The Lonely Heart

Chapter Twelve

DISCLAIMER: Inuyasha belongs to Rumiko Takahashi / the television series are produced by Sunrise.

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A little girl with raven tresses that fell in short curls down her back ran up to the miko, tugging at her apron, "Mama! Otōto is being mean!"

"Am not! Onēsan doesn't like the game I wanted to play!" A younger boy with short, silver white hair that stopped at his shoulders came into the kitchen behind her.

"Toshiro, stop antagonizing Rin please, I'm trying to finish baking the chocolate chip cookies for tonight." the miko sighed, whisking the cookie batter.

Rin's golden yellow eyes lit up, "Cookies! I love your cookies mama, they're delicious!"

"What's tonight mama?" Toshiro inquired.

The miko shook her head, "Toshiro, I've told you at least ten times today already. It's Kinrokansha, Labor Thanksgiving Day. When we are thankful for those around us, our family and friends. I'm bringing cookies for O bāchan, Oji Sota and idaina ojīchan, and papa will be making the noribachi and rice."

"I'm thankful mama, papa and Otōto, for the roof over our heads and the food that's always in our bellies, and for the friends I've made at school." Rin smiled, flashing her pearly white teeth.

The miko smiled, "I'm thankful to have been gifted with such beautiful children, a wonderful husband, amazing family and loyal friends."

"Children, run along and play for a bit longer, when your mama is done she'll help you guys get dressed for tonight." the daiyōkai said as he walked into the kitchen, placing a gentle kiss on the miko's cheek. 

Toshiro chased Rin out of the kitchen, and her shrill screams were echoed by his laughter. The miko shook her head with a loving smile on her lips. It had been almost seven years since they had been married, almost eight since she had become his mate. They had had Rin six years ago, and Toshiro followed behind by a year from his sister. 

Rin was almost a spitting image of the miko, the she had the daiyōkai's golden yellow eyes. The miko always had a small tuft of her hair pulled up into a pony tail on the right side of her head, reminding her so much of the energetic, young girl she had met in the feudal era. Rin was always running around the house, and when she wasn't, she was following the miko around like a little duckling.

Toshiro took after the daiyōkai, though his hair was much shorter than the daiyōkai's and he had the miko's chocolate brown eyes. When he wasn't messing with his sister, the daiyōkai was teaching him the manners of a gentleman. The children were not shielded from their heritage, their parents had told them when they were old enough to understand that their strength wasn't the same as their friends' at school. 

The miko would help Rin learn to control her reiki once her schoolwork was done, as well as teaching her how to wield a bow and infuse her reiki into the arrows. The daiyōkai was teaching Toshiro how to spar, but though they were taught about their powers, they were also taught not to use them unless it was absolutely necessary. When they were first told not to use them, of course they were curious as to why.

"Rin, Toshiro, I want you both to promise me something okay? I want you both to promise me not to use your powers or strength unless you absolutely have to." the miko said as she sat with the children on either side of her.

Rin's eyebrows furrowed, "But why mama? What's the point of having them if we can't use them all the time?"

"Because, there are many people who don't have them, and they are scared of those of us who do. That's why your papa and I don't use them, and we live here among the rest of us who do. The people who don't have them are so scared of us, that they have hurt a lot of us." the miko replied, a small frown tugging at her lips.