Sesshomaru's Children...

I know some have already addressed this issue artistically, but I want to voice some thoughts about Sesshomaru and his "adoption" of Rin.

The adoption of the waif Rin by the uber-InuYoukai Sesshomaru was without a doubt, a real head-scratcher.  What was it all about anyway?  Well, I think that it was likely not much more than what it was on the surface, really.  Meaning, I think that he adopted Rin after he invested some rare emotions in her.  He was surprised that she would go through so much to take care of him in his time of need, even when he tried to drive her away.  And when she chose to follow him on his travels, he looked after her, despite his seemingly cold responses to her.  Her unstinting devotion moved him in a way that he clearly liked, enough so that he never once thought of simply dropping her off in some village.

Even though Rin is largely a simplistic character, she brings more to Sesshomaru than she does to herself in the way of depth.  This depth was necessary to Sesshomaru's development since he had to progress enough to merit his true sword, which comes along late in the series.  Eventually though, Sesshomaru recognizes that Rin needs to learn other more human skills and commends her to Kaede's care; even bringing her other clothes to wear.

Sooooo, now what?  My personal guess was going to be that he would wait.  He would go on about his business of honing his power and strength, and she would spend those years growing up and maturing.  Once she reached a marriageable age, he would arrive in the village again and ask her to be his bride.  He, like all youkai are incredibly long-lived, and so time is something he pays little attention to.  Ten years or so would go by hardly noticed, and then Rin could approach him as a full-grown woman.

I imagined her as strong and strong willed; self-reliant and independent.  All are qualities she would have gained from taking care of herself at Sesshomaru's heel.  She fished and foraged for herself, managed her own time when he was away, and had a good head for dealing with danger and strange people or youkai.  Magnified in a full grown individual, she would be quite a mover and shaker.

For Sesshomaru, who has shown no interest in the opposite sex beyond Rin, these would be qualities he would respect and value at least to some extent.  And if we assume that's the case, then we can see at least in part, why Kagome makes such a good match for him.  I draw the line at her skills for dealing with people and youkai though.  Her thoughtless disregard for Hojo (both eras), mistreatment of InuYasha, and tendency to place herself in harm's way are definitely traits she would need to work on.  They are all things Sesshomaru would not put up with at all.

So if I ask myself what the future might hold, I'd say Sesshomaru is destined for a human bride, whether it's Rin or Kagome.  Now let's do the math:  uber-inuyoukai fathers child with human woman and you get:  a hanyou just like InuYasha.  A cousin.  If a boy, InuYasha might see him as a younger brother.  If a girl though, it would be a half-human girl he *could* marry.  (At least by today's standards.)  Now THERE'S a storyline I bet no one's thought of yet!  I won't lay money on it though.

Can you imagine Sesshomaru's face when his baby is laid in his arms and it has dog-ears just like his much-disliked little bro?  Would he love the babe or would he associate it with the animosity he has toward InuYasha?  Oooh, more drama and angst!  A child's journey to gain acceptance in the eyes of the father.  InuYasha has long since given up any notion of being accepted by either his father or brother, but he does want Sesshomaru's respect.

In Dogs of War, I have taken the Rin grown up approach, though I will not reveal just how far it goes.  Will spend some time today doing some more writing on it.  My trip north really jogged my creativity!