Fate's Desire [Sesshomaru x Rin]

XXXV: Gift of Darkness

"No." Lord Sesshomaru said.

"Your mother is dying in the next room. The only way to save her is with the saber. She'll be long dead by the time you get it from Tatsuo - if you get it from him."

Lord Sesshomaru's hands were around Amarie's throat, taking offense at her lack of faith in him.

She only smiled, placing one hand gently over his, and the other over his chest.

"You do realize with you as the saber's new master, it will only be one step closer to getting Rin."

He pulled away from her.

"Did you get it out?" Lord Sesshomaru asked.

"Everything but it."

Amarié could feel his rage spike, so she took a hesitant step back as he turned toward her.

"The saber has already touched her. The only way to remove the saber's poison from inside her is to get the weapon itself." She told him cautiously.

"Then what could you give me? Nothing?!" He roared.

"I don't know if you can tell, but the saber doesn't want her dead. In fact, it saved her life."

"Only after it tried to kill her."

"It's power is the only thing keeping her alive. If the saber drew its power from her, her lungs would collapse and she would die. Not even her own spiritual power could save her."

Lord Sesshomaru started to walk away, to Rin.

Amarié grabbed his hand.

"If you love her, you'll destroy Tatsuo and the saber along with him. You can't have the saber and Rin."

-

Inukimi shut the door quietly, not wanting to awaken a sleeping Rin.

The poison from the saber, that was spreading through her body quickly before she arrived, had been slowed down and the pain numbed thanks to Amarié's work. Inukimi had been instructed to rest and not move, because moving would only speed the process again. But Inukimi wasn't worried. She didn't feared death. The only thing she feared was her son's death, but she refused to tell Sesshomaru that fact. They didn't have a close relationship, and now, nearing her death bed, she wished she could have changed that.

She clutched at the meidō stone on her chest. Inukimi knew that if he wanted to, Lord Sesshomaru could bring her back using the stone. But she was also curious if it could bring someone back from the dead twice.. specifically Rin. Sesshomaru couldn't bring her back to life again if she died with Tenseiga - as he had already tried.

Inukimi approached Rin's unconscious form, sitting down on the bed next to her body. She wiped a strand of Rin's dark hair to the side, admiring her peaceful expression. This was the first time she had actually looked at Rin up close after she had grown into a beautiful young priestess.

She realized why Sesshomaru and his Father both fell for humans. They looked so innocent and pure, that fact only fueling their need to protect them. Which made them even more dangerous. Inukimi couldn't help but envy Rin. The way Sesshomaru looked at Rin made her long for a formed relationship with her own son. Inukimi knew that if he was faced with the choice, he would choose Rin over her.

She also never imagined that Rin would grow up to be as powerful as she was now. She suddenly wished she had some time left to get to know her a little, but she knew there was no time for any of that now. She never really tried to be interested in Sesshomaru's life, unless he approached her for something. But it was all too late.