InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ In His Father's Footsteps ❯ Chapter 2

In His Father's Footsteps

Part 2

InuYasha Fanfiction

By Kittyonnails

Kagome was standing in the doorway of the home she shared with Inuyasha. She was tossing water on the little vegetable garden with a wooden ladle. Inuyasha sat inside playing with their daughter. She smiled as she heard little Chiyo squeal from inside.

"Heads up Kagome." Their neighbor, Yuki, pointed down the street. "Some girl is looking for you, asking all around."

Kagome was surprised. These days life was pretty quiet. She wondered who could be looking for her.

"There she is now." Yuki nodded to a silhouette on the horizon before slipping away.

Kagome watched the woman approach, wondering if it was someone from a nearby village in search of one of the medicines she made. Certainly, she did not recognize her. In fact, it had been some time since Kagome had spoken with anyone like her. The woman wore a kimono, pale blue and purple cotton. Not the most luxurious garment in the land, but much nicer than anything the people here wore on a daily basis. Maybe she was a headman's daughter. Kagome looked at her own dark blue peasants clothes. She did miss wearing nice clothes.

"Excuse me." The woman blinked in surprise. As she looked at Kagome.

"You're Kagome, aren't you?"

Kagome nodded, wondering how this woman knew her.

"You don't recognize me, do you?"

Kagome shook her head.

"I guess it's not surprising, I was only a little girl when you last knew me. My name is Rin. I was companion to the lord Sesshomaru."

"Sesshomaru!" Kagome exclaimed in recognition, "You're that girl, you're Rin?"

Rin nodded.

"Kagome!" Inuyasha appeared at the doorway, "What's up, I heard you say Sesshomaru." He scanned the surroundings suspiciously. His eyes fell on Rin.

"You reek of my brother's scent. Who are you?"

Rin bowed low.

"Lord Inuyasha, I am Rin, companion of your brother. I have come for your help."

Inuyasha sniffed again, and frowned at her.

"I bet."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Kagome asked, irritated by his rudeness.

"She's pregnant. Sesshomaru's baby." He whispered into ear. Kagome's eyes got wide.

"How can we help?" turned a strained smile to Rin.

"I am afraid M'lord does not want this child. Truly, I did not intend on it either, but I do want it. I cannot stay with him. His hatred of cross-breeds is well known. I cannot seek help with humans either, knowing their hatred of demon kind. You are my only hope. Inuyasha, you are a cross-breed yourself, and Kagome's kindness is legendary. Surely you two cannot hate my child-to-be."

"Of course not. Come inside please." Kagome ushered Rin into the house. "This is our daughter, Chiyo" She gestured to the little girl playing on the floor by the hearth. Before she had time for any more introductions, Inuyasha pulled her out of the house.

"Hey, that's so rude!" Kagome protested.

"Hey, what if he comes here looking for her? Ya'know, trying to destroy the evidence of his little fling with a human."

"Then we will protect her and your niece or nephew."

"My… yea, I never thought of it like that. That baby is my relative." He smiled and walked back into the house. Kagome sighed, frustrated but happy.

Rin was sitting by the hearth, watching Chiyo play. She looked up at Inuyasha.

"Lord Inuyasha, I have to ask you something."

"Sure." Inuyasha sat down next to her and waited for her to ask.

"How did you know? About the baby, I mean."

"Oh, that. I didn't really. I just could smell that you were pregnant, and that you had been around my brother. I just put 2 and 2 together."

"So, lord Sesshomaru would also have known my condition by scent?"

"Sure, why?" He noticed a tear run down her cheek.

"never mind."

Not one to pry, Inuyasha figured that it was between her and Sesshomaru. But he did have a few questions of his own, since she was here. After all, it had been several years since he and his half-brother had any contact.

"How is ol'Sesshomaru anyway"

She turned a slight smile to him.

"M'lord seems fine. I don't think this bothers him, the child I mean, so long as I manage to keep it out of his mind. This distance should help."

Inuyasha snorted.

"Yea, maybe. Dunno though, I never could figure him. He always hated me."

"No, Lord Inuyasha, that is not true. M'lord Sesshomaru, well, he is envious of you."

For a second, Inuyasha did not say a word. He just stared at Rin blankly. Kagome sat next to Rin and passed bowls of rice to everyone.

"You think Inuyasha's brother is jealous of him?" Even Kagome found it hard to believe.

"Yes. He is jealous of lord Inuyasha's power."

"O, I get it, you mean the Tetsusaiga. That's different, he still hates me even if he's jealous of the sword."

Rin shook her head.

"No, not your sword. He has his own inheritance, the Tensaiga. Don't you see it lord Inuyasha? You have everything lord Sesshomaru does not. You have surpassed your father in power, won love and loyalty from the people, and you can love whomever you choose. M'lord Sesshomaru is ashamed of his shortcomings in those areas. He has let your father's lands fall into chaos. The only men loyal to m'lord do so out of respect for his late father. On top of all that, he has created a child with a human woman. Cant' you see lord Inuyasha, he does not hate you. If this envy had fostered true hate in his soul, he would kill you or die trying. Instead he names his envy 'hate' to save face. Even if he thinks himself a failure, he still wishes to set an example as your older brother."

Both Inuyasha and Kagome looked at her, stunned. Finally, Kagome spoke.

"Wow, I guess its all in your perspective."

Inuyasha shook his head.

"No way! No way can that explain everything!"

Rin sighed quietly.

"You may believe whatever you wish, but I speak the truth."

* * *

Sesshomaru poked at the brush as it sat on his desk in a drying puddle of ink. New Year's was approaching, and he still hadn't managed to compose the right letter. He knew she was with Inuyasha, and most likely why. He wanted to send her a note, letting her know he wanted her home. He also wanted this hell hole to be a home.

All his self discipline seemed to leave him when he was here. How could he have let her stay away for an entire season while he took every distraction to task in order to avoid writing the difficult letter. He stared at the paper. The black characters of her name stood out like an accusation on the starkly white paper like an accusation. He knew there was no way he could honestly try to coax her home until he had confessed to mother. If mother disapproved strongly enough, Rin was likely safer with Inuyasha.

He imagined her petite frame swelling, as it must have begun to do by now. It was difficult to imagine not being there with her, even though he wasn't. He remembered his father speaking to him as they traveled to visit Inuyasha's mother. He had told him that princess Izayoi was a human, and that the child she was going to have was going to be half demon and half human. Most youkai, father said, would kill a half-demon at birth. Sesshomaru smiled a bit, his father was not like most youkai. In a time when both human and demon cultures were in chaos, his father had risen up and led a great demon nation. All of the west united under him. Sesshomaru knew that he would never be a great general like his father. At least he could, like his father, be above infanticide. Sesshomaru would protect and defend his child. He had known it since he first sensed the life inside Rin's body.

Resolutely, Sesshomaru left his office and knocked on his mother's door. She allowed him audience, as always through her screen. It occurred to him that Rin would be a better mother than this. The thought steeled him into a reckless confession.

"There is to be a child." He began, not really sure how his mother would try to punish him. "The human girl I have kept as my companion is going to bear me a child."

Mother was silent for a moment.

"You know what you must do, don't you Sesshomaru?"

"I won't. I wont' kill my own flesh and blood, I won't kill your grandchild."

She twitched a bit at his words. Clearly she had expected him to agree.

"It is wrong to let it live, surely you know how most half-demon abominations meet their end. Letting a child live only to turn into the basest creature, a thing with no control. It is cruel to let it live."

"Inuyasha overcame it." He challenged, daring to mention his half-brother by name.

"Inuyasha had your father's help, and the human blood of that wretch is at least royal. What is that pet you tout all around, just a common urchin you picked up. It is amazing that she didn't annoy you and get herself killed. Beyond that, she is useless. If you see fit to use her for other pleasures, that is your own business. I must insist, Sesshomaru, that you procreate with other demons of your class. If you must fornicate with a human, at least be discreet about it."

She was getting upset, he could see her aura growing.

"Mother, I did not come her to ask your advice on the matter. I came her to announce to you my decision."

The aura grew stronger, and began to erode holes in the silk screen that separated them. Sesshomaru could not help peeking curiously through. He had not seen his mother since he was a pup. She growled deeply and bared her fangs at him.

"You are not my son, only another bastard child of your fool of father!" she snarled at him.

"You will not change my mind." He told her, trying his best to keep his own temper under control.

"I will kill that abomination, just as I should have killed that bastard brother of yours." She slunk back and leapt out of the window.

She was gone before Sesshomaru was aware of it. He had not seen his mother outside of this room for so many years, he had never though she would leave. He wasn't even sure she could leave! But she had, and she was after Rin. He knew she would keep her word and kill the girl if she found her first.

Sesshomaru leapt out of the open window. At least he had the upper hand. There was no way that his mother knew Rin's scent as well as he did. It would take her much longer to find her in a blind search than it would take him to get there - he hoped.