InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ A Royal Birth: Sequel to His Little Girl ❯ Enter Keiko ( Chapter 5 )

 

Sesshoumaru released his own snarling growl at that. He and his brother were close now damnit and how dare anyone call him a stain! The taiyoukai moved to stand in front of his brother, looking his uncle in the eye and daring him to make just one more move.

 

Inuyasha snarled as the youkai moved closer and Sesshoumaru echoed it.

 

“Back. Away. Uncle,” Sesshoumaru said each word carefully, threateningly.

 

“Protecting the mistake I see,” he chuckled darkly at his elder nephew.

 

“You are treading on very thin ice uncle.”

 

“Sesshoumaru what's going on?” Kagome asked tiredly ending her question with a yawn as she stepped into the room.

 

There was no time for anyone to react, Kagome didn't even scream. In a blur too swift for anyone to see anything clearly, Maiko had wrapped his arms around Kagome, one around her middle, the other's hand around her throat, and held her tightly to his chest. He had moved to her and back to his original place within pieces of seconds.

 

Kagome's wide eyes looked at her mate and her transformed brother. What the hell was going on and why was Inuyasha full youkai with her daughter in his arms? The arm around her middle began to move as the youkai spoke.

 

“I wish to challenge you pup,” Maiko said with a haughty smile. “You have become too soft. First taking in a human whelp that should have been left to die and now mating yourself to this filth.”

 

Kagome gasped and couldn't have been hurt worse had the youkai actually slapped her. Sesshoumaru growled low his own eyes turning red at the edges as he stepped forward slowly only to stop when his uncle's hand around Kagome's throat tightened and Kagome gasped for breath.

 

“Release her!” Sesshoumaru snarled.

 

“No I don't think I will.”

 

The hand on her stomach moved up to rest just beneath her breast as it slipped inside the kimono. Kagome began to struggle in his arms as her mate growled dangerously and his eyes swam in the red of his youki. White fur started to grow on his arms and hands, Sesshoumaru only a dangerously tiny bit away from changing into his inu form but was doing his best to hold back.

 

“Your father took a human to mate after your mother died, does it not anger you Sesshoumaru? Does it not enrage you that he would lie with such a whore? Or have you found pleasure in their loose morals?” his hand moved up inside the kimono to squeeze Kagome's breast harshly, his claws puncturing her tender flesh.

 

Kagome whimpered with the pain, she had woken from the discomfort of the fullness of the milk inside her and had come to find her babies to feed them. Now, due to the pressure he was putting on her breast, the milk leaked out to soak his hand.

 

No one saw it coming; no one heard the tiny growls or sensed the rage that was just beyond reach, just beyond the entrance of the room. A red and gold blur flew into the room attaching itself the neck of the inuyoukai that held Kagome. Maiko snarled and yelped at the intruder and tried to pull it off, throwing Kagome to the ground in the process.

 

Sesshoumaru, still red eyed, grabbed his mate up in his arms and held her securely to his chest, rumbling a low growl meant to comfort her. He could smell the blood from where his uncle had cut her skin but his eyes were focused on the tiny fox latched onto his uncle's neck. At first he thought it to be one of the ones that his daughter had taken in, but when he sensed the youth of the youki he knew it to be Shippou.

 

The kitsune was beautiful in his fox form, golds and reds melded in his fur making him look like a living sunset, his eyes red as blood as his jaws held on to the youkai, blood running down the neck from where his fangs had punctured the flesh.

 

 

 

 

Shippou had been working with Tiyeko in one of the larger dojos that would hold a youkai in their true form. Tiyeko knew that the young kitsune could transform into his true fox form but the pup rarely did so.

 

After training with Tiyeko and learning to hold his youkai form and be able to run and play and not loose his fox form or feel much to any strain in maintaining it, Shippou had bounded out of the dojo to go show Kagome. He followed her scent to Sesshoumaru's study, and that was when he had seen the strange inuyoukai holding his mother.

 

 

 

Inuyasha, still in his youkai form, walked calmly over to the kitsune and lifted the small fox off of the inuyoukai and disengaged his claws and fangs from Maiko's neck and shoulder. He growled low as he stepped back and tucked the small fox into the female hanyou's arms, Shippou's true form just slightly smaller that the newborn.

 

Shippou curled up, his tail flopping back and forth as he rested calmly on his sister, but kept a keen eye on Maiko, protecting his sister from him. He felt the pup under him stir and begin to whimper as she was just moments away from crying. Shippou began to lick her face and sweep his tail back and forth over her legs in a slow wag as his scratchy tongue lapped at her face as her eyes blinked at him and her small arms came up and around to hug the fox to her.

 

“Mark my words you insolent pup,” Maiko growled as the cuts and claws on his skin closed, the blood the only testament to his injuries having been made. “I will be taiyoukai and the Western Lands will be mine!”

 

Maiko turned and strode out of the room. Once he was gone, Kagome slipped out of her mate's arms and went over to stand in front of Inuyasha. Grasping his face gently in her hands, she leaned up and kissed his forehead.

 

“Thank you for protecting her Inuyasha,” she said as tears filled her eyes.

 

The red glow slowly left Inuyasha's eyes and he was once again the hanyou everyone knew and loved. He blinked his golden eyes at his brother and Kagome.

 

“Do you…remember?” Kagome asked as Sesshoumaru came to stand by her side.

 

“Everything. I remember everything. My youkai was free but I still had control…how is that possible?” he asked looking at his brother.

 

“I do not know brother.”

 

Kagome gasped softly when her chest bumped into her mate and she was again aware of the desperate need she had to feed her pups. She carefully extracted her daughter from Inuyasha's arms, and not thinking about where she was, she opened her kimono enough and brought her daughter to her unharmed breast, sighing contently when her daughter fed happily.

 

Sesshoumaru whined low at the sight of blood on her other breast and bent down, his face to her harmed breast and began lapping at the wounds, cleaning her skin of the blood and closing her wounds. Kagome smiled softly at her mate and stroked his silver head as he tended to her.

 

Once the wounds were cleaned and closed, Sesshoumaru swept his mate up into his arms and carried her, his brother following behind with Shippou, back to their room.

 

 

 

 

Mark my words pup, Maiko thought as he stood outside the castle and looked in the window at Sesshoumaru's mate feeding her pups in her bedroom, the Western Lands will be mine!

 

Maiko leapt into the tree outside Kagome's window and watched her with red eyes. If that damn coyote youkai had done her job right this wouldn't even be an issue. Sesshoumaru would be dead right along with his mother. Inuyasha certainly won't be an issue at all, no one will respect a hanyou enough to follow his lead. Inuyasha will never have the power to take over the Western Lands.

 

A female inuyoukai of the same coloring in markings as Sesshoumaru's father leapt into the tree beside Maiko.

 

“What the hell is wrong with you?” she snarled low, Maiko not even acknowledging her presence. “I saw what went on in there. You're lucky my nephew didn't kill you!”

 

“Oh, you're nephew,” he mocked.

 

“Damn right my nephew, Toga was my twin. And as such that places his children and descendents under my protection. Tell me why I shouldn't kill you here and now for your transgressions against my brother's family?”

 

“Keiko it's not your choice. You have no rights.”

 

“I have every right you - well fuck me you're jealous! You're still jealous that Toga was chosen to be Taiyoukai instead of you!”

 

“It was my right to be taiyoukai, I was oldest!”

 

“Perhaps you were the eldest son, but Maiko, you have always been the angriest, ill tempered and thoughtless. You wonder why father didn't choose you to pass the lands onto, this is why! Look at what my nephew has done.” Keiko shook her head and hopped out of the tree. “I'm going to go greet Sesshoumaru. If you try anything I will defend him.”

 

“Mark my words Keiko, I'll have these lands, I will rule them. And when I do, you will die alongside your precious nephew and his family.”

 

 

 

Keiko closed her eyes sadly as she entered the castle and leaned back against the stone wall. Oh Toga I wish you were here, she thought mournfully.

 

“Hey you ok?” a gruff masculine voice in front of her asked.

 

Keiko opened her golden eyes and simply stared at the red clad male hanyou in front of her. Toga? It can't be - but how?

 

“Oi, you need Shinta?” Inuyasha asked the inuyoukai woman in front of him. “I can go get her…”

 

“Huh?” she breathed out the question as she came out of her thoughts, though her mind was still in a foggy daze. “Oh my…who?”

 

“I'm Inuyasha. Who are you?” she didn't answer just stared at him and Inuyasha huffed a noise that sounded suspiciously like `Keh!' before he swept her up into his arms and trotted down to Shinta's healing room.

 

All the while Keiko simply stared, her lips slightly parted in wonder and shock as Inuyasha carried her into the castle's infirmary.

 

“Shinta you in here?” Inuyasha called out as he entered and lay Keiko on of the futons, the female's eyes following his every move making him nervous.

 

“Yes I'm here Inuyasha,” Shinta said as she stepped out of the door that connected to her chambers. “What is it you need?”

 

“She's sick or something,” he said pointing to Keiko who simply continued to stare at him.

 

“Oh my,” Shinta said her eyes growing wide as she rushed to Keiko's side, hearing the woman's whisper as she called Inuyasha by his father's name. “Inuyasha come here,” Shinta commanded gently and the hanyou came to her side and then knelt next to her when the healer tugged on his hakama. “Inuyasha do you know who this is?” she asked, looking between her dear friend and the boy she cared for. Inuyasha shook his head no. “This is your aunt. Keiko.”

 

“My aunt?” he asked as he turned his attention from Shinta to study Keiko.

 

“Yes Inuyasha, this your Aunt Keiko, your father's twin sister. Keiko,” she called gaining the woman's attention. “This is not your brother, this is your nephew.”

 

“My…nephew…”she said studying Inuyasha's her eyes traveled from his face up to his white puppy ears that twitched on top of his head. “Izayoi's son?” she asked looking quickly at Shinta who nodded once. “Inuyasha,” Keiko breathed out as tears filled her golden eyes.

 

Keiko shot forward and wrapped her arms around Inuyasha's neck, holding him tightly to her as she sobbed into his neck.

 

“What'd I do?” he asked softly looking at Shinta in totally confusion.

 

“Nothing. Keiko doted on you as much if not more than Sesshoumaru did when you were a pup. Your mother was a dear friend of hers, the two always seen together around the palace. Sometimes I think Keiko spent more time with you than your own parents did. She loved - loves you so much Inuyasha.”

 

Inuyasha's arms had hesitantly wrapped themselves around Keiko when she flung herself into his arms and he looked down at the sobbing female.

 

“Sakura blossoms only bloom in the springtime,” Inuyasha whispered softly a faraway look in his eyes and a confused frown on his face.

 

“What?” Shinta said as she studied the hanyou closely.

 

“I don't know I just - Sakura blossoms only bloom in the springtime. That's all I remember from before mother and I lived in the cave.”

 

Keiko sobbed louder, her body felt like it would shake apart in his arms as she clutched him tighter to her.

 

“She used to sing that to you on your human night, well the ones that Sesshoumaru wasn't playing watchdog on.”

 

Keiko sniffled and pulled back, tears still falling from her eyes. She looked up at her nephew and her eyes begged him to say yes to whatever it was she was going to say.

 

“Inuyasha…would you…would give me the honor of letting me get to know you?”

 

The hanyou looked at her for a long moment, and Keiko was afraid he would say no. But then finally he nodded and she hugged him again before pulling back and fiddling with the wet spot her tears had made on the collar of his haori.

 

“Why didn't anyone come for me?” he asked his voice oddly choked with emotion.

 

Keiko looked upon her nephew sadly, remembering how heartbroken she was after hearing that her dearest friend had died and knowing that she couldn't go get her treasured nephew and bring him back to the palace.

 

“I couldn't, no one could. Your uncle Maiko has always been jealous of Toga, jealous that he was chosen to be taiyoukai after papa died instead of him. Maiko was older, but Toga was far wiser and just like papa, Toga didn't hate anyone because of what they were or for their blood, mixed heritage or not. After Toga died, Maiko led one of the uprisings against Sesshoumaru. He was determined to get the Western Lands and be taiyoukai. But he also knew that even if Sesshoumaru were killed in the uprisings, the responsibility of Taiyoukai would fall to you. So as he led the uprising, he also put a price on your head. Anyone who brought you back dead would be his right hand in command. Those of us that loved your father and mother, those of us that loved you Inuyasha, we couldn't go to. It was too dangerous, even if we didn't find you, they might. And they would kill you. And if they killed you, your brother surely would have fallen.”

 

Inuyasha took in all that his aunt said and felt as though a damn broke inside of him. He no longer felt so lost and alone, he had a family now, a wonderful family. He was about to hug the woman on his own when a yipping cry sounded and the three turned to see Kashu enter the room with a struggling male inuyoukai pup in her arms.

 

“Your nephew desperately wants his uncle Inuyasha,” Kashu said as the small boy yipped at him and growled at his grandmother.

 

“Hey pup,” Inuyasha said as he took his nephew from Kashu and smiled at her and then looked at the boy in his arms. “Be nice to her, she makes the best Raman.”

 

Kashu snorted out a laugh and shook her head at the pair.

 

“Have they named them yet?” Shinta asked her.

 

“No,” Kashu laughed as she sat next to her friend on the floor. “I'm beginning to think that my daughter's gotten quite content with calling them puppy and baby girl.”

 

“Oh no,” Shinta moaned in a teasing groan. “That's all we need, can you just imagine when they get introduced when their older.” She lowered her voice and straightened up acting very regal, “here stand before you the might inu hime, Baby Girl and her brother, Puppy!”

 

Kashu smiled widely as all the occupants laughed outright and laughed even harder when Kagome stepped into the room and stomped her foot in teasing anger.

 

“What's wrong with calling them that?” she huffed.

 

Kashu looked at her daughter and bit her lips between her teeth before bursting out laughing again and her daughter shot her a playful glare and then began laughing as well.

 

“Hi,” Kagome greeted the new inu woman and held her hanyou daughter up for her mother to take.

 

“Hello dear,” Keiko greeted from her seat on the futon that everyone was crowded around. “I take you're the mother of these two?”

 

“Yep,” Kagome said with a proud smile. “Still haven't named them though. Nothing seems to fit.”

 

“Who's your mate dear?” Keiko asked as she took the sniffing female from Kashu's arms.

 

“Sesshoumaru,” Kagome said with a soft loving smile.

 

Keiko's eyes widened as she fell back against the wall. “You're the famous miko that runs with my nephew.”

 

“…famous?” Kagome asked as her brows drew together in a thoughtful frown. “I'm not famous…At least I don't think I am…I'm not famous,” she decided with a shake of her head. “Inuyasha's the famous one. Well, or is it just targeted?” Kagome thought on that for a moment. “Well whichever it is a lot of youkai and oni come after him hoping to make a name for themselves or some such thing. But you should see him fight, it's really quite inspiring.” She got a glint of pride in her eyes as she looked at Inuyasha and the hanyou had a blush on his cheeks. “He's even kicked Sesshoumaru's ass quite a few times. And Kouga.” She giggled. “He really likes to fight with Kouga.”

 

Sesshoumaru was standing just inside the room, unnoticed by everyone a grin on his face as he silently laughed as he listened to his mate tell the tales of his brother's conquests. If it were anyone else he might have been jealous, but it was his brother she was putting under the spotlight.

 

“Let's see…hmmm. Oh! I know! Umm, what was his name?” she looked at Inuyasha a thoughtful frown on her face, “…Oh I can't remember his name; you know Inu-chan, the moth youkai that put us all in a cocoon and tried to feed on our souls. If your nephew hadn't been there Keiko-sama, we all would've been lost. And that time it didn't matter about his physical strength or how well he can wield Tetsusaiga…it was his heart. He saved us all with his heart.”

 

“It wasn't anything,” Inuyasha grumbled low, his face red with his embarrassment.

 

Kagome smiled at him and kissed his cheek. “He's also shy.”

 

“I think I'll learn a lot more from you about my nephew than I'll learn from him,” Keiko said with a smile as Sesshoumaru walked up behind his mate and sat next to her on the floor. “Sesshoumaru, oh my dear, how are you?”

 

“I am well Aunt Keiko,” he greeted with a warm smile.

 

Keiko's eyes widened and she gasped. “You're alive again!” she laughed in joy. New tears fell from Keiko's eyes as she looked upon her once stoic and unfeeling nephew. “It's so good to see you alive again, so full of life.”

 

Sesshoumaru nodded once and it was then that a little hanyou girl with bright brown eyes burst into the room and ran to her father's side and sat in his lap.

 

“Hi daddy!” Rin greeted brightly. “Who's the pretty lady?”

 

“Rin, this is Keiko, my aunt, your great aunt.”

 

“You don't look like a great aunt,” Rin said as she studied Keiko. “You look like a sister. You could be my sister?”

 

“I'd like that very much Rin,” Keiko said with a smile and Rin moved from her father's lap to sit beside Keiko on the futon and leaned against the woman's side.

 

“That's my brother,” Rin said proudly as she looked at the tiny male pup in her uncle's arms. “Where's my other brother?” A small kitsune hopped from Inuyasha shoulder to the futon and curled up on Rin's lap. “Oh there you are Shippou.”

 

“Rin?” Sesshoumaru questioned at her easy acceptance of her brother in his true form.

 

“Shippou's changed for me before, but he doesn't know how to change back yet.”

 

The fox in her lap began to purr as Rin stroked his sunset colored fur.

 

“Uncle - grandpa,” a thoughtful frown drew her brows together and she shook her head. “He doesn't look like a grandpa. But he said I can call him Tiy,” she said happily her little black ears perking up as she smiled brightly.

 

It was then Inuyasha realized what Kagome had always said was true; the ears of a hanyou really were the metronome to their emotions. Inuyasha reached a hand over and scratched Rin on her head between her ears lightly and the young hanyou bent toward his hand eagerly. She whimpered disappointedly when he pulled his hand away and Inuyasha chuckled and gave a lopsided smile.

 

Rin giggled as her brother pushed his nose against her hand wanting her to resume her petting.

 

“Tiy, said that he was going to teach Shippou how to change back and how to make it…not…so…str-stre-strefle?” she said the least part slowly trying to remember the word that her grandfather/uncle/Tiy had used.

 

“Stressful?” Keiko asked the girl sitting next to her and Rin gave a thoughtful frown as she considered the word Keiko had used.

 

“Yes,” Rin finally said happy to have the right word.

 

Rin suddenly giggled and smiled brightly, holding her hands up to someone behind her father and mother. Tiyeko bent over Sesshoumaru and Kagome and lifted Rin into his arms, resting her on his hip. Rin held onto Tiyeko with one arm, Shippou clutched to her chest in the other.

 

“Hello Rin,” Tiyeko greeted and Kashu looked over her shoulder and up at her mate. “Hello my mate,” he greeted her.

 

Kashu smiled and stood a little too quickly, a hand to her forehead as a slight bout of dizziness hit her. Tiyeko caught her with his free arm and held her to his side.

 

“Are you alright Kashu?” he asked worried as the others watched on, worried as well.

 

“Yes,” Kashu laughed softly. “It's been quite some time since Souta was born and I've forgotten that sometimes you have to take things slowly when pregnant.”

 

The females in the room all smiled wisely as the men simply nodded.

 

“Mamma,” Kagome said gaining her mother's attention. “How's Souta with this all?”

 

“Oh he's fine dear,” Kashu said with a smile. “As much as he complains about your grandfather's stories and such I get the distinct feeling that he wants to follow in father's footsteps and be a priest himself. All he asks is that when summer comes we take him on an adventure.”

 

“”I'll leave that one up to the brothers, they can show him an adventure,” she said looking between her mate and Inuyasha.

 

“Yes, and they will make certain that he is returned in one piece and unharmed,” Kashu said fixing Inuyasha with a stare that only mother's seemed to possess the ability of using.

 

“Hey I didn't mean to get Kagome hurt that time,” the hanyou said, his ears slightly folded back.

 

Kashu's look grew sterner and his ears flattened against his head as he kept wisely silent. Kagome giggled and rubbed his ear that was closest to her and Inuyasha bent his head toward her as a low whine pulled from him. Sesshoumaru looked conspiratorially at his mate when his brother closed his eyes and lifted his hand to the other soft fuzzy triangle.

 

Bringing his hand level with his brother's ear, Sesshoumaru let his fingers out stretch and lightly flicked the tiny hairs inside the ear tickling his brother. Inuyasha yipped at the feeling and flattened his ears against his head as his eyes snapped open only to be greeted by his brother bearing a rather innocent look on his face.

 

Inuyasha growled at his brother and Sesshoumaru looked away. Keiko giggled and smiled bitter sweetly as new tears filled her golden eyes. It was as though the brothers were pups again, playing just as they used to play together. Only this time Inuyasha was so much older. Gone was the tiny pup she remembered holding and singing to so well. Gone was the innocence, the never ending trust and softness that he had had as a pup. In its place was an older hanyou with knowledge of the world. Knowledge of the hardships of life, the cruelness of both his kinds, humans and youkai, and the knowledge of death, too much death.

 

Keiko felt new tears build as she felt her heart and soul cry for the little boy who lost his mother at an age almost too young to understand. She looked upon Inuyasha with a saddened smile as she studied the man he had become. She had watched him with Rin and with his newborn nephew and couldn't help but wonder what kind of a father he would be. Would he be kind and fair and gentle as his father had been with him? Or would his harsh lessons so early in life make him want to teach his children things early in life that they may not learn till later?

 

Her thoughts turned bleaker as she remembered her brother's angry words. The tightening of fear in her chest nearly made her cry out, but she stopped herself from doing so. Would Sesshoumaru's children loose their father and their uncle as the brothers had lost their own father? Would one brother loose the other? Was it her fault if they both died for not having killed her brother when she had the chance? But how could she kill him? He was blood wasn't he? Inuyoukai were faithful and strong to their own, you don't kill blood just as you don't harm your mate. It just wasn't done. One mate was the extension, the other half of the other, to harm one's mate was to harm one's self.

 

Maika walked into the room following her mate's scent and looked at all the others gathered there. This must be some new family member they were all gathered around. But who could she be?

 

Maika had calmed from her fear in the previous days, Shinta finally telling her that from the scent of the child growing within her body, that it was most definitely Inuyasha's and a girl at that. She looked beyond the seated gathering to the glass covered window and saw the snow falling outside. The first snowfall of the season. Maika smiled and turned leaving the room to greet the new fallen snow.

 

Inuyasha had seen Maika leave out of the corner of his eye but had not seen the smile on her face and worried that something was wrong. He'd thought she'd been feeling better more uplifted since the news from Shinta, but feared that perhaps she wasn't all better. Standing he handed the infant in his arms to his brother and followed his mate's scent, leading him outside the castle.

 

Inuyasha found his mate standing in an area clear of trees with her face lifted to the sky. She was smiling and giggling as she greeted the new snow, the fluffy flakes dancing in the air above her and landing in her face, getting caught on her lashes and kissing her cheeks. Inuyasha stepped up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist, hugging her back to his chest as he let his hands fall to rest on her growing belly.

 

He couldn't help but smile. That was his child in there. His pup. A girl no less. He'd taken Kagome's teasing when he'd found out the sex and smiled as he remembered her words spoken in giggles. You better not keep her locked away Inu-chan; she'll need male friends other than her father you know. Inuyasha smiled at the memory and kissed his mate's neck as she stuck her tongue out to let the snow fall onto it.

 

Perhaps this world wasn't so bad after all.