Till The End Of Time [Inuyasha Fanfiction ]
Chapter 71's

Sitting on the terrace outside Rin's room, Inuyasha and Miroku can only stare at the daytime sky in silence. Their faces were expressionless, probably because they were still trying to digest what had just happened.

"You know Inuyasha," said Miroku, smilingly looking at Inuyasha beside him. "I think Kagome is the bravest man there is."

Confused, Inuyasha looked at Miroku. "What do you mean?"

"She dares to come forward to stop Sesshoumaru and Akihiko-san," Miroku's laughter imagined what just happened. "No human would dare to stop those two youkai lords while smiling like him again in this world."

"Sad." looked away as if he didn't care, Inuyasha didn't reply to Miroku. However, there was a feeling of pride in his heart as his best friend acknowledged the incredible bravery of his wife.

Yep! Who would have imagined that Kagome would casually stop Sesshoumaru and Akihiko. Then, after that, without caring for the two youkai rulers, he pulled Rin over and called Sango and Inukimi to help treat the girl's hand in the room.

Inuyasha and Miroku who were left behind by the women can only follow from behind. Then, as the women entered the room, they were forced to sit on the front porch of Rin's room like bodyguards.

In Rin's room, Kagome applied her own concoction to the wounds on both arms of the human girl.

"Apply this remedy once every three hours on an injury to your arm Rin-chan. Otherwise, I'm afraid I'll turn blue." Kagome said as she placed a small bottle of ointment medicine in Rin's hand.

"Rin understands. Thank you, Kagome-sama." Rin nodded his head while clasping the medicine bottle in his hand.

"Are you tired, Rin-chan? If you are tired, you can rest." said Sango who was beside Kagome while staring at Rin. Taijiya was quite grateful because Rin's reaction to seeing Sesshoumaru was not what she feared.

"Eh? N-no, Rin is not tired." Rin replied quickly while shaking her head.

"Rest first, little Rin" interrupted Inukimi who was also in the room. "You just got back from the human city. You must be tired, don't push yourself."

Rin shook his head. "It's okay, Mother. Most importantly, Rin should talk to Sesshoumaru-sama first."

Rin's words directly made Kagome, Sango and Inukimi stare at the human girl with an illegible facial expression.

The southern land palace had calmed down again. After Kagome pulls Rin back to her room, neither Sesshoumaru nor Akihiko are making a fuss, nor are Kira, Kiri, Tsubasa and the youkai warriors in this palace.

Both Rin, Kagome, Sango and Inukimi have no idea what happens next. However, even so, in Rin's heart, he still feared that the two youkai rulers would re-ignite the flames of war. He would not calm down before obtaining certainty from them not to fight.

"Sesshoumaru? You want to talk to my stupid son?" ask Inukimi later.

Rin nodded his head. "Rin should also talk to Akihiko-sama. Rin doesn't want the west and south to fight anymore."

Rin's words once again made the women in the room look at him. But a moment later they laughed.

"Rin recalls little, it won't happen," smiled Inukimi touching her human daughter's head gently. "For now, there will be no war.."

Rin was still hesitant about Inukimi's words. But seeing that gentle gaze of inuyoukai, he was unable to say anything. The human girl could only answer with her shrinking voice. "Rin understands."

Inukimi stroked Rin's head gently. How sweet this human girl is, perhaps among all, she is the most concerned about the relationship between the west and the south. Avoiding war, not wanting anyone to die–meido seki shine is probably because of this desire.

Kagome and Sango could only smile at Rin's attitude. A war? Didn't know this human girl until now with the attitude that Akihiko the ruler of the southern lands showed her? Everyone could see how soft those two sky blue eyes were as they stared at Rin. That wolf youkai is unlikely to go to war with the west anymore.

Then, to Sesshoumaru..

The existence of that inuyoukai in the southern land palace has now proven Rin's meaning in his heart. This human girl was not the girl he brought to life for trying the power of tensaiga alone, nor was the human girl he raised because of her beauty, not his subordinates–Rin was a human girl that was very valuable to him.

War will never break out, as long as Rin wants it. Never imagined in their lives, if the existence of a human girl without spiritual power could determine the fate of the two biggest youkai clans in Japan.

"And in my opinion," Inukimi added with a laugh. "You better not meet my stupid son or the little wolf yet, little Rin. They both need time to calm their minds."

....xoxOx....

Sesshoumaru sat under a cherry tree in a forest not far from the southern earthen palace. With his eyes closed, his face was as calm and expressionless as ever.

Sesshoumaru left the southern land palace without saying anything after Kagome brought Rin back to the room. But, there was no intention in his heart to return to the west or leave the human girl–he would not return to the west without Rin.

In fact, Sesshoumaru did not want to leave Rin in the southern land palace anymore. However, looking at the wound on the hand of the human girl caused by him–dia could not. What's more, the facial expressions and tears that had piled up–she could really do anything.

What he has done to Rin, all the injuries and tears he caused– Sesshoumaru feels very guilty and sorry now.

"Sesshoumaru." The voice of a woman calling out her name was captured by the ears of the ruler of the western land. He already knew who was approaching him from earlier despite not opening his eyes, the aura of youkai emanating had already answered him–Inukimi.

Opening his eyes, Sesshoumaru's golden eyes looked at Inukimi. "What do you want, Mother?"

Inukimi smiled at Sesshoumaru's question. "What are you going to do now, Sesshoumaru?"

"What are you planning, Mother?" Sesshoumaru returned back to Inukimi's question with a question. There was no change in the expression on his face.

Inukimi did not hold back her laughter anymore seeing Sesshoumaru's reaction. "All I planned was the happiness of my daughter, Sesshoumaru."

Inukimi's answer made Sesshoumaru squint and stare intently at his biological mother.

"Rather than people who ignore and do not appreciate it, little Rin will definitely be happier with people who try hard to make her smile and laugh."

Inukimi's words made Sesshoumaru stunned. But a second later he again stared intently at his birth mother with both fingers tightly clenched.

Inukimi said, Sesshoumaru clearly knows. Akihiko's reaction and facial expression when dealing with Rin had explained to him in all clarity, what the southern land lord meant. The wolf youkai did not hide the slightest bit of the fact that he wanted the human girl.

Rin's plea and facial expression when asking her not to attack the south and injure Akihiko crossed Sesshoumaru's mind, and it made his heart start to panic for the first time. What if Rin ends up choosing Akihiko? What would he do if the girl chose the south?

Inukimi could see the panic in Sesshoumaru's golden eyes and the smile on his face grew wider. "You're really going to lose little Rin if it still hasn't changed, Sesshoumaru."

....xoxOx....

Rin's brown eyes couldn't hide the confusion. Kira and Kiri's whereabouts were not strange, but adding Tsubasa, the scene in front of them obviously became very strange.

"Tsubasa-sama, can Rin help you?" ask Rin slowly.

Rin's question made a smile on the face of the concubine of the southern land palace. "Hamba just wants to give you a greeting, Rin-sama. Sorry for being late, some of the busyness that exists makes the servant do not have time."

Rin smiles at Tsubasa's explanation, though in her heart she doesn't understand why Akihiko's beloved concubine apologized for greeting her late. Wasn't he the guest who was supposed to give greetings to Tsubasa?–because the existence of this bird youkai in the southern land palace is the responsibility of the palace in place of the southern Kisaki which is still empty.

"Tsubasa-sama, it was Rin who should have apologized for being late in greeting you." Rin's laughter then, the smile on her face widened.

Tsubasa kept smiling at Rin's words. His two red eyes stared fixedly at the human girl in front of him. Very beautiful with a dazzling smile–hime from the west in front of her had already returned to her true figure, unlike yesterday who was moody without a smile. The existence of Sesshoumaru right?–atakah Akihiko's efforts that have paid off?

Greeting is really just an excuse. Tsubasa's existence in this room is actually an order from Akihiko. The twins from the west who were heading for Rin's room made the ruler of the southern land wary, what if they brought the human girl back to the west on Sesshoumaru's orders all of a sudden?–no one can predict what the ruler of the western land has in mind. That's why he's here now, as a watchdog.

Kira and Kiri did not say anything, but they both also knew, what Tsubasa meant in Rin's room. Akihiko couldn't possibly let the human girl just be with them, as the ruler of the southern lands had gone to great lengths to get her to set foot in the southern land palace.

"Tsubasa-sama," call Rin again. "Are you busy due to preparations for hanami?"

Tsubasa nodded her head at Rin's question. Hanami to be held for the first time in the southern land palace was an important agenda that Akihiko planned, therefore his preparation also took a lot of time.

"That's it!!" laughing, Rin immediately grasped Tsubasa's hands tightly. "Then let Rin help you, Tsubasa-sama!!"

"Of course, thank you for being willing to help the servant, Rin-sama." Tsubasa nodded his head again. The southern land lord's concubine did not refuse Rin's help at all, because long before this human girl set foot here, Akihiko had told her to let the western hime do whatever she wanted.

Satisfied with Tsubasa's reply, Rin then unfurled the hand of the concubine of the southern land lord and turned her face to look at Kira and Kiri. The existence of the two of them was indeed not strange, but, in this south, shouldn't they be next to Sesshoumaru who was their master? "Consider-sama, Left-sama, you are ber–"

"We are in your room now because of Sesshounaru-sama's orders." cut Left flat. His golden eyes were then directed at Tsubasa. "We can't leave you unattended in this south, Rin-sama."

Kira did not say anything, but the look in her eyes that looked at Tsubasa was definitely not a friendly look.

Tsubasa kept smiling at the left, no reaction to the twin's gaze from the west.

"Sesshoumaru-sama's government??!" rin asked suddenly, his eyes widened in disbelief.

Kira nodded her head. "Yes, Rin-sama."

Kira's answer made Rin smile very widely. Both of his eyes sparkled happily unbearably. Sesshoumaru's orders?–himself may think that the inuyoukai is still worried about him, right?

Tsubasa who saw Rin's smile was stunned. The smile was very beautiful; it was like a flower bud blooming. However, that stunned sense immediately turned into a cynical laughter in the heart. Akihiko tried hard to make this human girl smile, from the cherry blossom garden to the human city. However, one simple concern Sesshoumaru could already make the same human girl smile like this.

The meaning of Sesshoumaru in the heart of hime from west–how stupid Akihiko thought he could replace him.

....xoxOx....

Night had arrived, the sun above the blue sky had replaced the moon and the black sky. In a forest full of huge trees, not a single night star would dare to roam, because their instincts tell of dangerous creatures.

Sitting quietly in his place since last afternoon, Sesshoumaru did not move in the slightest. However, all of a sudden, his two tightly shut golden eyes opened. That Inuyoukai could feel a familiar aura approaching him.

Gazing at the source of the aura of the youkai approaching him, Sesshoumaru's eyes then caught the figure of a silver-haired and sky-blue-eyed wolf youkai walking towards him–Akihiko.

Walking closer to Sesshoumaru, Akihiko did not say anything, but there was a small smile on his face. Stopping not far in front of that inuyoukai, the smile of that southern land lord grew wider.

"I don't want to mince words with you Sesshoumaru," Akihiko began his conversation. His two sky blue eyes looked at Sesshoumaru. "Take off Rin."

Sesshoumaru did not say anything hearing Akihiko's words, but the gazes of his two golden eyes sharpened.

"You don't deserve him." Akihiko again.

Sesshoumaru chuckled softly at the words of the southern land lord in front of him, but anyone who heard could catch the horrors contained. "So you think you deserve him?"

Akihiko laughed at Sesshoumaru's question. "Yes. Rin would be happier if it were mine than yours."

Not knowing since when, in one blink of an eye, Sesshoumaru had been in front of Akihiko. Gripping the collar of the southern land lord's haori, his golden eyes that had turned blood red stared at the wolf youkai full of anger. "Rin's not an item."

Sesshoumaru's angry gaze did not frighten Akihiko. He smiled even more defiantly. "Don't you think that? That's why you can treat her as you like."

Sesshoumaru did not reply to Akihiko's words anymore. He tried desperately to hold back the anger in his heart that wanted to explode.

"I'll give it everything you can't give Rin, Sesshoumaru," Akihiko laughed again. His right hand patted Sesshoumaru's shoulder gently. "So you don't have to worry."

Everything she couldn't give to Rin? How Sesshoumaru wanted to laugh with what Akihiko said. Know what this wolf in front of her what the human girl wanted the most?

Releasing Akihiko's haori collar, Sesshoumaru then chuckled lightly. "You have absolutely no idea what Rin wants."

Akihiko kept smiling at Sesshoumaru's words. Not caring for the inuyoukai in front of him, he then turned his back and walked away. "We'll see."

Sesshoumaru did not pay attention to Akihiko's figure anymore. His blood furious eyes immediately returned golden-colored. Standing quietly in silence, he then raised his head staring at the night sky.

What does Rin want most? What the human girl wanted from childhood never changed, that is; forever together.

How could Akihiko give that to Rin? Youkai and human, Akihiko never knew the real Rin at all.

....xoxOx....