In a way, he'd become fond of her, it seemed appropriate that his two favourite humans should like each other so much.

"Hey" he opened his eyes to see Kagome awake as she gazed sleepily at him from across the fire "You're not sleeping?"

"Someone must remain awake" he answered.

"You don't have to" she said, we're safe here, Miroku checked it out."

"I will remain awake a while longer" he affirmed.

"But you took watch last time and the time before that, it's my turn" as she said this, she yawned, rubbing her eyes. Sesshomaru felt something warm spread through in inside and chose not to examine it "Go to sleep Kagome, I am fine"

"Are you sure?" she asked.

"Yes"

She yawned again "Ok" after a few minutes of eyes-closed silence she said "It was strange when you left. You used to disappear all the time to go after Kikyo without warning, and I got used to just…waiting. But recently you're always there, you don't go anywhere. I guess I got used to always opening my eyes and seeing you there, sitting right across me. Inuyasha?"

"Kagome?"

She smiled in her sleep "Please don't go anywhere lie that again, promise you'll be there when I wake up."

Sesshomaru was silent, and then he nodded "I promise, now sleep"

She smiled even wider and then h heard the slower sound of her breathing, indicating she was finally asleep. When he was absolutely sure, he closed his eyes, just for a moment. But even though he had told her he would be awake, soon Sesshomaru found himself drifting off.

It was strange, he was dreaming. But for once, it wasn't one of Inuyasha's memories, it was one of his own.

His great father stood looking out unto the ocean, his golden eyes were unfocused as blood poured from numerous wounds on his body and ripped to the ground. He was looking at something beyond the ocean, a soft keen in his throat. Sesshomaru knew what he was looking for, that human woman and her unborn child, the one his father was so infatuated with.

"She calls for me" he suddenly said to the much younger Sesshomaru, standing behind him, his identical silver hair blowing in the ocean gust.

"Father, do you insist on going?" he asked frowning. His father was badly injured from the battle with the Dragon Lord, he wouldn't make it if he didn't give his body time to heal.

His voice replied, low and familiar "Do you intend to stop me, Sesshomaru?

"I will not stand in your way, however, before you go you must entrust the swords Sounga and Tetsaiga to me."

His alpha was silent in his request, Sesshomaru watched his back, his hair tied in its infamous high-tail "And if I refuse, will you kill me, your own father?"

Sesshomaru did not answer, but in that silence Inutaisho found his answer as he sighed "Do you desire power so much?" he asked this question as if he were asking a child, it irked Sesshomaru. "Why do you seek power, my son" he asked.

"The path I walk is one of supreme conquest" he answered "and it is power that will reveal the way for me."

Inutaisho bent his head forward "Supreme…conquest?" and then there was a sound, as if he were disappointed with Sesshomaru's answer "Tell me Sesshomaru, have you someone to protect?"

The question came as such a shock. Inutaisho, th greatest most powerful youkai in all of the west, would ask this, it baffled the yound Sesshomaru, this was something that had never, no once crossed his mind "…Protect?"

He thought for a moment, but not too long, for he knew his response so clearly, as he knew his name "The answer is no. This Sesshomaru have no need of such" and he raised his claws to attack his father.

Before he could, Inutaisho roared a piercing howl as he took on his true form of a white Inu. He turned a red eye to Sesshomaru and in canine language said "Then I pity you deeply my son, for the path on supreme conquest you walk will be an empty one. I only hope someday, your answer will be different" and then he leapt into the air, rising high into the clouds to meet his death, fighting for the ones he loved, the ones he protected.

In the wake of this advice, the young Sesshomaru scoffed arrogantly. Just the ramblings of an old dog on his deathbed "Why would I have any reason to waste my time protecting someone? Ridiculous" he turned and left on his path for conquest.

"Inuyasha!" Sesshomaru awoke to the sound of Kagome calling the name he had become accustomed to answering to.

She stood over him with her hand on her hips, the kit on her shoulder and Rin clutching her cloths "'Leave it to me' he said 'I'm not tired' he said, you've been sleeping the longest of all of us" she lectured frowning.

Sesshomaru raised his yes to the sky and realised it was indeed, already midday "It seems so" he said.

Suddenly Kagome was on her knees before him, her face so close to his as she rested a hand on his forehead "Are you alright, you don't seem to have a fever" despite her earlier scowls, concern shone clearly in her eyes.

Sesshomaru took her hand from his head "I am fine"

"Well" she said "If you're sure, we can always stop for the day and rest, I know Shippo and Rin would be appreciative."

Sesshomaru only looked up at her as he noticed some of her raven black hair slipping into her eyes as she crouched down. Absentmindedly, he reached forwards and brushed it back lightly with his claws. This seemed to surprise her as she blushed deep red "W-what are you doing?"

He stood and surveyed the almost packed away camp site "Tent to the young" he told her softly "We'll leave shortly"

She nodded "Well, if you're sure" and she began to fuss over Rin and Shippo.

It had been a long time since he'd thought of his honourable father and the last day he was alive. Despite his younger self's ignorant scoff, his father's words still haunted him.

"Tell me Sesshomaru, have you someone to protect?"

His father said he pitied him, claimed his path of power was empty and useless, he wished that one day Sesshomaru would change his reaction.

At the time he'd thought the concept of wasting power to protect someone was nothing but ridiculous, a foolish endeavour for the weak. But now…

He watched as Kagome arranged Shippo and Rin on the Fire Cat, fussing over the two, she had a soft look in her eye as she did when she was with children. Rin looked at him with her wide brown eyes and Kagome turned to him and smiled brilliantly "Hey, ready to go?"

Something constricted in his chest. It seemed his father had gotten his wish, his answer was now different. Never again would he allow himself to feel that fear when he thought she would die or that sadness when he saw the little girl broken at his feet

Sesshomaru would never forgive Inuyasha's mother for being the reason for his father's death, but at least now h understood why he'd died. Why he'd gone, knowing he might die, just for an insignificant human woman. It was because he knew that is she died, he might as well have too.

'Father, now, this Sesshomaru has something he wishes to protect. I only wish I had not been so naive on that day.'

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