Chapter 20

Three months later...

Sesshoumaru was enjoying his bath. He had been on patrol for three nights and was feeling a bit grimy. Katame as always, washed her husband. She was washing his hair and he was very relaxed when he heard a sound. Then he smelt it. Damn! He hopped out of the tub and got dressed.

Katame was about to ask when he said. "Mocou." That was all Katame needed to hear she ran to gather the boys together.

The house was surrounded by strange walking dead men.

There, in the trees above the palace, was Mocou. Almost invisible, he shrouded himself in black from head to foot. He was rarely ever seen. He always worked from behind. But now he was getting bold.

His first attempt at taking the babe Sugumi had failed but now that the boy was bigger he would entice the brat out using the battle as a lure.

He knew that the sons of Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha would be well able to smell the blood of battle and want it for themselves.

He was right. The young boys were desperate to join the battle. Inumouru and Sugumi were struggling with their mothers. Inumouru was arguing that he was old enough to help. Sugumi simply wriggled until he got free.

The two little demons ran outside. Katame was about to follow and was stopped by Kagome. "Don't go out there their fathers will have enough to worry about with the boys besides you have the baby to think of."

Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha were indeed busy. The palace grounds were swarming with the walking dead.

Nether brother had located Mocou. Mocou on the other hand had located his quarry. The little man-demon Sugumi had come out, he had his half-demon cousin with him. Mocou floated out behind the tree and down to where the boys were. He grabbed Sugumi and started off.

Suddenly he felt an intense pain in his back and shoulders. Inumouru was clawing his way up Mocou's back and was biting down hard on his shoulder trying to free his cousin. Mocou tried to reach around and rid himself of the troublesome brat. But he couldn't reach him.

Suddenly he screamed. Sugumi was now joining his cousin in the efforts to free himself. The little man-demon had shoved his sharp claws, which he could grow long at will, into the stomach of Mocou.

Together, Sugumi and Inumouru had brought the demon Mocou down to the ground.

Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha had not seen any of this. They were kept busy by the shear number of foes.

"Iron reverse soul stealer!" Inuyasha shouted and swung his deadly claws. Suddenly all the foes dropped to the ground at once, unmoving.

The two brothers looked at each other. "What just happened?" Inuyasha asked.

Then they heard growling from behind them. They both turned to see their sons chewing on and clawing at the downed Mocou. He wasn't dead but he was badly hurt. He was struggling to get away from the terrible teeth and claws of the demon children.

Sesshoumaru shouted for the boys to back off and he went in with his sword and finished the kill.

Sesshoumaru ordered the children. "Get into the house now!" He was angry and they knew it. Both boys tore into the house as fast as they could go. He was about to go in after them but was stopped by a touch from Inuyasha.

"How did they manage that? Neither one can even lift a blade yet."

"Obviously the instinct to fight is strong in them. It's time we met with the sword master and got them their own blades. We have to start training them first thing in the morning. We can wait no longer." Sesshoumaru spoke in a quiet voice.

"But for now we have two bad little demons who have disobeyed, again. Do you wish to do the terrible task or shall I."

"It might as well be you, I did it the last time." Inuyasha smiled. "Besides I'm so surprised at their success, I might not be able to pull off the angry demon act well enough."

"Hmmff, just like you to the leave the dirty work for the full demon." He took a moment to compose himself and then went in to punish the boys.

The next morning before the sun was fully up the two demons and their sons were off to see the sword master. He was the one who had crafted Inuyasha's sword the tetsaiga and also the sword of Sesshoumaru the tensaiga.

Now he would craft swords for the two boys. A fang from each brother was taken and a promise of prompt delivery was given. The four headed back to the palace.

Sesshoumaru selected two sturdy bamboo polls for the boys to practice with until their swords were ready.

"You have tasted your first blood of battle young ones." Sesshoumaru said. "But you are nowhere near ready to face a true enemy. Mocou had no real power, other than that deception. That's why you were able to bring him down so easily. A real enemy would have eaten you two pups for a snack." Sesshoumaru showed his teeth. "You need to start training hard if you are to join your father and I in battle."

The boy's faces lit up. "You mean you will let us fight with you?" Inumouru was ecstatic.

"Not Right away." His uncle cautioned. "You're not going to be ready for a while yet."

Sugumi and Inumouru jumped up and down. "We'll work really hard. We promise" They said in unison.

All that week the boys worked on the exercises Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha had given them to do. Inuyasha sat on the step calling out correction and advice to the boys as Sesshoumaru put them though their paces.

Each night the boys would sit at the table practically falling asleep in their bowls.

Katame was beginning to get concerned.

"You're working them too hard. They're too young for such heavy training."

"Tchh, woman, I would have thought you would be happy for the break. With all the training, these little terrors haven't had the chance to get into trouble." Sesshoumaru smiled wryly.

"I still think they are too young." She handed Sesshoumaru his son, Samotoyame. Here hold this terror while I wash his face. Little Samoto did not like to be washed at all. He would snarl at his mother every time she tried to clean the little pup.

"Hold still you little monster. You can't go around with mucky paws. Stop that growling its not going to work on me, I'm bigger than you."

Sesshoumaru decided to teach the boy a lesson. He quickly turned the babe to face him and snarled fiercely. The babe cried and whimpered. "Don't growl at your mother!" He the ordered.

Sesshoumaru put his son down so he could show the belly but instead the little rouge took off like a shot crawling away as fast as he could go.

"NO! Samotoyame, come back here now!" Sesshoumaru had his son in a heartbeat. SMACK. Not hard, but the little one got the message. He showed the tummy. "You will behave yourself, my young demon. I insist on it."