Summary: She was never good at hiding from him, except before her life and perhaps after it.
Warnings: A very different story format. A sort of dysfunctional inu youkai family, though most of it is just Sesshoumaru's youthful ignorance. A few character deaths, though only one really matters.
Rated 'PG-13' because you need to be at least that age to connect the dots. Also for youkai logic and some vulgar language.
Genre: General (?)
Alternate Universe.
Disclaimer 1: InuYasha and its characters belong to Takahashi-sensei. Title of this oneshot is taken from Shiina Karuho's manga [of the same name in certain translations], though they don't necessarily have anything to do with each other.
Disclaimer 2: This oneshot was written for the lj community Dokuga_Contest's 31st oneshot theme, Transparent.
Word count: 5242 originally, now 5246 after revisions.
Edited Dec. 5, 2009.
*~ Road to Reaching You ~*
100th Year of the Inu-no-Taisho.
[Their Year: -347]
Drought in the east.
The Inu-no-Taisho commemorates his 100th year of ruling by expanding his territory to the ocean.
Lady Kaoru is betrothed to the Inu-no-Taisho. 3 days of celebration succeeding official announcement.
"I wonder at all this commotion," Lady Kaoru said to her fiancé, "it was obvious we were a match, no?"
"An excuse to relax, Kaoru," the Inu-no-Taisho replied. "You don't have to force yourself --- they're quite content to party away their sake and money, even without our presence. Just the way you like it, is it not?"
"Ah, you know me well. Such tediousness bores me to tears."
"Of course. And I'll have a private palace made for you, so that you might enjoy your peace and quiet. It will be nice to have such a sanctuary for me to return to, after a day's hard work of politics and fighting. How does a castle in the clouds sound?"
"Perfect. Just perfect."
*
194th Year of the Inu-no-Taisho.
[Their Year: -253]
The wolves of the grey caves pledge loyalty to the Inu-no-Taisho officially --- de facto Taisho subjects since their arrival, mentioned in the previous Annals.
The heir to the Western Lands is born. Named Sesshoumaru on the night of the first crescent moon. 3 days of celebration held after the naming.
The pup wailed, his moon and stripes scrunching with each drawn breath.
"I certainly hope he isn't this loud when he grows up," Lady Kaoru sighed, waiting for the nurse to finish changing the diaper before handing the infant back into the Lady's arms.
The Inu-no-Taisho peered pensively at the bundle over his mate's shoulder. "He has more of your markings than mine," he observed, "he'll be fine. Just as companiably quiet as you are."
"You're 371 years old; stop making up words." The pup nibbled at a stray lock of his mother's hair.
"But I suppose we'll have to be careful," the Inu-no-Taisho said, ignoring the scolding. "With his name and your personality, I wonder if he will be able to get a woman in his proper time?"
"Don't worry about that," she responded, laughing, "women like the cold, silent types."
"Ah, don't eat that, son, your mother likes symmetry; if you eat that she'll only have bangs on one side…"
*
244th Year of the Inu-no-Taisho.
[Their Year: -203]
Panther youkai in the south of the Territory govern independently, causing complications.
Sesshoumaru, son and heir to the Inu-no-Taisho and the Lady Kaoru, successfully completes his rite of passage into adulthood. 3 days of celebration.
"It's a happy day, my Lord," Lady Kaoru said, sliding his haori into place, "our son has done us proud."
A knock on the shoji screen, and the parents bid their son enter.
"A missive has arrived from the southern city of Katabi, Father," Sesshoumaru reported, missive in hand, "they say the panthers have stopped attacking them, and all is well."
"Yes?" It was unusual for the missive to be brought to him by his son, or when they were preparing for a public appearance.
The youkai boy-turned-adult shrugged languidly, a sparkle in his eye predatory and proud and young.
"I have a confession to make, Father, Mother," he said, "I took a detour on the way home from my Hunt. I called on the panther clan plaguing Katabi."
The Inu-no-Taisho sighed. "Son, such was a course of action with many consequences."
Sesshoumaru's face closed again. "The prey of this Sesshoumaru prey was easily disposed, Father."
Lady Kaoru shook her head, fixing the layers of her kimono collar. "Of course, son," she answered instead. "No one has neglected to acknowledge your sword, or your poison, or your whip, your strength itself, or your lineage. But no one has yet acknowledged your brains." She peered at him through the mirror's reflection, "Am I speaking plainly enough for you?"
"Yes, Mother."
*
249th Year of the Inu-no-Taisho.
[Their Year: -198]
The panthers and the dogs reach a stalemate.
Touran, daughter of the head of the panther clan, is betrothed to Sesshoumaru, son and heir of the Inu-no-Taisho and the Lady Kaoru. 3 days of celebration.
"What a joke," Touran sneered at him over the rim of her cup, "to be married to a baby." No one overheard the stars of the night's celebration, too immersed in their own excuses for loosening up to give much attention to those enthroned at the head of the room.
Sesshoumaru kept his face blank, the fire roaring within. "There are many women who throw themselves into the bed of this Sesshoumaru," he said calmly, inspecting his claws idly, "it is an honor to be chosen to be my bitch."
Her painted eyes slanted over to him, slighting him where her sickly sweet tone seemed not to: "Why, my Lord, of course I acknowledge the honor of being betrothed to the youkai who for no reason at all destroyed my uncle's clan, and who is 78 years my junior."
"Be not be mistaken," he warned, "This Sesshoumaru finds no interest in you or your kitten kin. If you displease me too much, do not begrudge being drowned in a bag."
Sesshoumaru left the dining hall silently, walking forwards with purpose but without destination.
He followed his feet, feeling the resistance of first the hard wood of the castle, then the packed dirt of the local grounds, then the cushioning grass of the fields, and finally the unevenness of the forest floor.
The forest and the night welcomed him with cricket symphonies and star lanterns, and Sesshoumaru found his first feeling of sanctuary.
*
252nd Year of the Inu-no-Taisho.
[Their Year: -195]
The alliance between the panthers and the dogs is broken. War breaks out in the south of the Territory.
Sesshoumaru leads his first army into battle and achieves a resounding victory. The south is settled.
The Inu-no-Taisho is rumoured to be seen frequently calling on a human princess.
"This Sesshoumaru does not see Father," he observed, distracting himself from the overwhelming smell of guts and bowel and blood on his armor.
Lady Kaoru shrugged. "Prancing around somewhere, I'm sure." She picked out a strand of dark-colored hair that had hidden itself in Sesshoumaru's white tresses.
"Did you have fun, son?" she asked.
He frowned. "This Sesshoumaru took victory swiftly."
She waved her hand airily at him. "Yes, yes, so we've all heard, perhaps from within an hour of Touran's father's head falling to the ground. But was it fun, Sesshoumaru?"
He stared blankly at her, uncomprehending. "This Sesshoumaru…" he started, hesitant, "it was a good hunt," he finished, feeling empty and lame.
His mother stared intently back at him, then rolled her eyes. "Inu-no-Taisho, Inu-no-Taisho," she clucked to herself, dismissing her son in the same motion, "hurry up and prance on home. You've a son to teach the joys of hunting to. Really, it's like he hasn't aged a bit. I'm surprised he has any women visiting his bed at all…"
*
254th Year of the Inu-no-Taisho.
[Their Year: -193]
Sesshoumaru, son and heir of the Inu-no-Taisho and Lady Kaoru, shoulders the role of leader.
The Inu-no-Taisho spends many hours calling upon a human princess.
"The flesh of a woman works wonders for a man," the Inu-no-Taisho remarked, swishing water over his bare shoulder and letting the scent of a lady's fragrant incense cascade off his back. "But you've known that for a while, of course."
Sesshoumaru combed his wet hand through his soggy bangs, pushing them over and away. The moon on his brow stood alone and open.
"A woman is worth little," he said only, swallowing all the other words.
The Inu-no-Taisho barked a short laugh and leaned against the rocky wall of the hot spring they shared, a rare father-son moment, but a frequented sanctuary for these moments. "Maybe you haven't met the right one?"
Sesshoumaru frowned. "What foolish sentimentality," he growled darkly, but averting his eyes to avoid a direct implication to his father's recent dalliances. His frown deepened, before he carefully said, "Mother says to inform her when something worthy occurs, so that she might delay her boredom a few days by attending it."
His father laughed long and hard this time, his mighty voice echoing in the clear night. It sounded just like a low-toned version of his mother's laugh as she had expressed her wishes before returning to her castle in the sky.
"Son, choose a mate that takes after your mother. She's a wonderful woman, that one," his father advised as he hauled himself out of the spring.
Sesshoumaru watched his father's back ripple with strength as the older youkai dried and dressed, and his own bangs began to fall one by one back into place, to either side of the moon on his brow. He pushed one side back.
"A woman with enough heart to share her mate?" he asked, his voice flat as usual. His father paused, peering over his shoulder.
"Really, Sesshoumaru," his father drawled, frowning at him "some things don't always have to be put into words --- they might be better off not. A lot of times it's about the feeling."
The lord turned fully to his son, "I cannot put into words the feelings of happiness and content that I feel when I am with either your mother or Izayoi," the father tried to explain to his son, "and I do not want to. If I did, it might become tainted or misunderstood." He paused, watching his son intently, "your mother, you know, is of the same opinion."
As his father walked away to return to some lordly duties, Sesshoumaru swallowed his "I do not understand, father." All he did know was that his forehead itched, so he pushed the remaining side of his bangs back as well.
The moon on his brow stood alone and open.
*
256th Year of the Inu-no-Taisho.
[Their Year: -191]
Peaceful times.
The Inu-no-Taisho spends many hours calling upon a human princess.
"Ryuukotsusei has issued a challenge to you, Father," Sesshoumaru relayed, watching the lord don his armor in preparation for a grounds patrol.
"Hmm," the Inu-no-Taisho replied noncommittally. "Did he say why?"
Sesshoumaru easily avoided glancing at the message scroll laid out on the desk, or clenching his claws, or tightening his jaw. "A challenge is a challenge, there is no need for a reason."
"How far the Inu-no-Taisho has fallen, weakened for a mortal whore." The scrawl taunted him from the scroll on the desk.
"Hmm," the Inu-no-Taisho said again, checking his straps one last time. "It is a lord's duty to protect what is his." He looked up at his son, keeping eye contact as he rose from his kneeling position. "Remember it well, son."
That night, as Sesshoumaru strolled the cool forest borders of his castle, idly following one star and then another, he silently agreed with his father, though he disagreed with what could or should be counted amongst a lord's keepings.
*
257th Year of the Inu-no-Taisho.
[Their Year: -190]
Peaceful times.
The Inu-no-Taisho spends many hours calling upon a human princess.
"Wonder of all wonders, son," Lady Kaoru cooed coyly. "You're to have a gurgling hanyou sibling, soon."
Sesshoumaru's head snapped up to stare incredulously at his mother.
"Did you know inu hanyou have furry little dog ears? I wonder whose hair and eyes the pup will inherit, hm?" she laughed, bells on water. "What a pleasant mystery to ponder for 9 months!"
"I am sure you will bore of it in less than half," he intoned automatically. "Are you well, Mother?" he asked hesitantly.
His mother put down her fan to peer curiously at her son. "Dear me, Sesshoumaru, dear me. You're not still--- oh, never mind," she breezed.
The Lady of the Western Lands walked over to stand behind her grown son, and she leaned her weight gracefully on his broad shoulders, observing the documents and stamps and reports strewn purposefully over his desk.
"Are you enjoying yourself, Sesshoumaru?"
"The work is good, Mother," her son replied, resuming his missive.
Lady Kaoru stepped back, watching the silk of her son's back shimmer with the moment of his writing. "What kind of response is that, Sesshoumaru?" she asked in the same tone, stepping out of his study as lightly as she had come in.
Sesshoumaru wondered what kind of response it was, and what kind of response she had expected.
*
258th Year of the Inu-no-Taisho; 1st Year of Sesshoumaru
[Their Year: -189]
The Inu-no-Taisho passes. 3 days of mourning.
The castle of the Inu-no-Taisho burns to the ground.
Lady Kaoru takes permanent residence in her castle in the clouds, leaving the Territory in the hands of her capable son.
The castle's bright flames looked just like the flames of Izayoi's castle. Flames were flames, after all, no matter where they took residence.
No matter what sentiment or meaning was tied to where they took residence.
He walked, entering the forest, immediately feeling the heat of the fires disperse in the dark of the trees' shadows. He had no need for a castle, he had decided. He preferred travelling, exploring his lands. If he really needed a point of centralized authority, he'd borrow his mother's castle.
He would never set fire to her castle, so he didn't need to worry about it burning down or being destroyed anytime soon, either.
He spied a nest where a mother quail had gathered her little ones close under her wing, and he idly wondered what had become of Izayoi and the Inu-no-Taisho's second son. Not that it was any of his business, really.
A few miles away and a few hours from sunup, a human couple, hand in hand, ran across his path. They shrieked and blabbered like madmen, and it annoyed Sesshoumaru that they wouldn't shut up over the occasion that the Lord of the Lands was simply passing through, so he disposed of them, leaving them carelessly by the road.
Humans were such odd things.
Sesshoumaru continued to breeze on passively but peacefully through the forest.
*
139th Year of Sesshoumaru
[Their Year: -50]
The human warlords continue their skirmishes.
Sesshoumaru peered curiously at his half-brother, where the boy slept in a spell, pinned by an arrow to a tree.
There was no moon on the boy's brow, no stripes on the cheeks.
The only resemblances were the amber eyes Sesshoumaru had seen a few times before, the trademark white hair of their clan, and the mortal wounds caused by mortal women.
And Sesshoumaru knew, and scorned, that the mortal wounds caused by mortal women was the most telling resemblance that proved the boy was the Inu-no-Taisho's son.
It made Sesshoumaru wonder if he might become somehow closer to his father if he too were to suffer such circumstances. But as soon as he thought it, he dismissed the notion.
Power and prestige was what he was chasing after his father for. Nothing else mattered.
*
189th Year of Sesshoumaru
[Their Year: 1]
The human warlords continue their skirmishes.
*Winter:
A sudden, bright, purification arrow blasted the right side of his armor away. Sesshoumaru was stunned into dropping his prey for the first time.
"Have you no heart, demon?" the miko scowled at him from where she'd fired a few meters away. The human child at his feet scrambled off, wailing annoyingly, making background noise.
In less than a blink, the miko's throat was circled by his claws, and he narrowed his eyes at her. She tried to hide her fear behind a front of bravery, but compared to the lyrical mask of his mother and the inconsistent façade of his father, reading hers was nothing.
"You will pay for your transgression, miko," he declared in a low growl.
In the grips of death, she smiled in mock nonchalance. "Right. Death to all that displease you. Are you enjoying yourself, demon?" she choked in a steady voice.
As she went limp in his hand, his mother's laughing voice echoed with the drag of her weight.
"Are you enjoying yourself, Sesshoumaru?"
*Summer:
He circled back to the human village for the third time that day. The soldiers were still there.
He remained unseen behind the miko's hut, listening to the sounds from within.
"You've had enough to drink, you oaf," she scolded one soldier as she snatched the bottle from his seeking hands.
"Will you quiet down?!" she demanded of another.
There was the sound of a scuffle, and Sesshoumaru felt himself tensing, following the sounds even closer.
"Will you people please just leave?" she hissed, then, under her breath, she muttered, "I wish I could just let him have the lot of you --- I'm surprised he hasn't killed you all yet, with as much as he likes peace and quiet, that demon."
Sesshoumaru drew back, alarmed.
When the night had settled, and the soldiers had fallen into drunken dreams, he approached the miko silently as she drew water from the village well.
Her back tensed, then she turned to face him, one hand curling protectively under her chin in memory of his grip.
"Why are you still here?" she asked, curious.
He thought a bit about the question, and then a bit about his answer. When he finally responded, the miko had already hefted the heavy bucket in her arms, looking for an exit, as if she had finished waiting for an answer. He realised she truly had.
"This village is within my Lands," he said.
"And?" she asked, not understanding. "What does that have to do with anything?"
He was ready with an answer this time. "A Lord protects what is his," he said.
She put the bucket down for a moment, put her hands on her hips, and cocked her head to one side, eyeing him in contemplation. Then, she heaved a sigh and picked up her bucket again, moving back to her hut.
"I don't understand you," she said. "You try to kill me --- nearly do, but don't --- then you come around every once in a while --- not that the extra protection that happens to come of your visits isn't appreciated --- and now you suddenly express an affinity for the safety of this tiny insignificant village? Really, what sort of answer is that?" she asked.
As he watched her pass him, he wondered what sort of answer it was, and if she had expected a certain answer instead of that which he had given.
The next day, the soldiers were successfully on their way back to their warlord, and Kagome leaned against the doorframe, watching them go.
"You know," she started, "it's getting kind of annoying to call you 'demon, demon' all the time."
Sesshoumaru watched the daily bustle of the village from his place in the shadows, the nameless flowing past him.
"And I hate it when people call me 'miko, miko' all the time," she pressed. "I'm Kagome. Higurashi Kagome," she introduced herself as if he hadn't ever overheard the villagers wailing her name in desperation or calling out in greeting.
He pushed away from the cool bark of the tree next to her hut, and turned towards the forests again. He could feel her gaze trying to see through him from behind. She had hoped to hide behind his turned back, to watch him and try to understand him while not under his direct scrutiny.
"Sesshoumaru," he revealed.
*
192nd Year of Sesshoumaru
[Their Year: 4]
The human warlords continue their skirmishes.
The demon lord is rumoured to frequent a human miko.
*Fall:
She had hidden herself amongst the fragrant pines after zipping thrice through the stream in as many directions, and climbing 2 trees purely in the effort of throwing him off her scent trail, though she should have known by now that he could see clearly through her attempts.
His boots crunched on some fallen cones as he stopped in front of where she was hidden, and then he waited.
The little pine shrub sighed in a feminine exhale of exasperation and surrender, then said: "Sesshoumaru, please, I'm very embarrassed!
He said nothing, merely reached behind the little shrub and hauled her to her feet by the arm.
She yelped, hopping on one foot for a bit, before tugging unnecessarily at the opening of her kimono.
"In fact, I'm embarrassed that I'm embarrassed over wearing a normal kimono," she babbled, "I can't believe I've gotten so used to wearing my miko garb; I can't even remember the last time I wore anything else."
He 'hmm'ed noncommittally at her, looking her over and liking what he saw. Except…
"Your obi does not match," he pointed out, watching as her face reddened further.
"Oh, well, nothing to be done on it, now, is there?" she sighed. "I don't have enough money for a new one, and…what are you doing?!" she shrieked, grabbing his hands where they had reached behind her and begun to swiftly untie the obi.
Her hands were warm and a little calloused from her archery, smaller than his and far more delicate.
"I am giving you an obi," he responded, a little belatedly compared to normal.
Her face flared up again. "Oh, er, I'll undo it myself, then," she said awkwardly, then added, "Um, thanks?"
He stepped back, watching her undo her own obi, and the evening air seemed a little warm, despite it being autumn.
When she was finished, he removed his own obi and handed it to her.
She stared uncomprehendingly at his outstretched hand and the blue and yellow fabric within it for a moment, then opened her mouth to argue, her eyes shooting up to catch his.
"This Sesshoumaru insists," he said before she could say anything.
A few minutes later, and Kagome finally relented, taking the obi and tying it into place. When she was finished, she tried to hide her nervousness with her usual cheerful chatter.
"Well," she said, "shall we go? The festival should be reaching its most exciting, at this point."
"Hnn," he responded, and walked with her through the forest and down the hill and into the village. They both ignored the curious stares of the villagers as they perused the festive stalls that were the collaborative efforts of four local villages together.
He watched her join the evening bonfire dance, and when she returned to his side, sweating lightly and glowing with light, he couldn't help but notice how much of her figure the kimono allowed to show through, as opposed to her usual dress. He found it hard to stop staring at the soft curve of her neck, or the soft curve of her jaw line, or the soft curve of her waist, highlighted by his obi.
He blinked at her question, feeling lazy but content.
"Are you having fun, Sesshoumaru?"
"Yes," he responded, sure of his answer this time. "This Sesshoumaru thanks you for the enjoyable evening," he expanded politely.
"That's good to hear, Sesshoumaru. That's really good to hear."
*
195th Year of Sesshoumaru
[Their Year: 7]
The demon lord courts a human miko.
He tracked her easily, her tears and her sadness marking a clear path from him to her.
"You reject me?" he blurted angrily when he found her.
The blanket sniffled, and became a little smaller.
"You would accept the suit of another?" he pressed.
"Why do you have to put it into words?" she demanded, flinging the blanket angrily aside and revealing tear-stained cheeks and a rumpled wedding kimono. "It sounds so crude when you say it, like I'm doing this for some inane reason, or a whim, or something! Don't you know how I feel?"
As he stood over her, the sound of her tears hitting the floorboards overlapped with the memory of the spring water dripping off his father's back as he dried himself and tried to explain the sublime topic of feelings to his son.
"This Sesshoumaru does not understand," he bit out in frustration, "I am not you; I cannot understand what unreasonable thing you are feeling that has inspired you to reject my suit for another, unless you tell me."
Kagome made a frustrated sound of helplessness in the back of her throat, before shoving herself up, grabbing his collar, standing on her tiptoes and pressing her lips to his.
His fang nicked her lip, and his senses were filled with Kagome, even as she pulled away from the kiss to hide her face in his chest.
"You're a demon, Sesshoumaru," her voice small and forlorn. "Worse yet, a demon lord."
He swallowed, and when he looked down, for the first time he noticed that though she was planning to marry another, she had tied her kimono with his obi.
He lowered his head, nose touching the crown of hers. Quietly, he said, "This is one of those things not to put into words."
That night, when he brought her to the shrine and refused to leave when the ceremony began, no one said a thing when the bridegroom stepped down and Sesshoumaru took his place.
*
197th Year of Sesshoumaru
[Their Year: 9]
The uprisings amongst the demons has settled.
"Take care of yourself, Sesshoumaru," Kagome said, checking the straps of his armor again.
"This Sesshoumaru always does," he replied. "Jaken will see to your needs, as usual."
"Yes," she said, then hesitated. "What about…"
"What is it?" he asked, one ear tuned to the low horn announcing their five-minute mark to depart for the battlefield.
"Do you think it's time that InuYasha returned home?" she said, peering pensively up at him. He could tell right away she wasn't saying everything she meant to.
"InuYasha?" he asked, for a moment confused. "Home?" he blinked, eyes flickering around his broad study in the castle he had rebuilt.
"Yes," she huffed playfully, then rubbed her stomach meaningfully. "I'd like for the baby to know the uncle."
His gaze sharpened on her. "You want to know InuYasha." A pause. Then, "baby?" he echoed incredulously.
She smiled shyly, and he was tempted to pick her up and swing her around, only that might be too much stress upon her condition, or maybe to crush her to his chest in a tight hug, but she would be impaled by the spikes of his armor.
His hands, already raised to grasp her shoulders, flexed restlessly in midair as they hovered away from her warmth.
"Baby," he said again.
She laughed, and the laughter was bells on water, his mother's laugh, a mother's laugh.
"Yes," she said, patting his chest, "baby. Sesshoumaru, you're going to be a father."
*
198th Year of Sesshoumaru
[Their Year: 10]
The Territory is at peace.
He knew immediately that something was wrong when the missives from Jaken began to repeat themselves rather uselessly.
"The Lady and the princess are safe. All is well." "The princess has opened her eyes. All is well." "The Lady and the princess are well."
He wondered what had gone wrong at home, that his mate would have Jaken lie to him repeatedly, in an effort to make sure he remained focused on the front lines of battle.
Even miles and miles away, months apart, her intentions were transparent to him.
If she didn't want him to worry, he reasoned to himself, then it must be something that would resolve itself in time, or something which he would be unable to do anything for anyhow. She always knew what sorts of things required his personal or immediate attention, and which ones didn't, or could wait.
So he would trust her judgement.
Jaken's lies continued for another month, and Sesshoumaru's patience grew thin. He finished the conquest in another season and left the politics and details of the aftermath to his subjects.
When he returned home, his mother with a squirming bundle in her arms and his half-brother and his personal retainer and his other retainers and most of his castle staff were on the doorsteps to greet him.
But he could not find Kagome.
"Well now, the father has come home to his daughter, the son to his mother, and the brother to his brother" Lady Kaoru said, not unkindly, rocking her bundle lightly.
"You brought swift victory over your foe, my Lord!" the toad demon squawked, waving his short arms not unlike the stubby fists waving over the little bundle in his mother's arms.
He swept inside, ignoring even his Lady mother and the brother he had not seen or spoken to for nearly a century.
He tracked her scent like he always did, tracing over the grounds, a few times to the gardens, and returning always and mostly to their bedchamber, where her scent lingered but mixed heavily with herbs and blood and sweat, even after all these months.
He remained there, at the end of the trail, when night began to fall.
His mother walked in, the bundle quiet and still, now.
"That daughter of mine was well chosen, son," she said, taking a seat beside him. "She was good and brave throughout it all."
"What happened?" he asked, feeling adrift, as if he had just fought an entire war and come home to find he hadn't had a reason to fight for.
"What can happen to any woman," his mother said, jostling the bundle a bit, "childbirth is very hard, and many do not make it through. My daughter was very lucky to have finished giving birth and seen a few more days after."
"I was not informed," he bit out.
"She gave clear orders you weren't to be," Lady Kaoru explained easily in the face of her son's anger. "She wrote to ask me to come and take over here, so that you won't need to manage both the home front and the battlefront.
"I was not informed," he said again, his claws and jaw clenched.
"Well, she's dead now, so she's well hidden from your little tantrum, at least."
He rounded on his mother viciously, pushing her into the floor, his youki flaring and gathering castle guards, only to have them stare indecisively at the scene.
"There are some things that do not need to be put into words," he hissed, heard even over the high wailing of a black-haired pup.
"Well, when you find your words again," the reinstated Lady of the Western Lands replied without skipping a beat or batting an eye, "you might take a look at this daughter of yours and spare her a few of praise. Or you can bark over her until she shuts up, your choice."
Sesshoumaru paused, then peered down at the bundle whose world had suddenly been upturned, though she was still safely cradled within her grandmother's arms and away from the brunt of his anger.
The black-haired, blue-eyed, magenta striped, crescent branded baby wailed another long breath, then gurgled abruptly, choking a little on her own spit, before starting another keening wail once her throat had cleared successfully.
He could find Kagome easily in her, and he knew in that moment that Kagome had also easily found him in the baby.
"Her name is Rin, by the way," Lady Kaoru said, "and if she is anything like you, she'll have a penchant for wandering aimlessly about. You'll have to teach her what things are fun, or worth protecting, or worthwhile at all, and what things aren't." She sighed, "Goodness knows it took forever for you to learn it yourself."