Sesshomaru stood in the clearing and gazed upon the destruction he'd wrought. He felt not a single ounce of relief. The anger that had him seeing red had only slightly abated; it simmered now, just below the surface, like a volcanic pool set to erupt at any moment.
He glared down at his claws and slowly closed them into a fist. Weak. Useless. What good were his powers if he couldn't even protect her with them? The helplessness he'd felt at seeing her in his father's clutches washed over him anew and he grit his teeth against a howl of frustration. She'd put her trust in him completely and he'd failed her.
A whistle sounded from behind him, followed by a brief round of applause. He steeled his expression and turned to find his father standing on the edge of the clearing.
"Your tantrums remain legendary, my son. I trust you've cooled off enough to have a civil conversation?"
He could scarcely conceal his contempt. "Now you want to be civil?"
His father shrugged. "We could do it the hard way, but I think we both know how that will turn out."
Sesshomaru glowered at his father and envisioned lobbing off his head.
"You went to Izayoi's palace today," his father said directly. "I want to know why." Any trace of humour had evaporated from his features. So, this is what his visit had been about.
He calmly combed his fingers through his hair and flipped it over his shoulder. "I went to assuage my curiosity, nothing more."
His father's eyes narrowed.
"I have more pressing matters to deal with than intimidating your human. She wasn't even aware of my presence, though the same cannot be said for Rin."
His expression hardened and for a brief moment his father looked taken aback. Sesshomaru could only assume he'd believed the worst—that he'd hunted down his father's human to strike a blow. How little his father knew him. He didn't care enough for humans to have a vendetta against one, even if she was carrying his father's child. Besides, Rin would never look at him the same again were he to commit such an act.
"You are not to go there again," his father demanded.
Sesshomaru shrugged, feigning indifference. "I saw what I needed to."
He'd spent the morning watching his father's human at a distance, trying to understand his father's fascination with her. She was beautiful for a human. There was no question about that. And she had a gentle way about her that reminded him of Rin. She'd spent her morning in a garden, tending to her flowers with gentle hands. Occasionally, those same hands had come to rest on her belly, well hidden beneath many layers of robes. She caressed it. Sang to it. Appeared genuinely happy to be bearing the child of a demon.
As he'd stood there, his mind had wandered, envisioning another human girl entirely. One who had a boundless smile and a heart as wide as the ocean. Would she cherish his children so? Would she sing to them and welcome them as his father's human had? He knew the answer. He knew it in the very deepest places of his heart. But then he'd returned to find her held prisoner, nearly run through by his father's sword, and the dream had shattered.
His kind would never accept their heirs. His loyalty to Rin would condemn her, and any future children they had, to suffer persecution and scorn for being half of a whole. He could not find it within himself to curse her with such an awful fate. Were he a less important demon, from a less aristocratic family, none of this would matter. He would be free to do exactly as he pleased then. But that wasn't the way of things. Willpower alone couldn't change who he was simply because she was human.
The fantasy of a family built with her slipped through his fingers, as elusive as sand. Today had shown him just how easy it was for his enemies to reach her. There was no world they could live in where they were beyond his family's reach.
"Your mother has asked me to remind you of your duties to this family," his father remarked dryly. "You have responsibilities that have not been met. It is time to stop playing house with your human and see to them."
His hand clenched into a tight fist. "Who are you to lecture me on such?"
His father sighed. "I am merely the messenger, Sesshomaru. Your mother has concerns."
"Then she can address them with me herself."
"I will let her know you said so. But be warned, my son, the consequences will be dire if you do not see reason. We both know Tenseiga cannot revive her again."
Sesshomaru grit his teeth against a reply because ultimately he knew his father spoke the truth. It would take very little effort for his parents to arrange an accident or an assassination that would take Rin from him forever. If they saw fit, they could extinguish her life as easily as one snaps their fingers. She meant nothing to either of them. Her life was little more than a tool to be used at their convenience to keep him in line.
A weighted silence settled between them as his father looked around the clearing, surveying the area. "I understand why you chose this place, but you cannot hide here forever."
Sesshomaru said nothing.
"Have you uncovered the key to unlocking Tenseiga's true power?"
He stared blankly at his father, seeing no reason to confirm or deny that he'd figured out how to form a meido. Or that the meido had grown significantly in his time here, nearly reaching a completed circle. But frustratingly, no matter how much he continued to train with it, the shape remained imperfect.
As if reading his thoughts, his father added, "There is only one way to perfect the meido."
His eyes snapped to his father and lingered expectantly.
"You must sacrifice that which matters most."
"Meaning?" he drawled.
"Your human. If you ever wish to harness the true power of Tenseiga, you must sacrifice her life to the Guardian of the Underworld."
His expression turned murderous. "Ridiculous."
"There is no other way, my son. Why else do you think I told you to return her to her kind? There is no other path but this. If you wish for Tenseiga to become the weapon it was always meant to be, you now know the price that must be paid."
He glanced down at Tenseiga and felt it pulse at his side. To forfeit Rin's life for such a thing… Never! Nothing was worth the cost of her life. He removed Tenseiga from his side and held it before him.
"This sword is of no use to me now," he declared. "You can have it back."
With that, he tossed Tenseiga at his father. He caught it cleanly and slipped it into his obi next to Tetsusaiga.
"What will you do without a weapon?" his father asked with a curious lift of his brow.
Sesshomaru retreated towards the house, and without looking back answered, "Adapt."
oOo
By the time he reached the place where she lay sleeping, nestled in his fur stole, his anger had almost subsided and been replaced with calm. He had no need to wrestle with what needed to be done. It was as clear to him now as the difference between night and day.
He took a seat next to her, and she stirred, opening her eyes with a smile.
"Lord Sesshomaru…"
"I did not mean to wake you," he said.
"It's fine," she said and stifled a yawn behind her hand. She winced as she tried to sit up, and his hand shot out to support her. She ended up with her head resting against his shoulder.
"Are you in pain?"
She bravely shook her head. "No, I'm okay now." It was a moment later that she noticed Tenseiga's absence.
"Where's Tenseiga?"
"I returned it to my father."
Rin lifted her head to look up at him, her eyes wide. "Is that why he came here today? To take back his sword?"
"No," he answered with a hard set of his mouth. "But it means he will not return."
Rin seemed to deflate in front of his eyes. "Well, that's good, I guess. It's only… I feel a bit sad knowing it's gone."
"Sad?"
She nodded. "Because it chose you. And me, too. It feels like we've lost an old friend."
He responded with a soft "Hm" and she returned her head to his shoulder. A friend. Perhaps he was finally starting to understand the term.
He tipped his cheek to rest it against the top of her head and considered his options. It was clear they could not remain here any longer. But where else could they go? In his heart he knew, but his resolve was weak. He wasn't ready. But in the coming days, he would need to find the strength to do what needed to be done.
