Take Another Breath

Moonlight shone down on the rocky terrain, bathing everything in a frigid light. Golden eyes turned from gazing at the lush gardens of the keep far below, to instead fixate on Hikari. Why did she insist on the barren surroundings of the mountain out of which their home was carved? The flat, hard rock that stretched out all around them was devoid of any plant or wildlife, and the only thing that kept the icy wind from lashing them mercilessly was the multitude of massive boulders surrounding the clearing's perimeter, that served as a sort of buffer. Still, Rin was shivering as she stood in the milky glow of the moon, looking curiously up at Hikari. With a motherly smile, Hikari gently caressed the human child's hair. "Are you ready, Rin?"

"Hai, okaasan." Rin nodded, though the smile she gave Hikari in return was undeniably nervous.

Sesshoumaru and Rin both stared intently, watching as Hikari backed away from the girl; her turquoise eyes swirled to a vibrant amethyst, as her claws and fangs elongated. Within moments, the delicate bipedal form of Hikari was replaced by that of a massive fox; her fur was a pristine alabaster, though the tips of her ears and her nine fluffy tails were the darkest black. Seeing his mate in her true form roused Sesshoumaru's beast, and he had to rein it in firmly with a deep growl, his hands curling into tight fists. She was just as beautiful as always, in his eyes.. even more so now, for immense power radiated from her in waves that nearly made the inu-taiyoukai dizzy. At least now he knew why she'd chosen this spot high on the mountain.. away from prying eyes, with enough room to transform.

Rin was awestruck, too fascinated to be truly afraid. She knew that her okaasan would never hurt her, so as she gave a bright grin, she extended a small hand towards the large muzzle. Hikari padded slowly closer, careful of her large paws around Rin's small body, to lightly press her cold, wet nose to Rin's small hand. As Rin laughed and dropped her hand, the kitsune moved even closer, lowering her body to the hard rock and curling it protectively around the human child. Her mouth opened, and her tongue extended, to grace Rin's whole frame with a slow lick. Though Rin looked curious, it didn't last long; her eyes fluttered shut as her body swayed, then fell bonelessly backwards, only to be caught by the fluffiness of Hikari's tails. Those furry appendages wrapped around Rin's unconscious form, and Hikari curled further into herself, tucking the length of them into the curve of her body as her head came to rest on her forepaws.

As he watched all this with a touch of trepidation, Sesshoumaru could feel the power in his mate spiking to levels he never thought possible. Golden eyes narrowed as he saw sporadic flashes of silver light sparking within the twined mass of Hikari's tails. What in the name of his great father was happening? He was shocked when Hikari abruptly uncurled her frame, the furry barrier of her tails falling away, to reveal.. a cocoon, much like the one that held Shippou in the depths of the keep. Before he could truly react, Hikari rapidly shifted back to her humanoid form, sitting next to the mass of white fibers that, he assumed, held Rin. She smelled.. absolutely exhausted. He rushed to her side, enveloping her in his arms as she smiled tiredly up at him. "See.. I told you I could do it."

"And you are exhausted, stupid onna." Sesshoumaru growled quietly, stroking sweat-soaked strands back from her face, before his gaze wandered to the.. cocoon. He snuffled in its general direction, his nose wrinkling. It was an odd mix of Rin's sunlight and flowers, and Hikari's spring water and sakura blossoms, as well as.. something indescribable. It reminded him of power. He watched with more than a little wariness as Hikari carefully lifted the cocoon, cradling it in her arms. "..What now?"

"Now.. we wait." Hikari sighed, leaning her head on Sesshoumaru's shoulder. Her eyes closed as he lifted her, cocoon and all, and bounded down the mountainside, back into the keep. All the guards and servants were watching them curiously as they passed, though they quickly dismissed the spectacle. Odd occurrences were somewhat normal ever since Hikari had become a member of the household. Sesshoumaru paid no mind to anything but his mate as he traversed the halls, up to Rin's room at Hikari's direction, and set her lightly on her feet. The kitsune padded over to Rin's bed and set the cocoon on it, before moving slowly back over to Sesshoumaru, leaning into him with a yawn. "..Sleep now please."

Sesshoumaru shook his head as he smirked slightly, sweeping Hikari up in his arms and carrying her to their room. "As my Lady commands."

----------

After a full night of sleep, Hikari was, for the most part, recovered from the process of beginning Rin's transformation. After checking on the respective cocoons, she decided to enjoy the gardens, with Takaji in her arms and Sesshoumaru at her side. Meandering through the last of the summer foliage, Hikari was delighted at the curious gleam in her son's eyes. Capturing a small blue blossom, she placed it in Takaji's hands, giggling as the infant sniffed the flower, then proceeded to try and eat it. "It appears your son has a taste for flowers, Sesshy."

"Undoubtedly that is due to your influence, however.. we will have to teach him the correct manner in which to.. appreciate them." Sesshoumaru arched a brow as he looked down at his mate and son, a small smirk on his lips as two identical sets of eyes turned to him. However, his attention was drawn away from them as a certain undesirable scent reached his nostrils, his gaze turning over his shoulder to see exactly what he he'd been dreading. "..I believe you have company, my mate."

"Hm?" Hikari blinked, then turned around, only to give a beaming smile as she spotted a familiar cluster of faces; Inuyasha, Kagome, Miroku and Sango. Her eyes gleamed as she slanted a sidelong look at Sesshoumaru, speaking for his ears alone. "Why do I get the feeling you had something to do with this?"

"Because I did. I knew you would want to see them." Sesshoumaru simply nodded, and mentally patted himself on the back as he saw how pleased she was.

The two groups converged, and there was much squealing from all the women. Sango was four months pregnant, much to Miroku's obvious delight, and Kagome was carrying her three month old son, Kageyasu, who they called Yasu for short. He was an adorable little boy, with his mother's dark hair and his father's gleaming golden eyes, not to mention two tiny silver-furred ears perched atop his head. Hikari giggled as the two young boys peered at each other, Yasu's ears twitching curiously. "He's so cute! You two did such a good job."

"Keh." Inuyasha waved a hand dismissively, despite the fact that he was quite obviously pleased at the compliment. Leaning down to the child in Hikari's arms, he snuffled at the boy, intrigued by this little almost-clone of his brother. "You didn't do so bad yourself."

Takaji stared up at his uncle, his eyes wide, little clawed hands tucked beneath his chin. With a speed that caught everyone by surprise, one hand abruptly shot upwards, latching onto Inuyasha's ear with astounding strength. Hikari gasped, biting her lower lip as she waited to see what would transpire next.

That was when Takaji yanked.

"YOWCH! Owowow, that's my EAR, you li'l RUNT! LET GO!"

Inuyasha's immediate wriggling in an attempt to dislodge himself from Takaji's grip caused the infant to giggle delightedly, tugging on his ear again. The resulting yelp and efforts to get free without hurting or scaring Takaji inspired Yasu to start laughing as well. Inuyasha turned his gaze on his son, a dismayed expression pervading his features. "What the hell! My own KID is laughin' at me!"

Hikari was the first to start laughing, one hand rising to cover her mouth in a failed attempt to stifle her giggles. It soon spread throughout the group, and within moments, everyone but Inuyasha, and the ever-stoic Sesshoumaru, was laughing. Sesshoumaru simply arched a brow, his eyes glinting with mischief, and lightly patted his son on the head. "My son already exhibits great intelligence."

"Oh, Sesshy, be nice!" Struggling with her laughter, she reached to carefully pry Takaji's hand from Inuyasha's ear, bundling her son close as Inuyasha jerked back and rubbed at his ear, muttering something about getting no love. "Sorry, Inuyasha. This is the first time he's encountered anything like your ears."

"Keh. I bet he's done worse to Shippou's tail." Inuyasha grimaced, moving over to Kagome and lightly ruffling his son's hair. Yasu grabbed his father's hand, and began gnawing on his knuckle. "..Weird kid."

Kagome rolled her eyes, looking at Inuyasha with a decidedly bland expression. "He is your son after all, Inuyasha." That was when the young miko stopped, her brow furrowing, before her eyes shifted to Hikari. "Speaking of Shippou, where is he?"

Hikari sighed, and looked from Kagome to Sango. "You've traveled a long way, and I think Sango should rest. Let's go inside."

The three women moved inside together, the men trailing just behind them, and settled in a small room laden with cushions and low tables. Servants brought in a variety of drinks and food, as Hikari proceeded to explain what was happening to both Shippou and Rin. Everyone was surprised, for the most part, excluding Sesshoumaru of course.. especially by what Hikari confessed to being able to do. Silence filled the room after the kitsune finished speaking, leaving the humans and hanyou to ponder the information imparted to them. Kagome was the one that finally broke the silence, leaning over to speak quietly with Inuyasha, Sango, and Miroku. Finally, the miko straighted from deliberations with her companions, to turn a smile on Hikari and Sesshoumaru. "If it's all right with the two of you.. we'd like to stay until Shippou and Rin are.. err.. back to normal."

Hikari immediately perked up at the notion, and she fixed a pleading gaze on Sesshoumaru. "Please, Sesshy?"

His mouth opened to respond with a resounding no.. and then he looked at his lovely little mate. Though he thoroughly objected to the thought of his half-breed brother and the ningen staying in his home, he knew his Hikari had developed a close friendship with them.. almost like family. Closing his mouth, he lifted a hand to lightly trace the tip of one claw across the stripe on her right cheek, and nodded ever so slightly. "This Sesshoumaru will allow it."

"You have our thanks, Lord Sesshoumaru." Miroku bowed, as did Sango, before the houshi stood and helped his pregnant wife to her feet.

"I'll show you all to your rooms." Without warning, Hikari placed Takaji in Sesshoumaru's arms, and stood to do exactly as she'd said.

Despite having become accustomed to holding his son by this time, he was still a tad uneasy. As Hikari swept out of the room with her friends, Sesshoumaru simply sat there, looking down at Takaji as the infant gazed back up at him. Sesshoumaru noted that, aside from a few small differences, the child looked nearly identical to himself. He was also very quiet. Sesshoumaru had often heard that children were loud, messy, and annoying.. but Takaji had proved to be quite the opposite. Sesshoumaru idly traced his son's small ears, and the markings on his cheeks, before lightly touching the crescent moon on his forehead. Yes.. he was most suitable as an heir.

"..You know, I always thought you'd refuse to really acknowledge any child we had until they were older, but I'm quite pleased that you've proved me wrong."

Sesshoumaru quickly looked up from his perusal of Takaji, to find Hikari leaning in the doorway, her hands clasped before her and her eyes fixated on the two most important people in her life. He said nothing for several moments, and simply looked at his mate. Not for the first time, he found himself at a loss for breath when confronted with her elegant beauty. Most of her black-streaked white hair fell around her shoulders, though some of it was gathered up into a bun, held in place with the chopsticks Shippou and Rin had given her; her kimono was deep crimson with a violet obi, which only heightened her majestic aura. However it was her ready smile, and the warmth in her eyes, that truly made her beautiful beyond compare in his opinion. "Your belief was not unfounded. However, I do not find his presence a nuisance. It is.. rather enjoyable."

"Good to know." Chuckling, Hikari pushed away from the door and crossed the room to her mate, lifting her son from Sesshoumaru's arms. The inu-taiyoukai stood swiftly, his hand coming to rest on Hikari's lower back. Takaji chose that moment to yawn, nestling against his mother as his eyes closed. "I think someone's ready for a nap."

"Agreed." Nodding, Sesshoumaru followed Hikari as she left the room, traversing the keep to the nursery, where she settled Takaji down for his nap. Sesshoumaru watched all this in silence, before he moved into their room, standing on the balcony that looked out on the gardens. The spot where he'd taken Hikari as his mate was within view, and the smallest of smiles quirked the corners of his lips at the memory of that night. The sound of Hikari's footsteps drifted to his ears, though he didn't turn around, only placed his hands on the railing. Her arms came around his waist, her cheek pressing to his back as she sighed.

They stood like that for several moments, until Sesshoumaru gently grasped her hands, lifting them away from his frame, and turned to face her. His arms wrapped tightly around her luscious curves, clawed fingers sliding through the loose portion of her hair as his head lowered, lips capturing hers in a heated kiss. She melted into him as her hands gripped his biceps, opening her mouth to him with a soft moan. He accepted her offer as he uttered a low growl, his tongue exploring her mouth hungrily. She could feel his arousal prodding her stomach, and liquid heat pooled at the apex of her thighs. She whimpered softly as he broke the kiss, nipping at her lower lip, and trailed kisses down her neck, to lick the mating mark that marred her pale flesh. "Sesshy..."

It took some effort, but he managed to put a leash on his arousal, his hands coming to cup her face as he kissed her once, twice, three times, just soft, fleeting touches of his lips to hers. "You make my blood boil, my mate..."

"Believe me, the sentiment is most decidedly reciprocated." Her breathless laugh fell from lips quirked into a shaky smile, before small fangs captured his lower lip, eliciting a growl from him that made her shiver, then she reluctantly relinquished her grasp. "But you know what the healer said..."

"I know." Sesshoumaru growled again, brow furrowing. He longed to indulge in his mate's delectable body once more.

"However.. that doesn't mean I can't help you out..." His eyes widened at the implication behind those words, golden hues fixated on the vixen as she pulled out of his arms and grabbed his hands, coaxing him along while she backed into their room. Stunned by the promise that sparkled in those sea-colored eyes, he found himself unable to do anything but stare as she fell to her knees before him, clawed hands seeking to divest him of his hakama. In record time, he recovered, only enough to remove his haori, before the whisper of silk against flesh accompanied his hakama pooling around his ankles.

And then it was bliss. A teasing brush of her tongue to the tip of erect flesh, before wet heat surrounded him. His muffled moan wasn't lost on the kitsune, who simply smiled as she continued to pleasure him. Shaking hands freed her two-toned hair from its bonds, embedding strong fingers in the silken mass with a growl. It was obvious by her hesitant actions that this wasn't something she'd done before, but as Sesshoumaru looked down at her, only to find her gemstone hues gazing up at him as she worshiped him with lips and hand, he realized it truly didn't matter. She was his mate, his mate, and she was.. perfection, in his eyes. The unexpected brush of petite fangs on either side of sensitive length, and the blossoming of lust in violet-laced turquoise depths, and he was lost in a rush of white-hot rapture.

Panting slightly, he returned to earth to see the delectable sight of his beautiful mate tenderly licking the remnants of his completion from his slowly-softening arousal. His hands came to cup her face, urging her to rise, and once she was standing, he graced her with a fleeting kiss. "You are truly the epitome of perfection, my mate."

"You're too sweet, Sesshy." Her blush was entirely too fetching, and he felt himself stirring again. Hikari, however, simply patted his cheek and drew back. "I'm going to go check on the children. You ah.. regain your composure."

Sesshoumaru was left to stare with a touch of amusement as she claimed the ornamental chopsticks from the floor, securing her hair in a loose bun even while she swept out the door. His chuckle echoed in the empty room, hands moving to the task of restoring his clothing, and at least a semblance of some order to his appearance. Life with Hikari was never dull, that was for sure.

----------

A little less than three weeks passed, during which the inhabitants of the Western Keep - permanent and otherwise - fell into a routine. The respective couples would eat breakfast together before dispersing to do their own thing; this usually meant Hikari, Kagome, and Sango spending time in the gardens, or the massive library or nursery, with Takaji and Yasu. Sesshoumaru always retreated to his study, while Inuyasha and Miroku spent time engaged in idle conversation with a number of Sesshoumaru's guards. After eating lunch - from which Sesshoumaru was usually absent - the women would check on Rin and Shippou, and settle the two children down for naps.. which they, admittedly, also indulged in, as motherhood was hard work. At this time, Sesshoumaru, Inuyasha, and Miroku sparred in the Western Lord's training rooms. Everyone would then converge for dinner, before retiring to their respective rooms for any of a number of activities followed by sleep. The next day, the whole process would repeat.

It was on the sixteenth day of this routine that it was disrupted. The whole group - minus Sesshoumaru - was just settling down to eat a hearty lunch, when there was a piercing shriek from the direction of the kitchens. Inuyasha and Miroku exchanged startled looks, then rushed off to investigate, leaving three puzzled and worried females to sit in the small room that looked on the gardens, sharing questioning glances. Sesshoumaru appeared in the doorway just as Inuyasha and Miroku staggered back in, laughing and supporting a half-naked figure wrapped only in a discarded sheet. Tall and handsome, with pale skin and shoulder-length, vibrant auburn hair, he looked around the group as he owlishly blinked bright emerald green eyes, seemingly oblivious to the white fibers and globs of some clear, sticky substance that were stuck to his lean frame. "..Why are you all looking at me like that?"

"Shippou!" Hikari's delighted cry roused everyone, and after the kitsune helped the pregnant Sango to her feet, the three women rushed to fuss over Shippou. Poor Shippou was utterly bewildered, and his attempts to fend off the veritable mother hens were entirely unsuccessful. The laughter of Inuyasha and Miroku certainly wasn't helping, as they left the poor kitsune to fend for himself. However, it was the interruption of Sesshoumaru's calm voice that sliced through the babble, all eyes turning to him.

"Enough." Shippou breathed a sigh of relief, sagging against the wall as he clutched the threadbare sheet to his unclothed frame. "Shippou, you will come with me."

"Hai, otousan." Though obviously a bit unsteady, Shippou regained his balance with each step he took, until he was standing next to Sesshoumaru. The taiyoukai looked down at the slightly shorter male, before he turned and moved out of the room, Shippou close behind him. Everyone else watched them go, before Inuyasha broke the silence.

"Well, looks like the runt ain't such a runt anymore." Hikari rolled her eyes, shooting a slightly reprimanding look at Inuyasha, who simply shrugged and moved back over to the table. "Enough of this, let's eat!"

----------

Sesshoumaru monopolized Shippou's presence until dinnertime, but then the two youkai males joined the rest of them for dinner. Everyone did a double-take at the sight of the newly-matured kitsune; he was cleaned up, and clad in a dark green haori and black hakama, with the mischievous smile everyone loved on his lips. "Hey, it's not polite to stare, you know."

"Gomen, Shippou. I think we're all just a little surprised by your new look. Which, might I add, is very fitting." Kagome gave a beaming grin to the kitsune, before patting the mat at her side, between herself and Hikari. Shippou chuckled, and happily moved over to settle between his former-surrogate mother, and his current one. With a gusto that surprised everyone, he launched himself at the food before him, though their shock was soon forgotten as they recalled that he had, in fact, gone weeks without food.

Questions came from all sides - save that of Sesshoumaru - as the large, though admittedly unusual, family enjoyed their first meal with the grown up Shippou. Though he was still mostly oblivious as to how he came to be in such a state, he answered their queries as best he could. What he couldn't fill them in on, Hikari did for him, until eventually, curiosity was satiated all around. However, after a time, Shippou realized one particular member of his extended family was missing. As his brow furrowed, he looked over to Hikari, and his question silenced everyone.

"..Where is Rin?"

At first, Hikari didn't say anything. But after taking a sip of her tea, she looked over to the kitsune, her eyes gleaming though her face was serious. "Rin is in the process of becoming a youkai herself, Shippou. You remember I said I would do it?" At his nod, she quickly explained what had happened the day he'd taken to his cocoon, and how she'd begun Rin's transformation that night. Shippou remained silent, then nodded.

"I understand. Will she be.. erm.. breaking free of her.. cocoon.. soon, too?"

"Maybe. It could happen in hours or days.. I wouldn't give it more than a week, though." Hikari's motherly smile made Shippou grin, and he almost looked like the young kitsune everyone remembered. "She'll be fine. I promise."

After finishing their meal, everyone retired in high spirits, though Shippou insisted on peeking in on Rin's chrysalis before he would take to his own slightly modified room. The keep was silent that night, most of its inhabitants deep in sleep, when Sesshoumaru and Hikari were abruptly awakened by a crash and a yelp from just down the hall. Throwing on his hakama, Sesshoumaru barely waited for Hikari to don a dark blue yukata, before they both grabbed candles and raced down the hallway to the source of the noise.

What they saw was what they least expected.

At Shippou's room, they found that something - or rather, someone - had fallen through the delicate screened door, and startled the poor youkai; thus the source of the crash and yelp they'd heard. The surprising part was the source of the disturbance. A very naked, startled-looking female, who appeared around twenty or so years of age, stared up at the trio of youkai from the floor. Her hair was waist length, a rich black laced with hints of violet, her eyes of the most brilliant amethyst - and she had the clawed hands of a youkai. "O-otousan? Okaasan?"

Sesshoumaru's eyes widened. "Rin?" Before he could move forward, Hikari rushed past him, bundling the changed Rin up in her arms and hustling her back towards her own room. This left Sesshoumaru and Shippou to share confused glances, before Sesshoumaru sighed, and went to fetch Jaken. That door would have to be repaired, after all...

----------

"Oh, Rin-chan! You're beautiful!" Kagome squealed over the much-changed Rin in the keep's foyer the following morning.. much to the chagrin of Sesshoumaru, and the amusement of everyone else. Rin blushed vibrantly at the compliment, her clawed hands pressing carefully to her cheeks. Clad in a kimono of lilac with an ivory obi, she looked very much a youkai lady.

"Arigatou, Kagome-chan. Your son is so cute!" Cooing over Yasu, who looked up at the former-human and babbled merrily, Rin was absorbed in the child, as was most everyone else.. so no one really noticed the two youkai that approached until there was suddenly the clatter of wood and metal on the stone floor. All eyes then whipped over to see what the commotion was all about, only to see Shippou standing next to Jiro, both of them staring wide eyed at Rin, who grinned brightly and gasped in delight. "Shippou-kun! Jiro-san!"

"Rin-chan!" Shippou literally jumped for joy, and rushed over to hug his adopted sister. The two began exclaiming over their changed appearances, oblivious to Jiro who was still staring at Rin with an odd expression on his face. That soon changed, however, as Sesshoumaru cleared his throat and aimed a look at Jiro, causing the guard to stammer apologies, grab his spear, and book it out of the foyer like the hounds of hell were nipping at his heels.

Hikari tried to stifle her amusement at poor Jiro's reaction, and shot a slightly reprimanding glance at Sesshoumaru, who only arched his brow and gave Hikari a sly grin. "Nani? He has duties to attend to, koishii.. I was simply urging him to get on with them."

The rest of the day passed in relative peace.. though Kagome, Inuyasha, Sango and Miroku informed their hosts that evening that they would be departing in the morning. Sango wanted to get back to Kaede's village well before time to deliver her child, and Kagome needed to get back to her time, if only to assure her family she was indeed all right. Hikari was of course sad to hear that her friends would be leaving.. but what struck both the kitsune and her mate was that Shippou and Rin stated they would be leaving as well. Hikari swallowed hard, trying to ignore the sudden threat of tears as she spoke softly. "..Why?"

"There's so much I want to see, now that I'm grown up, okaasan." Shippou looked so serious, though there was a gleam of undeniable affection in his bright green eyes as he looked at his adopted parents. "Kagome-chan and Sango-chan have already agreed to let Rin and I travel with them, and learn from them.. as have Inuyasha and Miroku-san."

Rin nodded eagerly in agreement, smiling at Hikari. "Rin.. I mean... I am a youkai now. I want to learn what I can do.. and I want to see more of the world, like Shippou-kun."

Nibbling fitfully at her lower lip, she looked at the two, then sighed. "Well.. it's all right by me..." She gazed up at Sesshoumaru, obviously asking for his opinion on the matter.

Though Sesshoumaru hated to see such sadness in his lovely mate's eyes, he knew the two needed to experience the world for themselves. So he nodded, and tried not to see the tears in Hikari's eyes. "Very well. But if you get in trouble, you will return to the keep immediately. Hai?"

"Hai, otousan." The adopted siblings spoke in unison, and as the evening meal was finished, they broke away from the rest, moving out into the garden to speak together excitedly.

Hikari watched them go, but said nothing as she stood, making her way upstairs and into the room she shared with Sesshoumaru. The inu taiyoukai was close on her heels, and came up behind her as she stood at the doorway that let out onto the balcony, looking out at the garden. His arms wrapped around her from behind as they both looked down, seeing Shippou and Rin walking amidst the trees.

Yet Shippou left, and they were both astonished when Jiro appeared as if from nowhere, approaching Rin slowly. They spoke quietly for several minutes, under the watchful gaze of Hikari and Sesshoumaru, who were puzzled as to what all this was about. Yet when Jiro took Rin's hands, and she backed away, seemingly nervous, they understood. It seemed poor Jiro was quite smitten with the grown-up Rin. Hikari sighed as Rin took off, and they soon heard footsteps in the hall, followed by the sound of her door sliding open, then shut again. "..They've grown up so fast."

"Hai, my mate.. but we still have Takaji to raise.. and maybe more, someday..." His large, clawed hands splayed possessively across her flat stomach as Sesshoumaru lovingly nuzzled Hikari's neck. She smiled, leaning back into him as she looked up towards the starry sky.

"Indeed we do.. and we will." Her eyes sparked with a momentary flash of alabaster, which went unseen by Sesshoumaru, as her hands came to rest atop his own. "And they'll come back.. and life will go on, as it always has, and as it always will."

----------

The night passed too quickly for Hikari's liking. Morning came bright and early, and she found herself standing at the doors of the keep with Takaji in her arms and Sesshoumaru behind her, watching as her friends and her two adopted children walked away. Jiro stood not too far away as well, staring after Rin with a slightly forlorn aura about him. Once the gates closed behind them, Jiro turned and left, leaving Hikari to sigh and look up at Sesshoumaru. "..I know they'll come back.. but I'm still sad to see them go."

"I know you are, koishii. But all is not lost.. you still have Takaji.. and you still have me." His arms wrapped around Hikari's waist as he stepped back, the massive doors of the keep swinging shut and sealing off the outside. Takaji made a curious sound, then wailed softly, looking up at his mother's face and whimpering.

"And that is all I really need." A small smile appeared as her head lowered, and she lightly kissed Takaji's forehead, then turned her gaze up to Sesshoumaru. "And Shippou and Rin know I'll always love them, no matter what.. and they know the doors of the keep will always be open to them. So really.. it's just a matter of waiting."

Sesshoumaru nodded his agreement, then leaned down, lightly kissing Hikari. "Ai shiteru, koishii."

"Ai shiteru, Sesshy."