Blue Tattoo

A/N: I'm trying very hard to keep this story interesting. It seems Chapter one was a pretty good start. As always please review and let me know what you think but please be kind. I am always open to ideas and/or suggestions. Enjoy!

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Chapter 2

A bare chest Lord Tetsuko examined his newborn daughter wrapped, clumsily, in his kimono top in awe. It was all amazing to him. He had never seen a newborn before. She was so tiny he could hold her with one hand. Looking at her made him forget just for a moment the danger they were in.

He whispered to his mate leaning down lowering the newborn into her mothers waiting shaky arm. "Soshi, here she is." Her heavy lids turned to her baby.

She smiled weakly stroking her daughters red wet hair that had white streaks throughout. 'Did I do this?' She thought to herself in amazement. 'She was really inside me?' Emotion took over and tears began to fall from Soshi's eyes that she was fighting to keep somewhat open. She was feeling weaker by the second; a feeling she couldn't seem to shake.

Lord Tetsuko looked down at his new family, overwhelmed with the strong urge to protect. His face tilted in curiosity as he lowered a clawed hand down to his daughter's forehead. He caught a glimpse of blue through the newborns red bangs that were still wet and clinging to her forehead. Carefully, he used the talon on his index finger to move the bangs, revealing a thin, wavy, bluish grey birthmark that went from temple to temple.

Sky blue colored eyes widened at what they saw. Tetsuko had seen this mark before he just couldn't think of where. Then it hit his memory. His eyes shot over to Amaya. His thoughts came to a screeching halt. 'This is why they are after us'. He used his thumb to wipe the blood away, exposing the mark more clearly; tracing the pattern from temple to temple.

Amaya could feel Tetsuko's eyes starring at her. She broke from her staring match with the hell demon and turned her attention to the Inu Lord. Her sharp eyes immediately caught site of the familiar marking on the child. Her eyes then slowly looked up and met Tetsuko's gaze.

'Father.' Her mouth opened into a silent gasp. This newborn had inherited the same tattoo her father was given, that is before he was murdered. This baby inherited the mark of the Hell Gate protector. Realizing this; finally understanding the last piece of the puzzle. This Inu child possessed the power to send Tsuno back to hell.

The fairy's eyes quickly darted then glared to the neon, glowing red ones that awaited her return.

Tsuno curled his lips high above his pointy teeth, exposing his black gums this time. His footsteps thundered as he moved closer to the barrier now. He perked his fleshy grey ears picking up the sounds of newborn squalling. The hell demon raised his bloody fists air; he brought them forward, swiftly, flicking his wrists so his blood landed on Amaya's barrier causing it to crackle.

The crackling sound grabbed the Inu Lords attention.He gritted his teeth, letting out a low growl in the back of his throat. "Soshi, stay here and don't try to move." Grabbing his sword from where he had placed it on the ground, he leaped into a standing position, leaving his unconscious mate and raced to the fairy's side holding his sword out and positioned in a fighting stance.

The hell demons blood was slowly sliding down the outside of the barrier; the poison in the blood was causing their protection to weaken.

Amaya began to panic. "I don't know how much longer it will hold, My Lord." Her voice cracked, she remained facing the barrier not looking toward him as she spoke.

Though already weary from the many hours of maintaining the barrier, she was still determined. She refused to move from her position. She could keep the barrier up, she had to.

Tsuno pointed his claw toward the fading, protective glow, flicking more blood in the process. The horned demon snorted out his final command. "Break it down, kill them!"

The assault picked up where it had left off, only this time was slightly different. The demons charged in larger swarms. Some aimed for the barrier some aimed for the rocky surroundings of the cave opening. The crashes were fiercer this time-the first time around they were just buying time until the barrier was weakened.

With each collision, the mountain began to shake causing rocks to fall with each rumble.

Tetsuko turned and ran quickly back to Soshi and the baby. He used his body to cover his daughter and his mate. The fist sized rocks slammed into his back, a smaller one hit the back of his head.

He remained like stone hovering just above them on his hands and knees.

Soshi's eyes opened, barely into weak slits trying to look at her mate. She had no strength, not even to hold her newborn that Tetsuko had moved from her arm to her chest. Her vision was getting blurry. Her mouth opened slightly, signaling to her mate she was trying to say something, but she could only talk in lighter than a whisper.

Luckily the Inuyoukai had incredible sense of hearing along with smell.

The rocks had stopped falling for a moment; only tiny pebbles were trickling down the cave walls. It wasn't going to be long before they began to fall again. The Lord leaned his pointed ear down to his mate's lips to hear her.

"Please." She forced out hardly even a whisper. "Get her out . . . she . . . she must live." She pleaded, her chest heaved.

Soshi's instinct told her that something was wrong with her body. She was feeling so weak that she could hardly move; she couldn't even lift her arm to touch her child. If she had the strength, it would have irritated her.

Tetsuko slowly turned his head so he could look into her slits. Wet streams ran down both corners of Soshi's eyes.

She mouthed 'Please.' Once more, this time no sound came out at all.

She then closed her eyes letting out a long breath, her body went limp.

Tetsuko slipped his arm underneath her neck and lifted her head closer to him. His fingers brushed against the neck of her kimono, painting his finger tips red with blood. He lifted her a little higher with one hand, holding his daughter securely to its mother's chest with the other as he lifted her.

Blood…It had soaked the entire back of Soshi's kimono from top to bottom.

Tetsuko's eyes widened seeing his mates kimono heavily soaked in blood. Was something wrong? Did Inuyoukai demonesses loose this much blood during childbirth?

No, this didn't feel right, something was wrong.

He slowly tilted her head back looking at her face. He wanted nothing more than for her to open her eyes. Instead he picked up a scent that sent him into a panic-the scent of death.

"Soshi"

Silence

His senses were playing a trick on him for sure. "Soshi!" He said louder as he began to shake her.

The scent of death grew stronger, Soshi didn't move.

Anger began to take the demon lord. He gritted his teeth, exposing his fangs. His eyes were beginning to turn red. How dare they put them in this situation, how dare they take her away. His eyes closed tightly, his anger building.

A strong loud cry broke him from his anger. His red eyes quickly faded back into white and blue. The baby . . . he had to save his daughter no matter what.

The Inu Demon of the East gently scooped his daughter up with one arm, his sword in his other hand. 'Get her out . . . she must live' echoed in his head over and over

He slowly rose to his feet, his eyes looking at his mate one more time before turning toward Amaya. It was up to her, she was the only one who could save the newborn. Getting her out was all that mattered now.

Sensing loss, the Inu newborn's cries grew louder the farther away she was from her mother. Tetsuko's eyes lowered to see his daughter. In effort to comfort the child, he cradled her closer to his body

Amaya's tired wings beat, swiftly against her back. She felt a presence below her and quickly turned her head. Tetsuko was standing underneath, looking up at her and the fading barrier. His expression was blank.

Her eyes gazed at the Inuyoukai holding the newborn in his arm, then to the sword in his hand stained with now dried blood. She slowly flew down; her bare feet created a small puff of dust as they met the ground.

"My lord?" Her shaky voice questioned, growing even more nervous with the baby being so close to the fading barrier.

Tetsuko shifted his eyes to the barrier. The edges of the purple glow were turning clear; it wasn't going to hold much longer at all, the baby need to get out now.

He quickly stepped forward pushing the crying newborn into Amaya's arm. She clumsily grabbed a hold of the infant, confused.

The barrier faded faster.

Tetsuko tightened his grip on his sword. "Get her out of here." He growled facing the barrier now.

Amaya turned her head to look behind her just as the word left her lips. "What about Lady Soshi my Lord?" Her eyes widened when she had gotten her answer without any word from the Inuyoukai. Lady Soshi was lying on the cave floor, lifeless. The underside of her kimono soaked in blood, the dirt underneath her wet with her blood.

The fairy took in a sharp breath as she clutched the infant closer to her body. The single arm that kept the barrier from dissolving began to shake violently. Tears brimmed along her lower lids threatening to spill.

"Go!" He commanded again in a loud growl.

"I can't leave my Lord, the barrier will fall!" She replied her voice shaky.

Tetsuko turned to the shaking fairy, his eyes beginning to glow red. He stepped closer so he was almost directly in front of her.

"Get her out of here. I can handle the demons, she must live!" He ordered one last time.

Amaya looked at him with wide eyes. They shifted from Tetsuko's face then to the barrier that was almost half faded. She then closed her eyes tightly and nodded. "Yes, Lord Tetsuko. I will guard her with my life." Amaya slowly turned away from the Inuyoukai and clutched the newborn, which seemed to be calm for the moment, securely, yet gently to her chest. Tetsuko turned and watched intently as a blue aura began to glow around the fairy and the child, turning darker by the second.

By the time Tetsuko had scented a demon rapidly rushing toward them, before he had time to react a long fleshy grey arm shoved its way past the barrier, causing it to crackle until it completely faded into nothingness.

The Inuyoukai turned quickly lifting his sword high then bringing it down severing a finger from the large hand of the hell demon. The severed finger slid along the dirt of the cave floor until it reached its target, piercing Amaya in the thigh causing the fairy to cry out in pain.

The blue aura faded then disappeared completely. Amaya closed her eyes and clenched her teeth as she fell to her knees, pulling the claw from her stubby leg with one hand tightly clutching the baby with the other.

Tsuno rapidly yanked his bleeding hand out from the cave minus a finger. He pulled his hand inches from his face to examine the wound. An ungodly howl escaped his mouth and echoed into the grey skies.

With the barrier now dissolved the serpent demons began to enter the cave mouth.

Two by two they dove for the entrance. The first two succeeded in the entry only to be pierced by the youkai blade.

"Amaya" Tetsuko called out to the fairy that was slumped on her knees to the ground, her back facing the demon lord.

"Amaya" He called out to her again.

He received no response form her. He could see that she was alive with the rising and lowering of her shoulders. He inches closer to her, but he was interrupted when another pair of demons met him at the cave opening.

He turned, quickly jutting his blade upwards into the first serpent's neck. It fell to the ground like a rock. Tetsuko ran using the demons head like a trampoline, he jumped off the fallen demon sailing upward piercing the undersides of the second demon sending him crashing to the dirt floor as well.

The vibrations from the impact shook the cave walls making the loose stones from the first tremor finally give in and fall.

A large boulder was falling straight down aiming for the infant and her helpless protector.

Tetsuko reacted quickly. His feet barely touched the ground before he bounced back up into the air again. Using force with emotions, he kicked the boulder causing it to hit the ground away from its original target.

His feet touched the gritty floor and quickly padded over to the weakened fairy. He kneeled down, quickly grabbing a hold of her shoulders, then peering over them to check his daughter's status. She was awake and wide eyed with a distraught, frightened look.

"Amaya" He repeated again in desperation, shaking the fairy's shoulders. He looked down and cringed at the hole in her thigh a tiny puddle of blood soaked into the ground just below it.

She blinked and turned her head slowly meeting his sky blue eyes.

"Can you stand?" She silently nodded, grunting as she was helped up.

Tetsuko left her side rushing again to the cave opening greeting the next pair of demons. He leaped into the air and spun around letting go of his sword. It sailed through the air until it sliced into its target sending yet another demon to the ground, landing on its fallen comrades.

"Amaya, now!" He shouted as he landed on top of the fallen demon, pulling his blade out. He turned sending it sailing yet again toward the second serpent, piercing it, causing it to fall hard.

Amaya's wings fluttered a thousand beats per second. She kept her weight on her strong leg, shifting quickly backward. More rocks threatened to fall with each tremor the demons caused when they hit the ground.

Hearing the demon Lords command, Amaya closed her eyes and nodded. The tears that lined her bottom lids spilled as she reassumed her earlier position.

Once again she used both hands holding the infant securely to her chest as she closed her eyes and ducked her chin low concentrating.

A tinted blue aura began to form once more around the fairy and the baby's form steadily changing into a deeper blue.

Tetsuko stole glances in between fighting off the invading youkai. He pulled his sword out of yet another serpent head. He stood still for a moment watching the blue that was enveloping His daughter and her protector. He knew this would be the last look he would get of his daughter.

Amaya's feet began to turn transparent then invisible, the process slowly climbed up her body.

Tetsuko was so consumed watching, making sure his daughter was safely out of the cave, he didn't even notice the re-entry of Tsuno's four fingered, clawed hand until the claw on his middle digit pierced through Tetsuko's body.

Amaya opened her eyes and they grew wide at the site in front of her. 'Get her out!' shouted loudly inside her head. She wondered to herself if it was Tetsuko somehow using telepathy.

Determined, she closed her eyes tightly tears continued to leak, there was nothing she could do to help him, only carry out his command, his last request.

The newborns already acute senses picked up the familiar scent of blood. She began to cry loudly, squirming in Amaya's arms.

More serpent demons swarmed into the opening, more following in behind them.

Amaya held the infant more securely; she opened her eyes into slits focusing on the baby while at the same time concentrated on their escape.

The blue tattoo on the newborns forehead was beginning to glow catching the fairy's attention. Suddenly the infants mouth opened widely letting out a ear shattering sound, a bright, blinding light filled the inside of the cave. After a few moments the light dissipated, the serpent demons were on the cave floor lifeless.

The hell demons arm had become severed at the wrist. He pulled his arm out, howling looking at his handless wrist.

Amaya looked at the child in disbelief. Such power, Amaya didn't know if she was shaking from fear or from the hint of poison in her body from the hell demons claw. Nevertheless her eyes snapped shut one last time as the spell completed making the fairy and the baby completely invisible.

She turned, facing toward the west. Bending her wobbly knees and beating her wings as fast as they possibly could, Amaya took off in a streamline streak, passing through the cave wall.