Chapter 1: Time Passed Slowly
Time passes slowly now, I sit in wait for the next attack. I can feel the blood drying on my scalp from the blow received during the last attack. The bark of the tree scratched at my back and shoulders as I pressed myself against it. I was playing cat and mouse with this creature, and I was the mouse. I didn’t like the predicament I had gotten myself into. Why was I so stuck on trying to make myself seem stronger than I really was?
Tree branches rustle above me. A tear runs down my cheek. I’m too afraid to look up, but my hand tightens on the hilt of my sword. My hand slips before getting a good grip on my sword. I didn’t even notice the blood feeding the earth under my feel. My eyes feel so tired. My head is spinning, my eyes swarm and can’t focus around me.
“I’m going to die…” my lips whisper with a voice hoarse and unlike my own. I let out a small laugh of irony and press my back onto the trunk of the tree to stand up. The beast jumps before me, snarling and growling with a red hot passion. Serves me right for coming upon the she-beast’s nest of pups. I knew I was going to die the moment I saw the little pup. Red streaks grew from her eyes as she raised an enormous paw up to finish me off. I shut my eyes and dropped my sword as I felt the pain that never came. When I opened my eyes, a woman stood before me, a demon woman. She was dressed in the finest of silks, her long black hair was tied into an eccentric braided bun, and she had pink stripes across her cheeks, as well as a blue half moon on her forehead.
“Forgive the anger, human,” the demon said softly, the red of anger leaving her eyes. I stood trembling before her. I could feel ripples of her power lapping against me. “I should have found a better spot to birth my pup… Leave now, and speak not of this location to anyone. I know your scent. If others come, I will hunt you until your last day.” I stammered a vow to remain silent, grabbed my sword, fumbled as I tried to stumble away. Suddenly, I was engulfed in pink. I screamed in shock, but I felt better, cleaner, whole. I looked over myself and saw all my wounds healed.
“Thank you, m’lady!” I bowed many times to her before scrambling off back to my family to tell of my good fortune.
The demon watched the hunter run off, her stomach rumbling from lack of food. This was to be her last pup for a while, and nothing was to harm it. Her previous had been harmed by human hunters, and now was a three legged, rather than a four legged inuyoukai. Her son’s health wasn’t the best either. Pink eyes glistened as the sound of her pup squealing for milk was brought to her ears. Taking off towards her den, she held her ears open as a new sound was brought forth. Pausing, she tackled the male scent she knew as her mate and snatched the newly fallen deer from him. A pleased smirk crossed his lips to see his ravishing mate take off before him, returning to her den. His chase gave way and he followed her at a short distance, feeling her power as she pulled down the barriers set around her new born male pup, and bring up new barriers around the family of three.
The female youkai knelt beside her pup and brought him up, the top of her kimono gracefully falling to give forth the nutrients needed to sustain her little son. Though he was little now, he would soon grow to an adept size to fend for himself, even if he would not leave the comforts of his family’s mansion. The male youkai knelt beside his mate and pulled her and their pup into his arms, cradling them.
“Having so many pups to watch over is rather difficult, and Jaken has his scaly claws full with the triplets. Gabriel and Inumaru have taken Kaira to Inuyasha’s village to visit Emiko, Kohaku, and Keitaro. Inuyasha sent word that his Masako was doing well with their newest, a female christened Nami. Oki and Suki sent pictures of their gardens and of themselves. They are growing into fine young hanyou females for that mutt of a brother of mine to be proud of. His mate doesn’t seem to be capable of giving him heirs though.” The male spoke the news into his mate’s ear as she purred and wrapped her ebony tail around herself and her pup. A silvery silk fascination wrapped around all three of them as he continued. “Aiko and Amaya are at home with Yohaka, and the two of them are keeping watch over Goro, Haru, Miya, and Yasuo. Satu and Rin are home again, Sanyu and Tama are well, hoping to see the new pup. Their mother was ecstatic when I told her where her mother was. She smelt of attempted pup, but I couldn’t tell yet or not. Humans take a bit longer to tell than youkai.”
“What of Washi? Is he well?” The female asked her mate as she took the suckling pup to her other nipple. There was a tension of hesitancy from the male.
“Not as well as before you left to birth, my love. He misses his mother, and his hobbling seems more weighted. He won’t let the nurse by him, and he only wants his mother,” he was silent for a moment. “For a pup of only 5, he is a stubborn little one, isn’t he?” The female chuckled.
“He gets it from you, Sesshoumaru,” she purred. A comfortable silence passed between the mated couple.
“Does our pup have a name?” Sesshoumaru asked quietly, running a soft hand over the small mass of hair on top of newborn head.
“Keiji.”
“To Lead Cautiously? Why such a name for one so young?”
“He will grow into it, I can see him leading his family to great things one day, when we are but a memory,” her voice was soft, distant. Sesshoumaru licked her mating mark softly.
“I must return. Come home soon?” Sesshoumaru kissed her mark once she nodded and unwrapped his silken fascination from them before disappearing from the den.
“My Keiji. You will lead us to great things,” the female whispered softly as she kissed his sleeping head.
Gabriel slowly walked the elaborate hallways that made up his home. His long hair was tied into a ponytail at the nape of his neck, a working of his younger sister’s that he barely made out of her room alive. He and his twin brother, Inumaru, were the only two hanyou in the entire family. Being first born from their once human mother and their youkai father, Gabriel and Inumaru shared the ears of their uncle, Inuyasha.
Upon returning from their short visit to Inuyasha’s village to see Emiko, her siblings, and their unrelated Aunt and Uncle, Gabriel had news for his father that he was sure his mother would be displeased in hearing. Not only had Inumaru stolen Emiko and brought her home with them, but Aunt Sango and Uncle Miroku had birthed another daughter without informing his mother of the new blessing.
A sharp scent brought the silver hared hanyou to his father’s office and noticed he was in. With a strong knock, followed by a grunted answer, Gabriel entered his father’s study.
Inumaru’s black hair flowed much like his Uncle Inuyasha’s hair did. His silver ears peeked from the ebony terraces and twitched every now and then as Emiko fluffed them with her thumb and index finger. They were in the garden, where they used to play as young children, but now that both were nearing 23 and 22 years old, respectively, friendship between the two had increased to something more.
“A'Janae!” Inumaru heard his littlest brother calling for his nurse youkai. Washi had short black hair, a scar across his left cheek, and walked on only one leg, his right leg having been taken by hunters when he was a newborn. Inumaru hurried to Washi as he saw him stumble a bit. Picking him up, Washi tried to smile, but his eyes were always so sad, that his attempts to smile always brought tears to his brother’s eyes.
“You okay, Washi?” Inumaru asked softly, setting him down and picking up his walking stick for him. Washi put the stick under his right arm and tried to smile again.
“I was looking for A’Janae. I’m Hungry…” At that moment, a tall, slender orange neko youkai came into the garden.
“There you are! I’ve been looking all over for you Washi! Come and eat your dinner!” The orange neko scolded and went to the boy’s side. The two walked back into the mansion as Inumaru returned to Emiko’s side.
“You’re so good to your brother…” She whispered softly.
“Kind of have to be. When my mother brought him home after the hunters had attacked them, my father and mother were so upset, so broken. My mother turned most of her attention to trying to heal him, but for some reason, she couldn’t,” Inumaru sighed. “My father was so angry at my mother he didn’t talk to her for a week. It wasn’t her fault, though. How could it have been when they were ambushed.” Emiko wove her fingers between his and leaned against his arm. They relaxed for a minute together before a strong wind broke them apart.
“What are you thinking?” Came an angry voice that belonged to the graceful inutaiyoukai that held his son by his kimono front. Inumaru looked frightened for a moment. Gabriel stood beside him, Emiko behind him.
“Father, you’re over reacting!” Gabriel insisted, watching his father’s anger flame off his aura in red shots.
“Why did you bring her here without her parent’s knowledge?!” He asked, his better half listening to the reason that his oldest son spoke. His anger subsided slowly.
“Miroku wouldn’t have let her come!” Inumaru defended, almost dumbly. Sesshoumaru started at him, un-amused as he straightened up and let go of his son.
“I thought your mother and I raised you better than that, Inumaru. I’m disappointed in you,” with that Sesshoumaru turned and went back into the house.
The brothers and Emiko stood there for a moment before Inumaru growled at Gabriel. Gabriel looked at his brother in shock. Emiko jumped, backing away from the twin boys.
“You think I told him?” Gabriel asked, stunned at his twin. Inumaru growled lower at him.
“Well how else could he have found out?!” He yelled. Hurt crossed Gabriel’s features as he turned from his twin.
“I didn’t tell him. He smelt her on me. He said the scent would not have been that strong if she didn’t come with us. He asked if we had Uncle Miroku’s permission and I couldn’t lie to him…” Inumaru growled again, turning his back on his twin. “What was I supposed to do, Nu?” Gabriel asked softly, hurt that his twin would react so oddly. Inumaru’s growling softened at the nickname given to him by their mother when they were young.
“I don’t know! I just… wanted…” He hesitated, looking at Emiko. Emiko was looking at him from under her eyelashes, her hands clasped before her. “I just wanted to be with her.” He whispered softly enough for only their keen ears to hear. Gabriel sighed softly, and moved to his bother.
“Then come, we will return to her village and ask permission,” Gabriel moved his brother to Emiko and took their hands, placing them together so their fingers entwined. Gabriel took his hands away and sighed in his mind. The looks of joy locked in Inumaru and Emiko’s eyes reminded him of Kiara. Too bad she had gone with Shippo and Yama to help with their little pups. Gabriel watched their auras intertwine and caress the other in a shy but loving way. A soft caress of apples and lilac graced the wind, mixed the with smell of a newborn pup, coming through the garden from the east. Inumaru and Gabriel both stopped, becoming tense, and then grinning like little children. Mother was back.
Kagome carried her son in her ebony tail. She was walking slowly, telling her son all about his family and the past. Her senses spiked as a familiar scent rose to her nose. Her mate stopped in front of her, taking her and their son into his arms. Kagome laughed as he twirled her around.
“Sesshou! You’ll make Keiji sick!” Kagome giggled and tickled him with the tip of her tail. Sesshoumaru nuzzled his mate’s neck as he set her down.
“I thought you said you wouldn’t be home until later in the week,” he whispered as he kissed her neck softly. Kagome purred and nuzzled their son’s forehead.
“I felt your anger, and decided to come home before I had to bury a son,” Kagome joked softly. Sesshoumaru stiffened and sighed.
“I’m sorry love. Inumaru brought Emiko back to the palace without asking for her parents permission. With the rumors being spread about our family, I don’t need hunters coming here in search of my son’s head because people say he runs off with maidens.” Sesshoumaru looked a the palace as their two eldest sons and Emiko appeared at the front gate. Gabriel had Washi on his shoulders.
“Mother!” Inumaru waved to his parents from across the large stretch of meadow. Kagome waved back as she and her mate walked towards them. Little children ran out from the entry way, three little heads of black ran in circles around their tall elder brothers and took off across the meadow towards their parents. Two older females, one with the palest of long silver hair and the other with short black hair, emerged behind their brothers, the black hared one waving at her parents before running after her three siblings. A little green toad was squawking behind them all, yelling at them to wait up. Sesshoumaru took his son from his mate so she could run to meet her children.
The first wave hit with three little 10 year old black headed triplets as they catapulted themselves at their mother, landing on her with a force that knocked her backwards into the grasses. Kagome laughed as her children crawled over her, hugging her, and kissing her and talking so fast she could barely keep up. Her daughter came to her rescue and pulled one of the boys off Kagome, making it so she could sit up. Kagome hugged her two remaining children to herself, her tail wrapping around her eldest daughter and her other son.
“Aiko, My darling, how are you?” Kagome asked as she hugged her eldest daughter. Aiko brushed her chin-length black hair behind her ear.
“I’m okay. Daddy said that Yohaka’s grandson was interested in me. He said it was that one we saw at the last ball, the one with short orange hair and blue eyes. Oh he was so handsome!” Aiko had little diamonds in her eyes and a pale pink blush over her cheeks. Kagome giggled with her daughter as her other children and mate arrived around them. Kagome hugged her other daughter, Amaya, and her two twin sons. She gave Inumaru a short pinch on the nose before asking him where Emiko was. Inumaru blushed and waved for Emiko to come out of the doorway and join the family. While Emiko ran out to meet with them, Kagome took Washi from Gabriel’s shoulders and held her son close to her.
“My, Washi! You haven’t been eating again, baby!” Kagome felt his forehead as he nuzzled against her. Her fingers glowed pink as she massaged his forehead and scalp. The children and young adults were crowded around Sesshoumaru to get a glance at their new baby brother.
“His name is Keiji,” Sesshoumaru told them as he introduced each sibling to the baby. Emiko stopped in front of Kagome and bowed respectively. Kagome looked at the human with a smile.
“I would like it if you would accompany Inumaru, Sesshoumaru, and I to visit your parents. Would you accept?” Kagome asked softly. Inumaru get nervous as he went to his mother’s side.
“Why, Mother?” he asked softly, nervous and afraid.
“I will speak to you later, Nu.” Kagome said softly as Keiji started to cry out of hunger. Kagome wrapped her ebony tail around Washi, who snuggled into it and slept, and took her son from her mate, going inside to nurse.
Sesshoumaru carried the three 10 year old triplets into the palace, followed by his two daughters and lastly by his two eldest sons and the human girl. Emiko turned to Inumaru and held onto his arm.
“Why do your parents want to go with us to see my parents? Did you talk to them?” She asked in a hushed voice. Inumaru put a clawed hand on top of Emiko’s human soft appendage.
“No, but my mother always had a way of figuring out things really fast,” Inumaru softly raised her hand to meet his lips as Gabriel turned around.
“Not only that, but nobody knows us better than we do, except mother. She’s always knows us as well as we know us.” Gabriel smiled, and almost tripped when he was tackled by a small hanyou boy.
“Unkie Briel!” the five year old squeaked, clinging onto his uncle’s leg. Emiko giggled behind her hand as Gabriel smiled and picked up the boy.
“Sanyu! About time you showed up. Where is your mother?” A squeal of joy and excitement reached his ears. Ah. There she was. The remaining family members piled into the great entrance hallway, meeting up with the only human in the family and her youkai husband and hanyou daughter. Rin had married into a phoenix youkai clan, one of Sesshoumaru’s newest loyalties. Satu, who’s name means ‘fairy tale’ was a phoenix youkai, a beautiful male and a wonderful youkai who was hidden from the world of humans for fear they would destroy his beauty. His powers of longevity and rebirth help him to keep Rin young and beautiful, just like him, making her almost immortal, like her mother, but remaining human. Satu had run from his captivity in Mount Fuji, returning to the land his father had spoken of, an alliance with a great and powerful inutaiyoukai. Such a taiyoukai that Satu found to be deceased and his eldest son running the land with a beautiful black hared inuyoukai mate named Kagome. Satu had fallen in love with the human named Rin, the eldest daughter of the inutaiyoukai and the inuyoukai named Kagome. How they were able to have a human daughter surprised Satu until the Lady Kagome explained the situation. Satu spent time with this human named Rin, who was flushed and shy beyond all imagination at being in the presence of such a beautiful male.
Rin was hugging her mother, and cooing over Keiji while Gabriel studied Satu. Even though Satu had been in the family almost five years now, Gabriel still couldn’t conquer the youkai’s beauty. His hair was like feathers, rainbowed in color, changing with the light, the dark, and his moods, long in the aspect that they fluttered around in the wind and stood up, stiff almost. It wasn’t as long as Rin’s hair, about half her length. His eyes were liquefied fire, burning brightly in the dark as well as in the light. His skin was a pale tan, sometimes a light brown when he had been working in the sun too long. He was tall, lean but muscular from working outdoors. He didn’t have a tail, like Kagome or Sesshoumaru, but instead, he had the ability to grow feathers from his arms and fly as if it was nothing. Gabriel smiled as Satu looked his way, a flicker of fire in his eyes. Gabriel smelled the change in his scent as it moved to a kinder, gentler scent.
Inumaru glanced at his older sister and her children, the longing to have her peace and serenity in family washed over him as he cast a lengthened glance at Emiko, who was now holding Keiji. She looked absolutely perfect holding a pup, and he wished she was holding their pup. Gabriel went to his twin and grabbed him by his sleeve, pulling him aside to speak to him about their mother’s birthday next week.
That night, at dinner, Inumaru sat next to Emiko and Gabriel at their father’s left hand while their mother sat across on his right, Rin sitting next to her. The rest of the children swung out from their father’s left hand side, circling around till there was an even amount of children around the table. Kagome’s soft grace lifted herself and went to the pup crying behind her to nurse it. It was a peaceful dinner until Goro brought up training to his father again.
“Absolutely not. No son of mine will be trained by a human samurai!” Sesshoumaru stated in a voice that was to end the conversation, but Goro was stubborn like his father and would not give up this argument this time.
“I wasn’t asking to train with the humans, Father! I want to train with Yohaka’s son at General Hiroshi’s camp.” Goro insisted, bringing out the scroll with the information on it and showed his father.
“How many times do I need to tell you?” Sesshoumaru asked in a cool voice. Kagome looked up at her husband from the chair she was feeding Keiji in.
‘Sesshoumaru. Will you at least look at the scroll? This is something that interests your son. It’s only respectable…”
“Respectable? No pup of mine will be lowered to working under the human lord’s samurai!” Sesshoumaru growled, glancing at his wife with icy hot eyes. Defiance rose in his mate’s stare as she stood with her pup still suckling, wrapping her tail around him to keep him still, and went to Goro, taking the scroll from him and reading it out loud.
“All recruits are to meet at the Long Camp run by General Hiroshi, Northern Bear Clan and his son, Kuma. The coordinates are… Sesshoumaru! Sit down and listen!” Kagome growled at her mate as he stood and exited the dining hall.
“Don’t be such a stubborn jackass!” Kagome shouted after him, then gasped as he appeared in front of her, anger in his eyes. His hand clenched and she knew he wanted to prove his dominance over her, even with their pup in the protection of her tail. Her head dropped to the side, her hair revealing her mating mark. Sesshoumaru sighed softly, kissed the mark lightly, then turned to leave the room again.
“No more talk on this tonight. Finish your supper.” With that, he left the room, and the tension that was held between the children and the mates and possible mates of the children was released as Kagome returned to feeding her son.
~*~