Disclaimer: Nope, last time I checked, do not own Inuyasha and characters…. They belong to RT sama

My very first attempt at a one-shot; The idea came to me coz I always wonder: The manga had been on for ten whole years, why hasn't Rin grown even a bit? So... what happens if Sesshoumaru were to be able to look into the future and sees the grown-up version of Rin? Heh heh…Thus, a plot bunny was born.

Warning: Lemon toward the end….

Dedicating this fic to the Indomitable Spirit: Hope you have a speedy recovery on your left hand so that all your fans ( including myself ) would get to read chapter 8

Vision of A Youkai's Heart

The silver haired lord allowed his glance to discreetly scan his three followers now retiring under the looming shades of the old Sakura Tree. Above him a full moon hang brightly lit and the night sky was so clear, cloudless that no stars were left unmasked from its blanket of darkness. The burning wood crackled under the fire causing a combination of sizzled sparks and smoke to rise from its furnace. Within the radius of its warmth lay the toad imp, finding simple comforts in his little muddy corner in a bush, a best spot to pass the night. To the right was his pet since he was a pup, the bi-headed dragon, curling his heads toward the girl, his girl, Rin…. His little Rin.

My priceless little treasure….A velvety dark voice echoed his inner most thoughts

A mistake at first he had considered the girl, a test of his father's momento, the Tenseiga. It didn't take long, before the significance of her in his life became more pronounced, so much that he could no longer deny the fact that she was his most treasured little possession, something which even he did not know how long he could keep.

To hell I had gone… for her…

Till this day, he could not give an answer to why he seemed unable to draw himself away from this unique connection… with this small human. He peered down at her sleep soften features, watching the steady rise and fall of her tiny chest. The leaves rustled gently under the cool breeze, forming a myriad of shadows over the little of her cheeks. As though feeling the chill in her dreams, her hands wandered to hug one of Aun's necks and the dragon protectively repositioned himself so that he was shielding her from the winds.

Quietly, Sesshoumaru strolled to her side, placing his pelt on her. His brow raised in amusement as she seemed instantly recognizing his scent as she pulled the fur to cover herself to her chin and contentedly snuggling into it, a hint of a smile adorning her lips.

Sesshoumaru's ambers drifted shut, pondering for a moment. Sometimes, the intensity of emotions he felt when she was near…. It amazed him… awed him… even frightened him, especially after the realization that girl child could not be revived twice.

The value of a life you will learn only if you lost what is most precious to you….

His fist clenched slightly, stabbed by the fear of the possibility of losing her once again. He fought it fiercely, forcing his fingers to unwind and the sizzle of his poison at his claws to disperse.

There was no danger here at this part of the forest this night.

Suddenly, an idea of a night walk dawned on him. Indeed, it was a perfect opportunity to be left undisturbed with his thoughts. His vision fell upon his newly instated left arm. He had gained and regained much lately and he hadn't the time to… well… admire them…. his new sword…. his new limb.

Opening one slight slit of his slime green eyes, the snoring toad noted that his master was making preparation to take leave. Transforming instantly into a huge radiance of lighted ball, Sesshoumaru sped away into the curtains of bushes and shrubs till he completely disappeared from sight.

Elegant exit… nothing less to be expected from Sesshoumaru-sama… Jaken thought for a while before he started to doze off. In the next moment, he squawked jumping up, a beat of sweat shimmering at his forehead as the realization struck him.

Damn! His master being away… meant he had to stay watch for the night. If he was careless and anything was to happen to the girl, he'd not be spared as well.

Amongst the symphony of starlight the Taiyoukai allowed himself the simple indulgence of the subtle therapeutic scent of midnight earth. He reveled in the feel the smooth air drafts escaping through the crevices between the claws of his new left arm, his lips curved a slight smile of contentment.

His eyes glowed darken golden as he spotted a mystical glow from the multi-layered canopy of greenery beyond. It was like a dream but yet not. It felt like a youkai's jyaki but yet of a much softer nature. It was like a bountiful wave of rainbow but yet unfocused, dispersed as if into a barrier of some sort. It flickers, then diminishes and then reappears as though to both shield itself from invaders as well as to lure them into its domain.

Heavy lidded, Sesshoumaru sniffed the air for clues of its origin, finding some strange bits of familiarity in all of this..

Isn't this the part of the forest which belonged to Bukoseno, the ancient magnolia tree demon., of which both the sheath of the Tenseiga and the Tessaiga had been carved?

Still, he did not recall the tree possessing such strange powers; such intensities was certainly not of this world. In any case, the demon lord decided that it was not of anything foul natured, plus even if it was, it had definitely roused his curiosity to a surmountable extent to pry deeper.

He descended, his youki dissipating in a sleek swirl as he set his foot on the moist turf. He moved silently toward the heart of the source, where the lights converged and halted a mere inch away from the boundary of the barrier. Its existence was doubtless for through its blurry membrane, it was bright daylight instead of night.

Sesshoumaru's sensitive ears picked up voices even before he entered into this alter realm, finding himself listening in to an interesting conversation, a familiar voice and it became obvious…that the demon tree had a guest, no doubt being the culprit of this strange phenomena.

Though it wasn't a habit for the demon lord to snoop around, the topic in question, he had recognized, was none other than himself and his recent developments.

"I see, old imp, you have come to receive your prize? It wasn't a fair game to begin, knowing your..erm… capabilities…"

"x..$.. f5$..."

It didn't take long for Sesshoumaru to conclude that only one side of the speakers could be comprehended. The tree, however, seemed totally undisturbed by the wordless mumblings.

"Bakusaiga you said? The young heir to the Taisho had gained his sword sooner than I have expected."

"..#$f$..."

"What? Another bet? You take me for a fool, yume-no-youkai. I may be two thousand years old… but my nose hasn't chipped off the old block." Traces of his chuckles were followed by a brief silence.

Sesshoumaru's eye narrowed, a low growl rumbling, as the barrier walls before him drew itself open like a curtain of breeze, providing him a passageway.

"I'm honored by your visit, young pup of my greatly missed friend…"

The back of his hand dusting the night dew off his sleeve, Sesshoumaru flicked a single silvery knee-length lock from his chest plate to meet the rest neatly at his back before making his ceremonious entrance.

Closing in, his golden eyes fell upon a tiny apparition-like silhouette at the rooted foot of the magnolia tree. It was a demon, standing only about a chubby foot tall, one which had clad itself in a simple white robe, his long fair beard spilling from his chin to sweep the rich ground beneath.

"Bokuseno…." Sesshoumaru's rich voice echoed the air from the depths of his throat. "In your boredom, you have degraded yourself to conversing with the speech impaired…"

The aged tree chuckled, its branches shaking and its leaves fluttering noisily before he coughed himself to stop, mainly due to the soft huffing of his miniature friend. "Yes.. Yes… imp. I shall convey you message." He twisted his trunk enough to face the demon lord, cleared his throat. "A language of the other worlds, pup, not a deficiency of the gab."

The other worlds? The demon lord regarded the height-challenged subject. He had heard of such yume-no-youkais or "dream demons" and their strange abilities to co-exist in differential time spaces as well as to infiltrate into the dreams of the living. But till this night, he had never encountered one.

Sesshoumaru's blatant stares of apprehension eventually caused some sort of reaction of the little demon. He was jumping and muttering to the Tree, pulling on its branches.

"So, Bokuseno, what are your affairs with this … yume demon this night?" Sesshoumaru finally asked, his vision did not leave the source under his intense scrutiny.

His question roused the magnolia tree to laugh out loud. "Oh nothing much for the old block of wood me. I'm just bored and my little friend is amusing me with … well… things that would be happening in the future…. one which perhaps even I may not live to witness."

"The future you say…" That raised the demon lord's questionable brows. He had heard through his father's tales as a pup that dream demons were able to predict the future. He pondered a short moment, then calmly, he presented the question he had debated within himself to ask. "So… yume-no-yokai, if you really can predict the future, prove it. Tell me… what beholds for me… my empire. Will I expand my father's lands and increase on my own?"

The little demon seemed rather ecstatic that he was finally being placed in the limelight. His chin lifted, grinning smugly for about a minute, then turned considerably more serious. He cleared his throat, his eyes half closed as if in deep thoughts and shifted to whisper something into the tree's barks.

Sesshoumaru watched with slight impatience as the demon turned finally to face him, speaking a series of blabbers which seemed to form sentences, just that, he didn't understand any of it. He waited until it finished, shifted himself to the tree demon for a reply.

"To begin with, he would like to make it clear to the young lord that the future is not something that one can alter even if you wish to …. Not even for a powerful Taiyoukai." Bokuseno coughed, trying to avoid the obvious sarcasm in that statement. "Thus, he usually preserves the rights not to reveal too much." He eyed Sesshoumaru, a rush of red flashed across his golden pupils. "But for the young heir of the Taisho, he would, of course, offer a hint to what you requested…. No doubt… as sure as your left arm had been reinstated, the empires of the Western lands will be well extended under your reign. The lady's name too will be spread far and wide from the demon realm to the humans for her graciousness and beauty…."

"Graciousness? My mother?" The demon lord smirked, unintentionally interrupting the narration. " And humans you said?" He willed himself to stop his muted chuckle as he heard the yume-no-youkai jumped and spattered at the tree, his little hands waving frantically in the air.

Bokuseno sighed long and deep. "Apologies for my vagueness. I meant your lady, not your mother… I meant … your mate."

The last word caused the demon lord to shudder slightly.

My mate?

A long silence followed as Sesshoumaru was left speechless. He searched through himself internally for a possibility of a plausible truth in this prediction. No matter how he reasoned, he was fully sure that at this very moment in his youkai lifespan, the idea of having a female, a mate was totally… well… ridiculous. For as long as he had known himself, he had sworn off that part of his life completely and instead, dedicate his time to a life of battles and conquests.

That… was his true destiny…. Or rather…. That was what he thought his true nature to be.

But …. If what the dream demon predicted was going to come true…

What sort of female would eventually become his mate? He shook his head, disconcerted and bemused.

The real question was… who would cause him to …well… do that impossible thing… to fall in love?

His thoughts floated deeper. Beauty he said? So… she is at least beautiful.

He started recalling the females that he had encountered before. First, there was his mother. The present lady of the Western lands was elegant, poise and regal. Amongst the courts, it was rumored that his mother was the prettiest in the clan of Taiyoukai phantom dogs. In addition, she was also of a more noble birthright. Thus, his father had selected her as his life mate.

Then, there was that human woman.

Sesshoumaru could not hide his annoyance once the topic was to reach Inuyasha's mother, the lady Izayoi. Even though it was well-known throughout the human fortresses that the princess was the fairest, he hadn't liked her a bit. And true enough, she… had caused the death of his father.

Then, there was the wind witch.

Though born through a detachment from the unholy hanyou, Kagura had a heart to be rid of her evil master. Her will and endeavor to be free… was in fact… her beauty.

Then, there was the Princess Sara.

A sad story of one, who had sold her soul to the demons because of her twisted love for him. She… was the only one in his entire youkai… who had shown actual admiration and who longed for him. He had sympathized with her plight, and relieved her of the demons that had tainted her heart and freed her soul.

But he had never bore any special feelings for any of these females. He had never… loved them.

Love… was a trait he was born without.

And his so-called predestined mate? The demon smirked. It was a female with a face he could not see.

As if able to see that he was frying his brains out, the dream demon uttered something into the ears of the tree again. And this time, Bokuseno appeared rather entertained.

Jerked to a sudden halt in his internal evaluations by the noise, Sesshoumaru looked up at the conversation between the two before him and growled in a rush of frustration. "Old tree, do you take this Sesshoumaru for a fool? Or have I become a subject of your amusement this night?"

"Why do you think that, young lord?" The tree was indignant. "Do you not have the confidence that you can surpass your father?"

Sesshoumaru growled even louder, his eyes turning dark red. "You fool! This is not what I meant. This Sesshoumaru does not need the assurance of a low grade demon to know what he is capable of."

"Then I am confused. What is it that are you doubting, young Sesshoumaru?"

This question stumped the western lord. He fanned down his own fury but was uncomfortable to reveal some more inner parts of himself to mere acquaintances.

Still…He concluded… He had to give them a piece of his mind. All these talks of a mate… it was too jarring… something too difficult to believe.

"I will have no…." He blurted out but stopped to rephrase himself. "I have absolutely no interest…" He withdrew that too and took a deep breath, calming down and this time, in a much more composed manner, he finally said, "It is… impossible… for this Sesshoumaru to have a mate."

The tree's woody brows furrowed. "Are you not healthy, my lord?"

This spark another flare of ire in the demon lord.

"Do not be ridiculous, Bokuseno." Sesshoumaru glared heinously at the audacity of the tree to even vaguely think he could be impotent. He lifted his left hand to his nose, flicked its claws and flexing the renew sinews. "This hand is meant only for battle." He spoke that as if to remind himself.

The magnolia tree demon gulped silently. He would have laughed at the immaturity of this young Taiyoukai but it was wise enough not to be the first to fall victim to his new sword. He thought for a long while, then slowly lifted to meet Sesshoumaru's spiraling jyaki. "Every youkai will eventually gain a mate, pup."

The demon only smirked, losing interest and beginning to turn around to take leave.

The yume-no-youkai also chipped in his opinions while the tree listened, nodding rather agreeably. "Wait, Sesshoumaru."

The demon lord stopped; he did not bother to turn his head, merely maintaining his stance.

"The yume youkai has a proposal for you." He presented a bow respectfully. "Only for the great lord Sesshoumaru, my humble friend would allow you to have a glimpse of your future."

Sesshoumaru's brow lifted. Suddenly, his interest in the whole subject was rekindled.

"You mean to say I would be able to see an image of this 'mate' of mine?"

The magnolia tree grinned and then lifted and spread its branches in great pride. "No, my lord. You have mistaken."

"No? Are you trying to humor this Sesshoumaru?" His anger rose slightly.

"No, my lord. You are not only going to see your mate, you are going to meet her."

Sesshoumaru was taken aback for a moment. Then slowly, his lips began to curve a satisfied smile. Now, this is getting interesting. He pondered to himself. The idea was intriguing him to no end. I am to meet this 'female', my mate? Does this mean….

"You are implying that this little youkai would send her to me now?"

"No. You, my lord, will go to her…. to the future."

"The future you say?" Sesshoumaru laughed. He couldn't help it as he was beginning to figure the whole situation out.

"Why is that funny, my lord? Would you not like to meet your mate and decide if she is indeed the one for you?" The tree spoke on behalf of his friend.

Sesshoumaru shot a cold stare at the two, causing them to freeze to a shivery silence. "The two of you think this Sesshoumaru is so foolish as to fall into your… your pathetic attempt of a trap. You wish me to meet this 'female', scent her and know her so I would naturally think her as my destiny. And when I meet her again as time catches up, I would naturally take her as my mate. This is nothing more than a self fulfilling prophesy."

Sesshoumaru has already thought this far? The tree mused internally, secretly harboring respect for such in depth wisdom. Indeed, the young heir had definitely taken after his father in this area.

"So are you saying you do not wish to embark on this journey then, young lord?"

Sesshoumaru laughed again. "Of course I will go. This Sesshoumaru fears nothing. Moreover, it will take much more to sway my judgment than these little …trickeries."

He paused as the yume youkai bowed deeply, then waved his hand as a gust of wind sent in a surge of multi-colored youki. After the thicken mist had dispersed, Sesshoumaru's vision cleared and there appeared before him …an old well.

The demon muttered something and the tree proceeded to translate it. "Wells, my lord, have always been tunnels through time. With the right words spoken, each well would become a doorway to the future or the past, to different time zones and sometimes, even stretches to a thousand years."

"This well will take me a thousand years from now?" The demon lord was curious. Indeed, his experience this night had all been too hard to comprehend, even for himself.

The little youkai chuckled and the tree merely followed. "No, no, Sesshoumaru. Just ten years."

Ten? The discovery of this new fact shocked Sesshoumaru. The demon was implying that he would meet his destined mate in a short span of ten years?

He was beginning to accept this idea that …well perhaps.. he may eventually get a mate. He would need an heir in his long youkai life after all. But in his opinion which did not matter now, he would think it'd be something that would happen in at least several hundred years later.

Nope. Definitely not ten.

Ten to a Taiyoukai is like an evening gone…. One may as well say he'd meet her tomorrow.

And no. He was not prepared for this.

And this…. made him wish to meet this peculiar 'female' even more.

"Before you enter the well, the yume-no-youkai would like to remind the lord Sesshoumaru that the future is delicate and it would not be changed no matter how powerful you may be. It IS the future and things WILL come to be in their time. So, if you wish to change your mind about going…."

"This Sesshoumaru does not change his mind."

The little youkai stretched his hand, ushering the demon lord to the well. Sesshoumaru paced forward till he was able to look into the dry well. There seemed nothing too special about it. It looked just like any ordinary water hole. He was about to enter into when the tree spoke again.

"You have only this night. Return before the day breaks."

Sesshoumaru nodded before disappearing into the old well. A blinding immensity of white light blasted from within and in the next second, the demon lord was gone.

"Oi, little imp, will Sesshoumaru like what he sees in his future?"

"XX$?,,,"

"Ah… I see…" The tree laughed heartily. "He already knows her… That's… most interesting… You merely allowed him to look into his heart."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

In a single elegant leap, Sesshoumaru exited the well and started surveying around him. He instantly recognized the location. He was in the parts just a little away from the northern gates of his ancestral fortress. He took in the scents, fragments of memories of his childhood played in his mind. He had not returned home since the time when he went back to ask his mother about the Meidou; how to complete its circle.

Yes. That was when he learnt in the most painful manners that Rin could not be revived the second time with Tenseiga. He was the one to blame for the girl's second encounter with death. If only he had left her with the humans, then she'd never be in a position of danger. Perhaps, he should….. He willed the tremors down his spine to stop. It is true that his final decisions for the girl was still unknown, undecided. But this night, he certainly did not wish to dwell into that.

He was here for a purpose…

Why did the yume-no-youkai send him here? Does this mean that his 'mate' is here, in his courts?

He frowned, a hint of disappointment flashed across his striped features. She is one picked by his mother then, a pure breed phantom dog Taiyoukai, a distant cousin perhaps. He concluded, shaking his head. It had always been done… these prearranged matings to preserve the purity of the clan.

Sesshoumaru sighed. All of a sudden, he was no longer interested to meet his 'mate'. He turned to face the well and was about to re-enter when he changed his mind. He was already here. Even if he did not wish to meet this so-called mate, he could…well… at least take a stroll round his fortress.

He pushed open the heavily rusted gates, stepping into the private gardens of the inner courts. This part of the fortress was actually his own quarters; his sleeping chambers and his study. The garden joins the two and had no other entrances. In this way, he was assured of his own space for thoughts.

As he made his way across the garden to his sleeping chambers, he stopped in his track. There was a scent of another being here this night. His brows constricted with slight annoyance. He had always given strict orders for absolutely no one to enter his private space, the penalty of which was execution.

Of course he was aware that this was the future. But surely, he wouldn't have changed his mind about keeping this part of the fortress to himself…. Would he?

From behind a huge rock, he stood watching as a slim silhouette graced along the stone pavements leading to the koi pond. Under the dimly lit lanterns which lined the passage, Sesshoumaru was able to see that it was a female, a girl dressed in a cream sleeping yukata. Her flowing tresses cascaded down to her almost her knees, half of it tied into a crooked bun. Though he was a mere few feet away, she seemed completely unaware of his presence. And her scent…. Her scent… There was certain familiarity to it….

Sesshoumaru gasped.

Rin! She's… Rin!

That realization brought a smile to the demon lord's lips. His little Rin had grown… so much… She's practically a lady now.

So… since she is here…

It meant that he would somehow decide in the near future to allow her to remain with him. He nodded in agreement straight away. In anyways, he had found extremely unthinkable to bear the idea of separating with her. Of course, the fact that he did not trust the humans one bit had it easier. He was unable to be sure if Rin would be mis-treated as she had been before she had come to meet him.

Quietly staying hidden, Sesshoumaru allowed himself to admire her rather appreciatively. She was much taller now, coming to a little more than his shoulder. That would definitely put Jaken to shame. Her features had become more defined, her brown eyes wide and deep set. The smooth slender curves of her body was obvious even under the loosen gown and as she strolled, stopping and bending to brush her fingers against the ripples on the pond, her hair had curtained around her, some straying to dip into the waters.

That's his little Rin eh? Sesshoumaru couldn't conceal his chuckle. Yet, Rin's scent, there was something not quite the same about and he was unable to tell what exactly made it so.

"Who's there?" The young lady had thought she was alone until she heard s strange sort of sound, like a laugh. This is the western's lord's private garden. No one should be here.

Sesshoumaru froze. He was discovered. Should he take leave immediately or should he go ahead to speak with her? He was in the midst of battling indecision when he heard a short groan of pain escape her lips. He turned to examine her worriedly.

He could only see her back but she seemed to be convulsing in pain, her knees wobbling shakily. He dashed out at the speed of light, caught her just as she lost her balance.

Rin blinked away her bleary vision to figure out who had cushioned her fall and the demon lord knew it was too late for him to retreat.

"S-Sesshoumaru?"

Even for the great Taiyoukai, he was a little too disorientated and tensed to have noticed that Rin had not used his honorific. For the first time, he was looking at the young lady up at such close proximity, feeling the softness of her warmth in his embrace. She still smelt as she used to be, so sweet and delectable, just that now, there was a rather seductive feminity in it. The mixed emotions within him began to stir, baffling him, confusing him and he was at a lost of words.

So, he merely looked down at her in silence.

"I-I thought you mentioned that you wouldn't be back till a few days later…" She started first, her hands reaching down to her waist to stroke gently at the small bulge at her belly.

Sesshoumaru shuddered as he followed her vision downward.

Rin…. was pregnant?

How can this be? Internally the demon lord growled in anguish and strange jealousy. He did a quick mental count of her present age. She should be right about sixteen and she is already mated? Who dares to touch his Rin? Which filthy male….

His fingers scrunched tightly to a white ball as he imagined a thousand ways he could lay his venomous claws on the outrageous perpetrator. Anxiously, he sniffed her for the scent of another.

There was none.

She was like before. She smelt of herself, of the flowers which she loved to pick, and she smelt a little of Jaken and Aun and then, she smelt of …him. His youkai senses did not fail to make him notice that Rin was in fact, smelling extremely strongly of him.

The demon lord searched desperately for a logical explanation in his mind but was abruptly interrupted.

"The pup had been kicking me a lot lately." His eyes dipped as in time to catch a weak smile on Rin's face as she looked up at him. "Perhaps, he misses his chichiue.. just like his mother."

Pup? Sesshoumaru's magenta strips paled as he understood the underlying meaning in her words. She was talking to him. No, he corrected instantly. She was talking about him.

He was the father of the baby in her womb.

He gasped.

She.

She was his destined mate! Rin.

Yes, it was all piecing into the puzzle. She was in his garden because she was now the lady of his house and she was smelling so deeply of him because …because…

He shook his head violently. He admitted to adoring the girl since the day he met her and kept her by his side. But the thought of mating her, though he had never once truly despised her heritage and species…. He would be a beast to be harboring such perverted lust for a child. Naturally, the thought had never crossed his mind.

Rin winced again in pain and this time, Sesshoumaru instinctively brought her closer to his chest. "A-Are you alright?" He flipped her thick fringe to the side, instantly noticed the imprint of a crescent moon on her temple.

That was the final proof that he needed. Only if she was his life mate would she have gained his marking. And only when she received that mark would she share his youkai life span, thus being able to be with him till the end.

A profound smile adorned his lips. Somehow, he was strangely relieved that his mate was not a forced match by his mother.

"I'm fine, Anata…" He watched as Rin grinned sheepish, her eyes glowing so much… love… for him that he got lost in them for a moment. Then, he felt her shiver under the cold night air. A small sense of contentment was also in the midst of building up within him. She called me her anata… her sweetheart.

"Why are you out here at such unearthly hours?" He chided rather sternly. "You should be in bed."

"I couldn't sleep." She chirped a quick defense, trying to get up on her own but he stopped her, holding her in place so that she could not move away from his grasp.

With a sigh of pretended frustration, he gathered her steadily in his arms, lifting her up and returned indoors. He would have placed his pelt on her to keep her warm but… he had already given it to… well… little Rin.

As the screen door of the chamber slid open, he was greeted with the mixtures of scents in his room. Rin's scents had intertwined delicately with his and it was so intense and strangely, he was beginning to like it.

His attention did not leave the girl in his arms as he walked to the huge bed carved into the floor, placing her comfortably in them, then covering her with the silken quilts. He had felt the immense youki from within her and he knew that must be his unborn heir. Though still at its initial stage of gestation, the demon lord had already scent its masculinity.

Can Rin's body withstand a pregnancy like that?

He had heard too many stories about unions between demons and humans and how the female would suffer if they were impregnated. The more powerful the youkai, the more risky to bear an heir. Even when Rin had shared his life-span, she would still no doubt suffer much discomfort and pain, especially when the pup in her womb was showing potentials of being very close to a full youkai.

"Don't worry, Anata, I'm really fine." Rin must have read the changes of expressions in his eyes correctly. Her hands stretched to outline the cheek bone of his dispassionate face and then grazing up to the tip of his ear. He tingled at the sensation her touch brought. He shifted to meet her eyes, their molten intensities making him unable to look away again. "Are you alright? You don't quite seem like yourself tonight."

Her query shocked him out of his momentary trance, making him realized that he was now in her time.

"I'm fine, just a little tired perhaps." He replied her and he heard her laugh.

Rin had shifted herself to make space for him in the bed. She smacked on the sheets and then smiling up at him. It was a clear invitation for him to join her, which he naturally should… since now he was her mate. But….

As though sensing his reluctance, the young lady frowned questioningly, wanting to lurch forward to assist him. Sesshoumaru stopped her immediately, not wishing that she over exert herself. He was about to relent and get into the bed with her when she heard her soft chuckles again. "Anata, seriously, are you going to come to bed with all that heavy metal?" She poked at his armor with a wink.

Right. He had forgotten about that. But… how much was he going to undress in front of his little Rin?

Right. She was not that little anymore. And she also was no longer his ward. She was his …

With a forced expression on is usually suave facade, Sesshoumaru unbuckled the hinges of his breast plate, letting it drop onto the floor. He then sat at the corner of the bed, debating furiously internally whether to remove the outer layer of his kimono when a gentle hand answered his prayers by moved forward to loosen his ties. She let the printed fabric slide off his shoulders and he reflectively allowed her to do so.

He settled in with her, sighing as he let his hand run against the smoothness of the silken sheets. He had forgotten how much he missed this….his bed …his home. He felt his arm being lifted and he looked down just in time to watch Rin manipulating his limb so that she could snuggle in under it. She lay her head on his chest, letting herself relax by listening quietly to his heart beat. His own arm had found her waist and like it had a mind of its own, it circled round her curve, feeling the silk which still hid her bare skin from his touch. His fingers came into contact with the presence of his pup at her belly.

A father to be, is he?

He couldn't help being excited to see a miniature version of himself… well… and Rin.

He sighed again, genuinely concerned when the subject fell upon the girl now drawing little patterns on his bare skin, where the folds of his kimono had parted into a deep 'v'. Why did he ever allow her to be impregnated in the first place, knowing that she would inevitably suffer the pains?

"Anata… there you go again…" She chimed, in the middle of hummed tune.

"Huh?" He was a little startled.

"You're getting all worried about me and our pup. We've discussed this before. You need an heir and I'm not afraid." She lifted his palm to face her and placed a kiss on it. "Beside, Jinenji-san is a good physician. He'll make sure nothing goes wrong."

She was reading him like a book, and he had not even spoken. Famous for his ingenious use of herb and medications, Jinenji, the hanyou was now caring for Rin? That had definitely brought some form of assurance for the demon lord.

His hand rose to massage his nose. "You are never afraid of death, aren't you Rin?"

"Nope." Her chuckles filled the air. "As long as you're with me…"

"And you enjoy making humor out of this…."

"I love you…"

Sesshoumaru hadn't the time to be in shock at those three words just spoken by the young lady when he felt his face being brought down by a slender hand….. and she kissed him straight on the lips.

His breath hitched as the sensations of her soft lips trailed over his own. That… was the first time he had ever been kissed. He looked at her with confusion at first, watching her smiling ever so brilliantly… and so filled with love…

Rin moved to sprawl over his body, placing her chin in between both her hands now resting across his chest. She admired his surprise for a while, then playfully lurched up to steal a kiss from him again.

This time, Sesshoumaru returned the kiss, cautiously at first, then increasingly more passionate. She tasted so warm and… sweet… and she smelt simply… wonderful like summer blossoms. Uncontrollably, his one clawed hand pulled her closer, deepening their kiss, the other had intelligently wandered to untie the knot holding her gown in place.

Rin broke the kiss, shifted back enough for him to notice how her fold was beginning to drop, revealing the sensuous hills of her cleavage and then, her pinked tips. She was panting a little, her breasts swaying with each rise and fall of her chest.

Sesshoumaru stared at the sight presented before him, suppressing the aching need to fondle them. He bit his lips, his golden eyes turning dark and honeyed with desire he was trying hard to flame down. He should not be doing this… It was not his time…

He took in an abrupt intake of breath. Rin had caught him unawares again as she began kissing a passage down starting from his chin, then to his collarbone, then slowing down every inch of his pale fresh that bare before her as she parted his clothed folds. His mind was saying no but his back had most naturally arched up to meet her.

Totally disarranged, he froze when she reached down, licking at the silvery hair at his navel. He felt her pull on the ties of his hakama, then dipping her hand into it, and he felt her fingers lightly grasping his masculine appendage, bringing his erection up to view.

Rin's brows furrowed as she wondered why her husband had been acting peculiar that night. He seemed alien to her touch and this game of foreplay. Even on their first mating when she had presented to him her virginity, he had been … well… more experienced.

Pushing that thought aside, she began pleasuring him, moving her hands up and down his entire thick length, hearing him bit down something that sounded like a stifled moan. Sesshoumaru tried hard to suppress the growing surge of his carnal instincts. His mind was now screaming no but his body was yearning for more…. and more

"Relax, anata… and enjoy…" her breath fanned hotly across his ears as she whispered endearments, which instantly crushed all walls that he had built up against her, against himself.

Sesshoumaru's hands glided down to the undersides of her breasts, teasing and reveling in the sensitive skin there. With trembling hands, he moved to cup her full globes, exploring with one then playing the other lazily. He felt their weight and feel round his palm, his fingers narrowed at her rosy buds, rolling them till they stood up with pride.

Rin began traveling further down and the demon lord let out a small noise of irritation as her breasts went beyond his reach. He gasped, sitting right up when he felt her taking him with her mouth but she placed a soothing hand on his muscled waist and soon he found himself relaxing into the sheets again, though far from relaxed.

Even though she was only able to take in only a few inches of his full length, the inner walls of her mouth and her probing tongue were doing things to him he never felt before. Pleasure was assaulting him senseless, making his claws leave permanent damages on the silken quilts.

When she finally moved up to smile at him, he let loose a small sigh of relief. He stared blankly at her flushed face for a while.

She's so beautiful, my Rin. That was the only thought repeating itself over and over again in his mind. The next thought was much more predatory… and the next, even more unthinkable.

He cupped her face, bringing her mouth to his, kissing her more thoroughly this time, tasting her and himself in her. Her lips parted with a muted moan and he dove into her mouth, his tongue claiming her inner caverns hungrily. She pressed into him, kissing him back as intently as she could and she felt herself being flipped over till he was above her instead.

They broke away momentarily for air, their chests heaved as they met each other's eyes.

"I missed you…" Her gentle breath was on his cheek as he kissed down her neck to her shoulder, meeting with fabric which he spread them apart so that she finally bared her body to his sight. He let his eyes feast on her innocent beauty. Her skin was a youthful pink and flawless. Her belly was only slightly expanded; the pup was probably only a couple of weeks old. Her slender muscled legs were slightly parted as he was settling in between them and they converged at the centre of her heat, her treasure hidden like a mysterious prize by the swollen lips of her sex.

His molten ambers fixed on the swells of her breasts now fully in sight and he plunged forward, taking them open mouth, nibbling, suckling, tasting them, feeling her own back now arched toward him as though wishing for more.

His hands explored her hills and valleys freely, heading south till one finger slid between her wet folds, reaching for her jewel. Experimentally, he stroked the rough patch of his thumb over it, hearing his name called out.

She likes that…. A small smirk of victory danced his lips and he endeavored, rubbing her more, feeling her increased readiness dripping between his fingers. He slid a finger into where her scent of arousal was strongest, feeling his digit being hotly wrapped and sucked in as he pushed it into her then out of her and in again. He felt her thrash and he knew, he had to taste it. He bulleted down, attacked her bud with his tongue, his laps and strokes now merciless. She bucked wildly against him, the sweet sounds of her pleasure began filling the room.

"I… want you…" He whispered as he finally returned up to meet her eyes again. Before indecision could sink in, he had admitted to her his need. Yes. He wanted this… wanted her… now… Perhaps he might regret this later… but he really could not care… at least not for now. But, he just had to ask her. He needed to know. "Rin, will you think this Sesshoumaru as a lecher?"

Her giggles filled the air and she placed a chaste kiss on his lips. "Please… anata…" She spread her legs wider in invitation as he kicked away his hakama, then positioning himself between her thighs. Pausing only for a short moment, Sesshoumaru tilted her pelvis, angling her and placing a pillow under her. He was suddenly reminded of her delicate form and he did not wish to hurt her in the midst of satiating his own desire.

"Are you ready?" He hissed as his hand moved to the nape of her neck, bringing her up to take her mouth again, this time, in a maddening kiss filled with pure, wanton lust.

"Make… love… to me… Sessho…"

Moving his tip to her ready entrance, he pushed steadily into her, feeling every bit of resistance her tight inner walls were putting up until he was completely shafted in. Then, he began with at a slow pace, enjoying this new game as much as the soft cries of the female pressed securely under him.

"More….Sessho…" She groaned as she chanted his name again and again and the demon lord needed not to be told twice.

He held her legs in place, his strokes hastening, his arousal heightening. A strange heated wave was building up in him, blurring his senses. He took her again and again, claiming her madly, losing himself until a flash of white light blinded his vision, a deep tremor cruised through his entire body. He felt almost away from his body for a long moment, and somewhere between here and there, he felt Rin convulsing under him.

Letting out a long sigh, Sesshoumaru rolled over, collapsing onto the sheets as he pulled the girl to him, then replacing the covers over them. He had never felt this exhausted, even after the fiercest battles.

They lay silently in the embrace of each other for a long while.

"I didn't hurt you, did I?" He implored rather worriedly as he became gradually aware of what he had done, his hand moved to massage her belly.

"I'm alright, anata…" She pressed under his arm with a drowsy smile, her eyes sighting a glimpse of impending dawn. "But we'd better get some sleep. It's going to be morning soon."

Her statement drove away any bit of sleepiness in the demon lord.

Before dawn breaks…. He had to return to his time.

Sesshoumaru's fist tightened as his heart ached. He was actually reluctant to leave… but he knew he had to. This was not his time and if Rin was his future, the last thing he wished was to distort it any further than he already did. Quietly running his claws through her long tresses, he allowed himself to take one last look at her pretty face, one last sniff of her scent, etching it deeply into his memory.

He had to wait ten years to be continue this night with her and perhaps, waking up with her beside him. All of a sudden, ten years seemed like forever.

"Rin… beloved…" He caressed her chin lightly to wake her a bit. "I-I.. have to leave for somewhere… will be back in a few more days perhaps…"

"Hmm…." She turned to a comfortable position as sleep took her completely, his words probably ended up only in her dreams.

"I…" Sesshoumaru hesitated; fought back for a short moment before deciding to speak his heart. "I… love you…" Even as he said them, it was still all too awing to him. It wasn't in his time to say this… even though his feelings seemed so real.

And he knew. It was time to go.

He got dressed and making sure the silken quilts were offering her sufficient warm, he placed a last kiss on her temple.

"I will be seeing you soon… beloved…"

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(A song by Josh Groban, in my opinion, one of the most beautiful voices of this century)

You're Still You

Through the darkness, I can see your light

And you will always shine and I can feel your heart and mind

Your face I've memorized, I idolize just you

I look up to everything you are

In my eyes you do no wrong

I've loved you for so long and after all's been said and done

You're still you, after all, you're still you

You walk past me, I can feel your pain

Time changes everything, one truth always stays the same

You're still you, after all, you're still you

I look up to everything you are

In my eyes you do no wrong

And I believe in you although you never ask me to

I will remember you and what life puts you through

And in this cruel and lonely world I've found one love

You're still you, after all, you're still you.

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"So, Sesshoumaru, how was your trip?" Bokuseno couldn't resist asking even when he saw the demon lord taking leave without a word after he reappeared from the old well. "Did you meet your…."

He did not get to finish his query before he was cut off.

"You talk too much for a piece of wood." In the next moment, Sesshoumaru transformed into a huge ball of light in the pre-dawn sky and sped off into the forest.

A little distance away from the camping ground, he had returned to his youkai form, preferring to take a short stroll instead. His youkai ears were able to pick up sounds of conversations, meaning that the girl and toad had probably awakened. Sesshoumaru stopped, deciding that he needed some more time to readjust himself after his dream-like journey the night before. He wasn't sure how he'd react when he sees Rin again, now back as a child. Would he treat her differently from now onward? How would he manage not to remember his feelings for her…well… till she grew older?

Frankly, the demon lord hadn't the answer.

"Jaken-sama, I wonder how Kohaku is doing now? I hope he's better." He heard her little voice spoke and he paused to listen, hiding himself behind a thick bush.

"Girl, why are you always asking about the slayer boy? Are you… in LOVE with him?"

Sesshoumaru's brows rose with eager curiosity at that question. Though the toad was a little exaggerated, the demon lord could feel it too; that the girl had grown to be closer to the boy he had brought along.

Why was he so interested in her answer to such a silly question? Was he…. jealous?

Sesshoumaru shook his head in disbelief.

"Err… Jaken-sama?"

Still, his youkai ears leant closer to listen to her reply.

"What is it, Rin?"

"Err… What is… love?"

Sesshoumaru pinched his nose, letting off a small chuckle. Right. He'd almost forgotten. Rin's merely a child.

He had allowed himself to think too much.

Perhaps, like what the yume-no-youkai said, it is best to let time take its course.

"Rin…." He intoned as he walked out to meet her; He'd heard her tummy rumble.

The girl's eyes lit up at the sight of her lord. She hopped up instantly, running forward to welcome his return. "Sesshoumaru-sama… you've come back." She stood smiling widely at his feet and he looked down at her little chirpy features, his own face plain as ever.

"Rin, if you're hungry, go find your own food." Looking away, he ordered her as how he'd usually do.

"Hai!" He watched her little form skip off merrily and he felt a small tap on his foot.

"Ehh… Sesshoumaru-sama, is it safe to allow the girl to wander off like this on her own?" A drop of anxious sweat hung on the toad's brow.

"Then, what are you doing here?" He shot him a stare filled with menace and the toad gulped, shocked for a moment. He then started running toward the direction the girl was last seen, stumbling and tripping along the way.

Sesshoumaru's eyes drifted shut as he was greeted by a gentle gust of morning breeze.

A self fulfilling prophesy eh?

Somehow, it didn't matter anymore….

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My first one-shot, so please R&R and let me know how you like it….