Chapter 16: Claws and fangs
Kagome wiped the tears from her eyes and gently rubbed her flat stomach through the layers of her clothes. Sesshomaru stared at her, he wanted to hold her and wipe her tears away for her. But he knew that she would refuse him, try to push him away from her and slap his hand if he tried to wipe her eyes away. “I’m tired,” she whispered as she got up and moved to the door, Sesshomaru was at her side and opened it for her before she could touch the door.
She sighed and ignored him as she left the room and took in the huge hallway that she had walked into. “Which way?” she muttered to Sesshomaru; she didn’t want him to guide her back…it was likely she was admitting that she belong to Sesshomaru. She didn’t belong to him, and she knew there would be a chance in the future to escape; now that she had Sesshomaru’s gift.
Sesshomaru said nothing as he wrapped his arm around her waist and walked to the harem she didn’t push him away like she normally would at his touch. He couldn’t help, but see this as a good sign that Kagome was slowly accepting her new status in life. It was a bit soon, but he had seen her in battle and knew that she would adapt to anything that life threw at her, unlike other mortal women or noble women. But Kagome had never been normal, after all proof was that his only child was a girl and that Kagome was stronger than even some of the other demon Lords.
oOo
Mizuki cried and cried as her grandmother tried to calm her down. But nothing the demoness did would calm the little girl down, and Nori didn’t blame her little Moonflower for her crying. Mizuki had been rightly scared by Inuyasha attacking them; Nori would have to tell her son everything that had happened and how Inuyasha needed to be put down for attacking them. Sesshomaru was likely to be upset with her for taking little Mizuki out with her to see Inuyasha, but he would always agree with her that it had been the best way to see if Inuyasha would be a threat to all of his children.
Nori had not expected though to be seen by her son and Kagome until tomorrow, but then her son was an idiot like his father. From the Cherry petals in Kagome’s hair, she knew that Sesshomaru had taken Kagome to her gift for birthing Mizuki. “Mother? What happened?”
“I will talk with you about it later…for now, I believe there is a little Moonflower that wants her mother.” Nori said, giving the crying bundle to Kagome. Mizuki was quick to turn her crying into whimpers as Kagome soothed her upset little girl. Kagome didn’t understand why Mizuki had been crying so hard, the baby rarely cried at all since her birth.
Sesshomaru watched Kagome and their daughter, noting the gentle touch and the way that it soothed his little Moonlight. But the tears that were unshed burned at his heart like white hot iron was being poured on it. He wanted to destroy the thing that had dared to scare his child and wound his mother. His claws and fangs desired to be stained red with the blood, but the sight of Kagome’s gentle face kept him from going and killing it at the moment. The way that Kagome’s face was held a focus as she continued to calm their daughter down. The love in her ocean blue eyes filled him with desire to be inside her and hold her to him.
He didn’t understand why he wanted to hold her and never let her go again.
“Kagome…go and put Mizuki to bed, I will come to wish her good night in a moment.” He ordered, getting a glare for it from Kagome, but she obeyed still. She didn’t want to be near him anymore, and it was a good idea that Mizuki go down for the night. She didn’t know what had upset her little girl, but she had no intention of leaving her baby that night. And Sesshomaru be damned if he didn’t like it…scratch that, he could be damned anyway!
oOo
Sesshomaru watched Kagome walk away; enjoying the way that her body move and felt the desire for her begin to boil in his blood. But that would have to wait until the bastard that had harmed his mother and make his daughter cry.
Nori waited for her son to look at her; she knew what he was going to ask and she would tell him without hesitation. Inuyasha had become a feral dog that needed to be put down. “Inuyasha had attacked us.” Sesshomaru stared at his mother, both surprised and unsurprised by his half-brother’s actions. Sesshomaru had expected Inuyasha to attack him and his mother for taking Kagome, but for him to attack his child was unforgivable.
Mizuki had done not wrong to him, but the half breed had attacked his only child and that warranted death. “I see, it seems that I need to go and punish my brother for being a fool.” Sesshomaru muttered to his mother before leaving the harem to deal with his useless brother.
“I will see that Kagome is prepared for your return,” Nori said. Her mind was racing with the things that she and her handmaidens would need to do to prepare Kagome for the upcoming breeding session. Nori had seen how Kagome had reacted to Mizuki crying and knew that her son’s concubine would likely fight being taken away from her daughter. She would like have to threaten to kill a human child again to get Kagome ready for her son. Or maybe threaten to keep Mizuki away from Kagome.
“No, let her be tonight. But have her ready for me in the morning; she wouldn’t be getting a lot of sleep for a little while. So see to it that she sleeps well tonight, mother.” Sesshomaru ordered before leaving to take care of his brother. Nori watched her son as he walked away; he was going to take care of the only threat to his future and she was proud of him for it. She felt pity for her old mate for finally getting to meet his youngest child, but when she thought of how Inuyasha had tried to attack Mizuki…it quickly faded.
oOo
Kagome held Mizuki tightly in her arms as she rocked her gently. Her baby was still whimpering and it broke Kagome’s heart that something or someone that scared her little girl so bad. It was then that Kagome had an idea and went to the music room; she wasn’t aware of the presence that followed her though. When she reached the music room, she walked over to the Koto and put Mizuki down to play.
Mizuki had begun to scream at being put down until the music awoke from within the musical instrument. A light and warm melody rose from the depths of the Koto and soothed the scared little baby, remember the sound of her mother’s playing from the womb.
Kagome play and play until Mizuki had fallen asleep from it, and then she just played to calm herself. She played to release her caged self for a little while, but stopped when she felt a hand on her back. “Don’t turn around,” a voice whispered into her ear; she could feel someone was breathing on her neck and all she wanted was to grab Mizuki, and run to…someone.
“What do you want?” Kagome asked, eyeing Mizuki. She wouldn’t let anything happen to her baby, she needed to grab her up and get away; but she needed to wait until she could. “I want nothing, but you want your freedom from Sesshomaru, correct?” asked the voice.
“So what if I do? There’s nothing anyone can do to take me from Sesshomaru; I’m under his control and no one can save me from him.” Kagome said; every word a dagger to her chest. She turned around to see an old and tired looking demon that was black from head to toe before she grabbed up Mizuki and went to the door. The demon beat her to it. “You will be freed from Sesshomaru very soon.” It said before disappearing in front of her. Kagome just tight Mizuki all the tighter, feeling excitement, joy, and fear. The future had just become all the more tangled, and Kagome was sure that she had lost her way.
oOo
The spy returned to its Takashi’s side, “Well? Did you give her my message?” Takashi asked. He wanted to know what Kagome had thought of his message and what her reaction had been. “She is afraid, my Lord. But she doesn’t believe in my words. And there is a problem,” the spy whispered. Takashi sighed, wondering what his sister had done this time. “What’s wrong?”
“she is pregnant again, my Lord.”
oOo
The night sky shined with the stars above his head, but Sesshomaru didn’t notice as he stared at the earth. He was screaming on the inside, cell in his body screamed for the death of his brother for thinking of harming his child. Sesshomaru didn’t understand why this rage was consuming; all he wanted to do was paint his claws and fangs red with his brother’s blood before returning to Kagome’s side and taking her into his embrace.
He wondered if this was a parent’s instinct, if so he wondered if his own father had felt the same. Had his father wanted to destroy everything that had been a threat to his child? Was that why? Was that why his father never fought him seriously? Sesshomaru thought of what it would be like fighting the little girl that he had dreamed of before Mizuki had been born.
The breath was knocked from his lungs and his started to hurt worse than anything he could remember. Not even having his arm cut off by Inuyasha had not even hurt as bad as the thought of harming his own daughter in anyway.
It was odd, but since he had become a father; Sesshomaru felt more connected to his father than he could remember. He didn’t understand why, but though he wanted to his claws and fangs painted red with blood…the desire to kill Inuyasha was almost completely gone. More and more, Sesshomaru felt confused by this change that spread through him. It was like the taint of illness, taking hold of him and ripping apart who he really was. For so long he had desired to kill his brother, but now he only wanted to punish Inuyasha for the fear that he had gifted his daughter.
Still searching for Inuyasha, Sesshomaru thought of the change in him. It truly worried him, if it was to continue and he became weak because of it; Kagome and Mizuki would be the ones to suffer for it. They would suffer because of his weakness and made him sick to think of that; they were so pure and perfect. It would be wrong to let them suffer for even a moment because of his weakness. Unwanted thoughts of what the other Lords would do to his concubine and their daughter filled up his head like a bucket thrust into a river; the thought of Kagome’s screams of pain and the look of an empty body on his sweet Moonlight’s face returned the fading red from his eyes tenfold.
He would punish Inuyasha and tell him to stay away from Kagome and Mizuki before turning to his women. He would hold Kagome’s sleeping body to his own, and let her magic work for him and after she had given birth to his children…he would kill them all. He would kill his mate; he would kill the Lords and rule this land with Kagome and their children safe at his side.
oOo
Inuyasha sat in a tree, staring at the starry sky…wondering if Kagome was looking at it as well. Miroku had stopped him from killing the baby, and now refused to talk with him. But Miroku just didn’t understand that child needed to be destroyed, its existence screamed to the world of his failure to protect Kagome. It was killing him that he had failure her so badly, the only thing that he could think of that would atone for it was to save her and kill that baby that she had given birth to.
He would have to spend the rest of his live atoning for his failure and the death of that baby would be the start of it all.
“Are you proud of yourself?” Miroku asked after hours of silence. Anger burned him to the bone for what Inuyasha had almost done, and though Inuyasha thought Kagome would want him to kill her baby; Miroku knew that Kagome would be destroyed if she lose even one of her children. Any true mother would, but Inuyasha didn’t seem to understand that. But Miroku could also understand Inuyasha’s feelings, could understand the rage and pain that would come from the thought of the one that you love carrying another man’s child inside of her.
He had thought of it often when they had been at that Lord’s home. Miroku still wanted to kill that Lord for asking Sango to marry him; she had become his the moment that he had first seen her. “I’m not proud, it’s just something that needs to be done.”
“YOU NEEDED TO ATTACK AN INNOCENT CHILD, INUYASHA? WHY? BECAUSE OF KAGOME? DO YOU THINK SHE’LL FORGIVE YOU FOR KILLING HER CHILD?” Miroku shouted at Inuyasha. Inuyasha was being too cruel with his desire to kill Kagome’s child; his mind flashed to his own children in that kind of danger and pain squeezed his heart.
“You are right, Monk. Kagome will not forgive the one that tried to harm our daughter,” Sesshomaru appear out of nowhere in front of the fire. Miroku simply looked up at Sesshomaru, but said nothing. This was not his fight; Inuyasha deserved the punishment that the enraged father was about to give him, and he would step aside. Sesshomaru ignored Miroku and looked up the tree to see his brother; red eyes stared into gold for a few moments.
Without taking his eyes from his brother’s, Sesshomaru withdrew Bakusaiga from its sheath and held it to Inuyasha’s neck before he had been able to touch Tessaiga. “Don’t move, little brother or my sword will be the end of you…toss Tessaiga down, now!” Sesshomaru ordered to which Inuyasha obeyed, but he glared at his brother as he did. He couldn’t die, not until Kagome was saved and his brother’s child was dead. “You were planning to kill my child and you planned to take Kagome from me as well. I have a question for you, if you did such a feat as taking my concunbine from me, what would you do about the children that she’s pregnant with? Would you try to kill my seed when they are inside her? Or would you kill them as she is giving birth to them? Well?”
Inuyasha stared at his brother with shock…Kagome was pregnant again with his brother’s children; he felt sick to his stomach to hear that from Sesshomaru’s own mouth. Sesshomaru took his sword away from his brother’s neck before punching him in the throat.
Inuyasha grasped, the air in his lungs felt trapped; Sesshomaru did seem to care since he thrust his hand through his brother’s stomach and out his back. Sesshomaru knew that this wouldn’t kill his brother, but punishment was needed for the wrong that had been done. Over and over, Sesshomaru ripped into Inuyasha’s body with his claws until the demand for blood inside him slowly went away.
When Inuyasha was unable to move and in a puddle of his own blood; Sesshomaru stopped. He looked down at his little brother, but it felt like something else needed to be done. Looking at Inuyasha’s sword hand; Sesshomaru raised his own hand and began to let his poison burn Inuyasha’s hand, who screamed from the pain of it. Sesshomaru thought back to when he had done the same with Kagome in his father’s grave; it had been what caused him to take notice of her. The way she had survived and then snapped at him, it had been different and interesting.
After that, Sesshomaru would always find himself looking at her when he had the chance to look at Kagome. At first he had thought her a Whore because of her clothes, but she soon showed him that she anything but a Whore. It was odd, but he found himself saving her whenever she needed him, whenever Inuyasha had been too weak to save her himself.
Looking at his handiwork for a moment, Sesshomaru was fine with the result before he turned to go home to his concubine and daughter. But stopped for a moment and looked over his shoulder at Miroku. “Tell Inuyasha that if he ever near my children or Kagome, I will kill him without a second thought. The only reason I do not kill him now, is because of our father…becoming one myself, I know that it would be painful to know that one of my children killed another.” Miroku looked at Sesshomaru as he walked away.
It was at that moment that Jaken had woken up to see his Lord Sesshomaru walking away. Getting to his legs, Jaken ran after his Lord as he cried out. “LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOORD SESSHOMARU!”
oOo
Clean from the bath, Sesshomaru walked into his rooms, surprised to see Kagome lying on his futon with Mizuki at her breast. Kagome looked up at him, but ignored him as she continued to stroke Mizuki’s silver hair as the baby drink happily at her mother’s breast. “How is she?” he asked as he lay down beside them, his eyes focused on Mizuki. “I got her to sleep for a little while, but she was whimpering in her sleep and when she woke up crying, I gave her my breast.” Kagome whispered; she didn’t look at him, didn’t want to look at him.
“I see,” Sesshomaru muttered before he took Mizuki away from Kagome’s breast and laid the baby on his chest, he gently stroked her baby when she began to whimper. “It’s alright, little Moonlight. You are safe, I am here.” He whispered to Mizuki over and over until she fell asleep on him. Kagome watched them for a little while before she decided that she needed to tell him what happened.
“I meet a demon in the music room…he told me that I would be free of you soon.” Sesshomaru looked at Kagome, but said nothing. It seemed that he would have get his claws painted red with blood again tomorrow.