Adult-FanFiction.org : Inuyasha / Yashahime

Stronger
By : Fairia13
Category: InuYasha > General
Views: 11608 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha, nor make money from this story.
Chapter List
- 10
- 11
- 12
DISCLAIMER: �.Dammit, I�m really sick of this. It�s a fanfiction, okay?
AUTHOR�S NOTE: I�m so sorry this hasn�t been updated in forever and a day! I have no real excuse, other than writer�s block and a complete and total unwillingness to post 11 before I had 12 done. And�umm� I still don�t have 12 done, but I�m working at a steady rate and it will be posted before February 1st.
Anyone have any bright ideas for an ending? I have a general plan but� specifics are always hammered out as I�m typing, and not a moment before it seems.
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Chapter Eleven � Hanging by a Moment

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Sesshomaru sat against the ripe cherry tree, listening to the wind moan and cry through his ears as pain coursed through him.
It had started when that strange boy, Keiji, had flown off, the of pain that washed over him in waves, harder and faster until everything had exploded in flash of light behind his eyes that knocked him unconscious.
�Good job Rin!�
�Come on girl, you can do it! Just a little longer.�
The cryptic comments came to him where he drifted, caught in a place of inky darkness. Neither smell nor sight penetrated the gloom, and he couldn�t even reach out and touch anything. He realized after a little bit he was seeing the back of his own eyelids, and if he concentrated, he could feel his head cushioned on his arms, and the hard wood of the table beneath them. He could even feel the edge of the parchment he had been trying to focus on, figuring that if he couldn�t sleep, he may as well try to do the work he was falling behind in.
�Just a bit more, Rin, you�re almost there!�
�Almost where?� He wondered. Where was his mate? Why couldn�t he find her? Her heavenly scent was still in his nostrils, deep and musky, combined with the lighter fragrance of cherry blossoms and the heavier one of the cherries fully ripe.
Another wave of pain, terrifying in its intensity, crashed into him and he could hear a vaguely familiar voice cry out �This is it Rin! Last one!�
�Thank Kami.� Sesshomaru thought as he rode the wave of pain, feeling helpless knowing that Rin too was feeling this and there was nothing he could do about it.
He was too far away�where was his mate?
The wave crested then abruptly receded with an odd feeling of release. Moments later a thin wail broke the stillness of the air and Sesshomaru snapped back into consciousness, bolting upright with a strangled gasp.

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Inuyasha stood in the doorway of Rin�s room, looking down at his mate and sister cuddling the newborn. Sango had come by moments earlier and had said that it was over, but Kagome had instructed that only Inuyasha go in for tonight and that everyone else could see the baby tomorrow. Sango had looked slightly perplexed at the order, but Inuyasha had briefly explained that since the baby was part demon he was more sensitive than a human infant and would need to know instinctively who his �pack� was � much like when his own children had been born, and had been tightly sequestered for their first several hours of life so they would come to associate close family members as pack. Friends and other relatives would be let in the next day or so, after the pup had imprinted the family scents. Within a week, everyone could play with him as much as they wanted�or as much as he would allow.
Leaving them slightly disappointed, but understanding, Inuyasha had wandered over to Kohaku�s hut and now stood watching as his mate cuddled the newborn and new mother, both of them cooing nonsensically and smiling happily.
�Inuyasha,� Rin breathed, hope and joy and pride shining in her eyes as she caught sight of him, �Look!�
Inuyasha knelt down on the other side of the futon, examining the sleeping newborn and the mother who was glowing with pride.
�Good job Rin.� He said gruffly, not acknowledging that the tightness in his chest had anything to do with emotion � he had simply inhaled wrong. Rin beamed at him proudly and his mate smiled gently at him as he leaned in close to get a good look at the infant.
It looked like a typical newborn � prettier than a human baby for sure, but still pretty odd looking. His arms and legs looked shorter than they should, proportionally off next to the head and torso, which seemed larger because of it. He also seemingly had no neck.
However, after having watched all four of his children come into the world, complete with Kimi making her grand entrance late and being what they would all come to realize as typically difficult, Inuyasha had a healthy respect for what babies went through to get out, and what the mother went trough to get them out. He also knew from his wife�s mother�s gentle explanation upon the birth of Isamu that their arms and legs were shorter because of the cramped position they had been in and needed a bit of time to �stretch out� as it were.
�What�s his name?� Inuyasha asked, studying the infant�s cap of silver-white hair and the tiny crescent adorning his forehead.
�Keiji.� Rin responded, and the infant opened his eyes as if in knowing the sound was his name. Inuyasha�s eyebrows rose a notch as he studied the infant�s eyes which, though they were same pure amber color as his father and uncle, Keiji�s eyes contained tiny streaks and flecks of vivid emerald as well.
The infant studied him for a moment, looking intently at him with his eyes focused, rather than staring in his general direction with the unfocused look that human infants possessed. Turning his eyes towards his mother, he studied her with an almost happy look on his face before reaching up towards her with tiny, slightly curled fingers. Rin cooed in response, lifting the child closer to her face and cuddling him.
Kagome gave Inuyasha a look over Rin�s head and nodded towards the door. Inclining his head slightly in understanding, Inuyasha rose as Kagome leaned over and gave Rin a last squeeze around her shoulders before standing.
�Inuyasha and I are going to leave now � the pup should have caught our scents, and we�ll return with everyone else later in the morning.� Kagome said.
�Everyone?� Rin asked nervously.
�Just Kohaku, Sango, Miroku and maybe Hiroshi and Kimi.� Kagome amended. �Since he�s already been fed and changed so he should be good for the night, but just in case there are two spare diapers over there.� She said, pointing off in the corner.
�Okay,� Rin said, yawning a bit as Inuyasha and Kagome slipped out of the room, closing the door securely before returning to Sango�s hut and slipping between the covers on their own futon. Kimi, Inuyasha knew, was bedded down with Amaranete and Sieko in their room. Rolling over, he gathered his mate close in his arms, burying his nose in her hair and inhaling the scent of new pup and Kagome. Turning in his embrace, Kagome tucked her head under his chin and sighed.
�It�s a shame Sesshomaru wasn�t here.� She said sadly.
�He�s the one who drove her out.� Inuyasha responded. Over the years, he and his half-brother had come to an agreement of sorts; Inuyasha didn�t attack him, and he left Inuyasha alone in return. Rin had come to the village often when she had been traveling with Sesshomaru, though Inuyasha never could figure out why Sesshomaru � who reputedly hated his younger half-demon brother � would let his human ward come visit for a day or three when he was passing by, often going so far as to send Ah-Un along with the girl.
�I don�t think that�s all there was to it.� Kagome said. �And even if it is, he still had to miss the birth of his first child. The pup won�t get his scent��
�That may be for the best.� Inuyasha murmured consolingly, declining to mention that if Sesshomaru hated half-breeds as much as he claimed, he may very well try to kill the child. But he had taken a human as a mate�he wouldn�t do that, and then never give her a child. Inuyaoukai mated for life, and would only take another mate if their first mate had passed away, so it wasn�t like he could just keep Rin around for pleasure and then pup another youkai bitch.

What had his brother been thinking?
Part of Inuyasha felt bad for his brother though. Inuyasha had witnessed all of his children's births, and nothing would ever replace the feeling that one had when holding their child for the first time and having their tiny little fist clench around your finger. Inuyasha was still amazed at the way his whole world had changed when he became a father. Suddenly there was a tiny, precious little life that depended entirely on you for food and shelter and protection, and a mate who was weak and vulnerable to danger as well.
It had been a coveted, treasured privilege to watch his children grow, to see their tiny faces take on distinctive characteristics and watch their personalities emerge. To hear their first words and watch them learn to roll over, then sit up, finally crawling. Inuyasha had been almost as proud as Isamu had been after watching his son take his first steps, and would never forget the way Kieko and Mai had lain in their tiny bassinet and sucked each others thumbs in their sleep. Kimi, he wryly recalled, had seemingly gone from sitting to running in the blink of an eye - and hadn't bothered to slow down yet. If fact, the only time his youngest could hold still was seemingly when she was asleep.
Inuyasha chuckled as he remembered Kagome's exasperation as Kimi got into any and everything she could reach, not bothering to follow the example set by her siblings, who were generally polite and quiet, and rarely got into mischief . Kagome had promptly thrust the year-old child into his arms and told him that she acted so much like her father it was ridiculous, and he could just take her for a bit and show her a productive way to work off her energy.
Coincidently, that had been the beginning of Kimi's love of the forest.
"What's so funny?" Kagome asked as she cuddled closer to him, obviously trying to soak up some of his body heat.
"Remembering." He replied, kissing her temple. "I never did pay you back for what you did this afternoon."
Kagome glanced up at him and raised an eyebrow, smiling sweetly. "What are you talking about?"
"Like you don't know." He replied, flicking his tongue out and licking her jaw.
Kagome shivered. "Uh-uh. I have no idea." She said, nuzzling her nose under his chin and kissing him neck, nibbling the skin there for good measure.
Inuyasha groaned, then rolled, pinning Kagome underneath him. �Tease.�
Kagome wriggled a bit, trying ineffectually to escape his grasp, and making sure she rubbed against him sensually in the process.
�Ka..go..me..� He said, his voice catching in his throat and his voice coming out huskier than he realized as his heart thudded against his ribs and heat pooled in his groin.
Kagome�s eyes were half-lidded and calculating as she slowly leaned up in her mate�s embrace and licked his chin submissively, adding an extra nuzzle to emphasize that she was submitting completely to her Alpha male.
That did it. On a strangled whine, Inuyasha bent down and captured her lips with his own, nudging them open and delving into the warmth of her mouth as his hips pressed against her own. His hard length pressed into her stomach through her yukata, it�s heat scorching her. On a quick, light inhale, she pressed back and rolled her hips, causing her mate to groan into her mouth. His hands roamed her curves, taking her yukata with them. Hs lips followed his hands, licking, suckling and nibbling their way across her jaw, down her throat, over her collar bone and around the swell of her breast before latching on to a nipple and suckling eagerly, the soft cries of his mate pleasing to his ears, and the heady scent of her arousal spurning his own to new heights as he quested lower towards her heat.
Kagome gasped as Inuyasha trailed his tongue lower, over her ribs and diaphragm, nibbling around the ticklish spots on her stomach before nudging her panties down her hips and away from his goal. Pausing to inhale her scent, he nudged her thighs apart and, smiling a bit to himself, flicked out his tongue, licking the sensitive bundle of nerves there as Kagome jumped and her breath hitched again. Grinning, Inuyasha licked her gain, slower, savoring the taste of her and the sound of her breaths coming in small pants and gasps as she neared her release. Closing his lips over the bundle, he slowly inserted a claw into her passage and stroked, pleased with the way her breath caught in her throat and emerged on a low, throaty moan.
Sampling her nectar a final time, he pulled his claw out and made his way up her body, paying homage to her breasts on the way to reclaiming her lips, his tongue caressing hers as he settled his length inside her.
They stayed that way for a moment, simply holding one another, touching and caressing and kissing, before he slowly started to move, his mate raising her hips o meet his slow deep thrusts.

She was a goddess, Inuyasha thought as he watched his mate lay under him, her fingers dancing over his back and across his shoulder blades. Her eyes were half-lidded and sleepy, there was a small, happy smile on her face as she gazed up at him, unparalleled joy shining in her eyes as she watched him watch her. She titled her head to the side and slowly, slowly brought her head up to his, nuzzling under his chin and along his jaw before drawing him down to her, murmuring endearments to him.
Grinning, Inuyasha wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close, burying his face in the crook of her neck and inhaling their mingled scents as he moved inside her.
There was no feeling that could compare to this. The oneness, the completeness he felt when he was with Kagome was unparallel in anything he had ever experienced. She was the his other half, he missing piece of his soul, and he loved her like the goddess she was; worshiping her body with his tongue and hands, her heart with his and her mind and resilience with his highest esteem.
Her impending release was signaled by a soft, wondering cry the escaped her throat to drift gently into his ear as her passage closed in around him, drawing him deeper, holding him tighter as he gratefully followed her over the top and into oblivion.

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The full moon shone its pale light upon the demon Lord who stood on the top of the tower�s spire, perfectly balanced and inhumanly still. The cold wind whipped around him, twining through the strands of his moonlight-hued hair and whipping them about, buffeting the lord and screaming in his ear. However, the cries of the wind dimmed in comparison to the cries of the Inu, who was loudly clamoring for its mate, and the rush of his blood pounding through his ears.
The Inu had been quiet of late, subdued by Sesshomaru�s own depression and loneliness. However, the dream had brought all of his repressed feelings to the fore, the sweet child-scent and the enticing woman-scent of her still lingering in his nostrils even though he had awakened some time ago.
Where was she?
His thoughts were fragmented, disjointed; more so than they had been, which had been increasingly since Rin had sealed herself away from him.
�I�m afraid.� The younger said.
What was she afraid of? Him?
�It hurts.� She had said. What hurt? His chest squeezed, seeming to contract around his lungs and preventing his breathing. It was a compulsion, a driving need to assist his mate. Everything in him screamed that if she was hurting, he should obliterate whatever was causing her pain.
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Shukumei bent down and gathered the soiled sheets in her arms, sighing a bit as she strode down the hallway and towards the wash house, located just next to the fortress. There was a hallway-like structure that connected the two for use during inclement weather, but she forwent the use of it, preferring the brisk spring time air.
Everything had changed in the past four months, since she and Raidon had gotten together. Since their talk that evening in the kitchen, he hadn�t made any untoward moves, but had remained friendly and polite. He had often sought her out for a meal or a walk, talking and joking with her. She in turn made sure that he ate, and that Jiro was comfortable and occupied.
Dropping the linens next to the tub of steaming water, Shukumei studied her hands, raising them to her face and inhaling the sweet scent of violets, smiling a bit to herself as she did so. Gone was the dry, cracked skin and redness, leaving smooth, sweetly scented skin in its place. She knew not where Raidon had gotten the lotion, but she was glad he had.
He had encountered her in the hallway on evening as she was heading towards her quarters. She had thought the chance encounter a coincidence at first, but when he had dropped a small ceramic container into her palm, she realized that he had most likely been waiting for her to finish her bath.
�What�s this?� She had questioned, studying the small, beautifully crafted jar.
�Open it and see.� He had replied, unable to keep the grin off of his face or the laughter out of his voice.
Carefully opening the jar, she had opened it to see a pure whit cream on the inside, just as the delicate scent of violets wafted past her nose. Her eyes widened in shock as she hastily closed the lid and tried to shove it back into his hands.
�Oh no, no, I can�t accept this.� She had said, glancing up into his laughing eyes.
�Why not?� He had asked, a wealth of amusement evident in his tone.
�Creams like that are for fine ladies, not low-born servants such as myself.�
�Nonsense.� He had said, shoving the jar back at her, an unrepentant grin on his face. �Your need it; Why should you not have it?� Just to add insult to injury � and because he couldn�t resist annoying her � he reached out and tweaked her nose playfully before casually turning and sauntering away, ignoring the affronted look on her face.
Shukumei grinned. That day had been three months ago and she still chuckled over it. He had been unfailingly sweet since then, often giving her small tokens and showing her affection, even if it was just finding her and having a bit of tea with her, or playing a game of Go with her.
�Shukumei!� Mitsuki called from across the room. �Quit daydreaming!�
Shukumei looked over her shoulder at Mitsuki, who was looking undeniably annoyed. Shukumei shrugged it off, knowing that the problem really wasn�t with her. Mitsuki was annoyed at the whole Rin situation. She had been extremely affronted when the Lord had taken his ward as a mate, and consequently lost her favorite lover. She still hadn�t gotten over her tiff, because even though Rin was gone, Sesshomaru refused to take another bedmate.
�She left! Of her own free will, she walked out the door and left!� She had ranted once in frustration. �So why is he so faithful to her? She�s probably already taken another lover by now. He�s a male; he has needs. What�s wrong with him?�
Turning back to her duties, Shukumei shrugged to herself: It wasn�t her problem if Mitsuki needed laid.

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Raidon stared at the missive in his claws and drew a deep breath, only to let it out. Then another.
There was no use for it. He had to leave. Tucking the letter into his haori, he turned and exited his quarters. Striding down the corridor, he turned into the kitchens and was largely unsurprised to see Jiro at Hakashi�s side, assisting in chopping vegetables and dumping them into the pot which was simmering over the stove.
�Jiro.� He said as he strode towards the duo. Immediately the boy turned to face him, his cheery smile fading as he saw his master�s serious face.
�Raidon-sama?� He queried, brows furrowing slightly.
�I have just received a letter from home that cannot be ignored.� He paused, barely able to believe the news himself. His lungs clenched painfully in protest. �My mother is dying.� He said softly.
Jiro�s face fell. �Arisu-sama is dying?� His eyes shone with a faint wetness, but he didn�t allow the tears to fall. Arisu had been like a grandmother to him, or a kindly aunt. Not once had she questioned her son�s sanity for taking in an orphaned boy, and she had become a close friend of his over the years.
Never once had he stopped to consider her age; to him, she was timeless, a steady fixture in his life that never left.
Raidon reached out and placed a hand comfortingly on the boy�s shoulder. �Hai. We leave in two days time. I thought you should be the first to know.�
Jiro bowed in gratitude. �Thank you, Raidon-sama.�
Hakashi stood a few feet away, still there but keeping a respectful distance. �My condolences.� He said gravely as Raidon turned to walk away. He no doubt had to rally his troops and inform Atoki and Lord Sesshomaru of his plans.
Raidon glanced over his shoulder. �Arigato.�
Much later that night, after nearly everyone was in bed or winding down for the night, Raidon was still awake and pacing restlessly. He was unable to locate Shukumei anywhere that afternoon, and it was beginning to wear on him.
�Where is she?� He wondered, absently leaning over to sniff the soothing lavender scent that clung to his sheets and cushion. Ever since Jiro had let it slip to her that he favored lavender scents, she had found a way to make certain that each day a bit of dried lavender was pressed under his pillow, and that he and Jiro both had fresh greenery in the small vases in their rooms.
Shukumei had grown rather fond of Jiro, he liked to think. And the boy had grown to like her as well. The two had started off casual acquaintances, but had found themselves running into each other more and more as the days had gone by. Jiro, knowing of his master�s growing affection for the female, had been understandably wary at first; so many females had tried time and again to get his attention, and nearly all of them had been power-hungry temptresses who reminded him largely of sharks or jellyfish.
Jiro had been pleasantly surprised; he admitted later to Raidon, that Shukumei was as pleasant and down-to-earth as could be. She couldn�t care less about his social positions or power, she didn�t expect him to whisk her off her feet and carry her off into the sunset on a white charger, and she didn�t want to be another conquest for his notch-stick�as if he had such a thing! Raidon snorted. Where did she get such ludicrous ideas?
Straightening, Raidon strode from his chambers, his decision made. He needed to talk to Shukumei.
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Kohaku stood off to the side of the meadow, watching Rin play with her son. Rin had taken to motherhood much the way a duckling took to water; she squared herself away into the role so naturally that it was hard to believe this was her first time attempting it.
Not that Keiji was any problem. Even though he was barely a month old, he slept soundly through the night and was for the most part a happy bubbly pup. He would tolerate being away from his mother for small amounts of time, but as soon as she left his scent range, he would wail like a thing possessed until she returned. The way his little gold eyes lit up at the sight of his mother was heartwarming.
Kagome had warned them first thing that a hanyou pup was nothing like a human baby. While human babies would fuss through the night for the first month or so, hanyou�s wouldn�t. And while they would tolerate �mother-female� being out of sight, if they left scent it was another story altogether. In addition, they would tolerate being handled by �pack� they were extremely wary of outsiders. �Kimi growled at anyone who wasn�t immediate family for the first six months.� Kagome recounted wryly.
�And bit the village headman.� Inuyasha had added proudly.
Kimi, who had become Kohaku�s shadow, was off talking to him and barely spared her father a glance at the comment.
Kohaku chuckled to himself. Kimi had left about a month ago - just a week after Keiji had been born. And she hadn�t been happy about it.
�But paaaappaa,� she had wheedled incessantly, �do we have to? Sango�s village is so much more interesting than ours! And Kohaku�s here too.� She added a whine, low and in the back of her throat, for emphasis.
�I�m going to be leaving soon too Kimi.� Kohaku had said carefully, knowing how Inuyasha was about �outsiders� intruding in on pack business.
Kimi had turned to him, eyes wide and startled. �But where are you going?� She looked slightly panicked at the thought, and Inuyasha had quirked an eyebrow speculatively.
�I�m not really sure.� Kohaku had responded, even though he had a rough idea of where he was going.
�But don�t you like it here?� Kimi had asked, surprising Kohaku. He would have sworn her next statement would have been a demand to come with them.
�I do.� Kohaku had replied, �I just have a hard time staying in one place for long.�
Kimi had cocked her head to the side, what he had come to recognize as her �thinking� pose, and absently tapped her tongue on her upper lip. Kohaku resisted the urge to smile as she gave the matter serious thought.
�Why?� She finally asked.
Kohaku sighed a little. Not out of exasperation, but out of remorse. Kimi�s almost hero-worship of him had been refreshing, like a breath of sprig air after winter�s bitter chill, but now the dream had to end. And she would not be happy.
�I did�horrible things when I was younger.� Kohaku said slowly. �And so to atone for my sins, I travel around and try to help people who need it.�
Kimi appeared to think on that for a bit, and Inuyasha gave him an unreadable sidelong glance. Kohaku waited for her next question, the inventible �What?� but once more Kimi surprised him, and didn�t question the deeds he had done.
�Don�t you love your family?� She had asked.
Kohaku had been shocked. Family? Kohaku had considered it for a second, realizing that she meant more than just Sango. She had meant Miroku, and Hiroshi, Kaemon, Anaramete, Michi and Seiko, Uta and Kohana as well. It had shocked him to realize that up until now he had considered them Sango�s family. But�. �They�re my family too.� He realized.
�Of course.� He said aloud. �I love them very much.�
�Then what�s the problem?� Kimi had asked, her scowling little voice reminding him clearly of Inuyasha, so much that he laughed.
�What?� Kimi had demanded, affronted.
Leaning down a little, he had tenderly brushed her bangs out of her eyes. �You. You are definitely you father�s daughter.�
Kimi had continued to stare up at him through the heavy fall of her silvery bangs and, upon hearing this ambiguous response, puffed out a short breath, sending her bangs flying and quirking an eyebrow at him.
�You act a lot like him.� Kohaku had clarified. Immediately, Kimi�s expression had cleared and a proud smirk had replaced her exasperated scowl.
�I know.� She had replied.
Kohaku laughed at the memory. Kimi had left the next day, but not before making him promise to visit her sometime. Initially, she had wanted him to come with her and her family, but Kohaku had declined, saying that he would stay a little longer to help Rin with the new pup.
Off on the other side of the meadow, Rin pulled Keiji close to her chest, cooing to him softly. She had finished her work for the day � helping with mending and mid day meal and clean-up afterwards, and had decided to take Keiji out into a nearby meadow to play for a bit before the sun went down.
Looking up, she spotted Kohaku standing off to the side, staring off into space, his thoughts obviously elsewhere. Not for the first time, Rin was struck with how handsome he was, especially with the sunset and a small smile on his face, his eyes closed and lifted to the breeze that tousled his hair. Rin smiled a little; if he would just let go of his horrific past, he would make some lucky woman very happy.
A small gurgling noise distracted her and she looked down to see Keiji stuffing a bit of her kimono into his mouth, his small fists trying to wad as much of the fabric up as he could. At her laugh, he looked up, his big gold-and-green eyes training on her for a minute before he cracked a huge, toothless grin and burbled happily, one hand abandoning her kimono to reach for her face.
Still chuckling, Rin untangled his grasping little fingers from the fabric and stood. �Come on baby, let�s go see what Uncle is doing.�
Kohaku looked down at her as she approached. In all of their months together, he could never see what would have spurned Sesshomaru to hurt her like that. Rin was beautiful, inside and out, and she had always been that way. Even in pregnancy, when she felt like a beached whale and had to go use the bathroom at least ten times between sunrise and sunset, she had been beautiful. She had never complained about helping around the hut, or fetching firewood, and had always been willing to carry water or give food to the elderly or sick.
The late afternoon sunset poured over her, strands of hair creating a halo of gold with rays of scarlet shooting through it. She had lost nearly all of her pregnancy weight, but would forever retain the slightly wider hips and fuller breasts, and maybe carry a bit more weight on her stomach then she would like. She looked like an angel to him, a motherly figure whose inner beauty shone from within, making her into something ethereal and magnificent.
She spoke, and the spell that seemed to be cast over them was broken.
�Yes, Kohaku?� She smiled up at him, Keiji gurgling happily against her shoulder.
�Are you ready to go back Rin?� he asked.
�Yes,� she replied, �but I hardly need an escort for that.�
Kohaku laughed. �Oh, it�s nothing like that. I just came looking for you because I wanted to talk to you.�
�Oh?� Rin asked as they strolled along the narrow forest path. �What about?�
�Nothing life threatening.� He assured her. �I�m just going to be leaving in a couple days.�
Rin stopped and looked at him, her eyes wide and worried. �But why?�
Kohaku paused for a second, unwilling to divulge the real reason he was going; he knew she would object. �No reason really.� He temporized, being honest, but not revealing the whole truth. �It�s just�I can�t really stay in one place for very long, and now that Keiji�s sleeping through the night and all, you don�t need me around as much.�
She frowned, and he continued. �Don�t worry about the house or anything, it�s more your home than it is mine.�
Rin blinked, and then opened her mouth as if to say something, before closing it again. She looked down at her feet, pensive, as they walked.
�Are you sure?� She asked finally.
He nodded.
Rin drew in a shaky breath. �Okay then. Let�s get you ready for your travels.�

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Shukumei wandered down the darkened halls of the fortress. It was late; the laundry had been finished just over an hour ago, and she had desperately wanted a hot bath despite the fact that she had spent the last several hours up to her elbows in hot water. Now it was nearly the middle of the night, and she was exhausted. She counted herself lucky that she didn�t have to work again till late the next morning.
�Shukumei.�
The voice startled her out of her thoughts and she brought her head up sharply, instantly detecting his scent in the shadows.
�Hello Raidon.� She said, smiling a bit. No matter how tired she was, she was always happy to see him. Inhaling again, she paused. Salt was in his scent, and sadness clung to him with a nearly palpable air, the tang of nervousness underlying it. �What�s wrong?�
Raidon stepped out of the shadows and for the first time that Shukumei could recall, he looked tired. Wearily, he rubbed a hand across his forehead. �Shukumei, we need to talk, and�I�d prefer not to do it in the halls. Can we go to your chambers?�
Concerned, Shukumei nodded. Turning, she continued down the hall and opened a door, revealing a small room. Shukumei paused in the doorway, trying to see the room as he might.
It was small, no doubt about it. Only a single room, instead of a series of rooms that she was sure he was used to. The far corner housed a futon which was folded neatly in the corner, blankets and sleeping cushion placed on top, and her yukata placed on top of that. A desk, low to the ground and made of pine, sat next to it, doubling up as a night table of sorts. The desk had a small sheaf of paper laid neatly in a corner, and the ink stone in its box was holding it down from any stray breeze blowing the papers away. A small, earthenware cup sitting next to the paper held three quill pans which she had purchased from a vendor the other week. On the other side of the desk next to her bed was a small earthenware vase, painted a pale jade green with a painting of a cherry tree in full bloom depicted on the side. The vase contained a sprig of winter greenery, and though she couldn�t see them, she knew fresh pine needles to be in the bottom, changed every few days and left to freshen the room. Across the room, placed directly under the window was her clothes press, a chest low to the floor, which doubled up as a seat when necessary. It contained a few changes of clothes and the kimono she had for special occasions. Her boots were sitting next to it, as were her geta sandals, and the space for her everyday zori sandals were next to that, with her winter cloak hanging above them. The only decoration in the room besides the vase was a silk wall scroll that hung above her bed, the graceful shoots of bamboo trailing out of the right side of the frame and drifting gently upwards.
It was neat and clean, but plain and obviously showed her status as a servant. Shrugging, she stepped through the door way and permitted him entrance, closing the door behind him. He looked around briefly, as if searching for a floor cushion, then shrugged and sat on the floor at the foot of the folded futon.
�I�m sorry to keep you up,� He began, �I know you must be tired but this is something that couldn�t wait until later.� He laughed, a tad bitterly, and paused.
�What is it?� She asked, a feeling of foreboding settling into the pit of her stomach. She sat down a little away from him, sure she would not want to be standing for this news.
�I received word today that..� He paused and cleared his throat. �My mother�s...dying. She has maybe a few weeks left, at most.�
Shukumei nodded, feeling bad for Raidon. He had always had a mother�s love, so of course it would hurt to lose it.
�I have to leave.� He continued. �We move out in three days.�
Something inside her died as the words passed his lips. He was leaving her? Intellectually, she knew it was coming, that it couldn�t last forever� He was the Lord of the Southern Lands, wasn�t he? Of course he wouldn�t be able to play with a laundry maid for very long�no matter how much he wanted to.
She laughed, low and bitter. �Stupid stupid stupid,� She bereted herself. �What? You thought that he would love you? Love you? Love you? You little fool�.�
�I understand.� Was what she said aloud, interrupting him as he tried to speak, no doubt to ask her what was so funny.
He looked at her, clearly puzzled, stray strands of tawny golden hair falling into his eyes. �You do?�
�Absolutely.� She said, rising. �It was nice knowing you too. I�ll..� She paused, discreetly clearing her throat, and bowed slightly, her lashes lowered to hide the moisture shining in her eyes. Love you? Love you? �Never forget you.� She finished lamely.
Raidon frowned a little. Why was she bowing to him� she hadn�t bowed in deference to him in months, not since he asked her not to. What was she doing? Then it hit him; her respectful stance, her humble demeanor, her quiet, carefully chosen words� He snarled. She was clamming up, closing in on herself, reverting back to the servant-to-superior attitude, rather than the friend-to-friend attitude he had so carefully cultivated. He had hoped� He shook the thought aside.
Shukumei had paused when he had snarled, but didn�t look up to his face or meet his eyes and that in and of itself told him all he needed to know. Rising, her reached out and deftly hooked her under her chin, trying to force her gaze to meet his as she resisted him.
�Shukumei.� He growled lowly, �Look at me.�
Slowly, with great reluctance, she raised her head, and the second her eyes met his he knew exactly when she had wanted it to remain lowered. Her eyes, those startlingly blue eyes that haunted his dreams were the windows to her soul. They tore at him, pain and heartache and self-loathing showing clearly in her gaze as it shimmered with unshed tears.
All of his anger evaporated like smoke on the water. �No,� he said quietly, �you don�t understand at all.�
She merely stared at him, her gaze bleak.
�I want you to come with me.� He continued.
Her eyes narrowed slightly and she wrenched her chin out of his fingers, straightening. �Come with you? To the Southern Lands?� At his nod, she paused for one telling second then, �As what? Your friend? You confident? Your own laundress that you can ro-�
He glared at her. �I wouldn�t finish that statement if I were you.�
He gaze became heated and she narrowed her eyes further. �Why not?� she asked quietly, her lips thinning as she pressed them together.
�I wouldn�t have you demean yourself � or me � like that.�
Shukumei waited.
�I want you to come with me as my mate.� Raidon said quietly.
He fully expected her surprise. He shock. Her incredulity. He even expected her ire. What he never saw coming though, was the derisive bark of laughter that he got.
�You�re mad.� She stated plainly.
Raidon�s eyes narrowed.
�A Lord, a taiyoukai, wants a laundry maid for a mate? When you could have any one of dozens of demonesses who flock to you daily?�
An amused grin quirked the corner or his lips. �That�s about the size of it.�
�You want a woman who has no discernable parentage, whose species is on the verge of extinction?�
He moved a little closer to her. �Uh-huh.�
�You prefer the woman who works for a living, washing laundry, who had dry and cracked hands over the one who lounges in luxury with her pure lineage and smooth, pampered skin?�
He moved closer. �Absolutely.�
�You�re insane.� She finished.
�Without a doubt.� He agreed, as he snaked an arm around her waist and pulled her to him, crushing his lips against hers.
The flavor of him exploded in her mouth, winding through her and tugging gently on her heart strings. �Why?� She asked breathlessly.
�Why not?� He asked teasingly, his lips brushing her again, then returning for a deeper kiss.
�Because no one else has intrigued me quite the way you do.� He said when they parted.
He leaned forward and brushed his lips against her cheek. �Because the more I�ve gotten to know you, the more you�ve intrigued me.�
Her chin. �Because of your strength.�
The other cheek. �Because of your beauty.�
Her nose. �Because you�re not afraid to stand up to me.�
Her forehead and jaw. �Because the woman with no discernable parentage is by far more pure than any blue-blooded bitch I�ve come across.�
Her neck. �Because you taste so sweet.�
He returned to her cheek. �Because Jiro likes you. Because no other demoness would accept a human boy, barely a man, into their hearts and homes.�
He kissed her fingertips. �Because you drive me insane with that mouth of yours, but still manage to keep me humble.�
He lifted her hand to his lips, tenderly brushing her knuckles with his lips. �Because you make me laugh.�
Leaning forward, he whispered just before their lips touched �Because I love you.�
Love you? Love you?
Yes. Love me.

A/N2: As I said, the final chapter will be out before February 1st. Also included in it will be the teaser for the sequel Amaya
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Stronger	By : Fairia13 Category: InuYasha > General Views: 11608 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha, nor make money from this story.

Stronger