"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

"Absolutely positive?"

"Damnit, its kicking for Kami's sake!"

Inside the bed chamber of the Lords-to-be, Tenshika's face reddened, rubbing her stomach shyly and protectively. Sesshomaru eyed her in disbelief. They were discussing a most uncomfortable subject...

"Don't your kind carry offspring for a year? Why do you feel that you're ready now?"

"My water broke yesterday and I feel myself slipping into unconsciousness every minute."

... their child.

For the last couple of days, the shoujo ryu lord of the south was recovering her strength and Sesshomaru took care of her. AhUn also served as a nice companion during those times of stress. However, the dragon had noticed Tenshika's mind slipping every once and a while and during a bath one night, her water broke violently. The negative fact about the symptoms were that they weren't suppose to happen until next year.

Tenshika was about to birth too early.

"I knew you weren't fit enough to carry my child." the Taiyoukai snarled.

Tenshika growled, her teal eyes burning in a wild frenzy. "How DARE you accuse me of being too weak to carry a child, especially yours. Just because I'm going to bring it into the world a month after we mated doesn't mean that I'm weak."

"Then what do you call it?"

"I call it 'nature', Sesshomaru." She whispered, her eyes narrowing to silts.

Sesshomaru didn't, or course, cower. He neared the shoujo ryu, boring hole through her eyes. "I swear, Tenshika... if this pup turns out to be a still-born, I shall make up for its death with yours."

"That's NOT what you said last night, Sesshomaru..."

The dog demon growled. "How DARE you bring that night up. I was not in my right of mind when I finally marked you. We weren't ready."

"And why do you say that?"

"BECAUSE WE'RE STILL FIGHTING!"

"WELL MAYBE IF YOU STOPPED THINKING SO DAMN HIGHLY OF YOURSELF, WE WOULDN'T!"

Both of them gasped, surprised by their outburst. Neither of them showed their emotions so fiercely or vividly to anyone, especially Sesshomaru. There wasn't a time in the taiyoukai's life that he had to raise his voice.

However, Tenshika was right to remind him of last night. No matter what the dog demon might try and convince himself of, he was truely ready to commit to Tenshika that night. Last night, they truely made love and truely marked each other for mates... the shoujo ryu getting the worse half of the deal because Sesshomaru bit her too hard. That night signed them as life mates and it was that night that Sesshomaru sweetly promised that even if the child was to die at birth -in a slim chance- that he would still be there for her.

But, even though this was true, the two were still fighting as if they couldn't stand the sight of the other; As if that night never happened.

In realization, Sesshomaru softened his features, something else out of his character. Slowly, Tenshika was bringing out a side Sesshomaru that only Rin usually saw.

"Sorry, Tenshi. I should not doubt your ability to carry young." He started, trying to hold the shoujo ryu's arms, but she flinched away, causing Sesshomaru gasps slightly.

Watching Tenshika walk three steps away from him, his guilt started to rise, hearing sobs. "NEVER have I been more insulted. I bet you've lowered a lot of people to nothing but demon shit, Sesshomaru, but to say that your own mate is too weak -too low in your eyes- to carry your own child... is just an insensitive bastard's remark. I bid you good afternoon, Sesshomaru-sama."

And with that, she stormed out of the room. Sesshomaru sighed, smelling her scent flying off to the gardens. Lately, when the two of them fought, Tenshika would run to AhUn for comfort, seeing that it was the only dragon to talk to within the whole western lands.

Seeing it useless to try and talk to Tenshika and make nice, Sesshomaru made no effort to follow. Instead, he started to prepare to patrol his lands. Thinking back to his last night patrol, the dog demon growled, his nose wrinkling.

The smell of that male is still within my immediate lands. InuYasha has left, however. I must find this male and depose of him before he finds out Tenshika.

Arming himself with the Tokijin, Sesshomaru paced himself out the his mansion, starting his pursuit of the unknown male.

Please, don't take Sesshomaru's words seriously, Lady Tenshika.

"I can't help it, AhUn... I hate that damn bastard, but anything he says seems to affect me so deeply. It shouldn't bother me at all."

The dragon seemed to smile as one of the heads licked Tenshika's stomach affectionately. It's because you love Lord Sesshomaru.

The term 'love' still hadn't quite sunk into the dragon's mind. "What? How in the world could he or I love each other... when we speak so terribly of each other?"

Well, you share a bed, do you not? He's affectionately towards you period, is he not?

The shoujo ryu looked away, blushing pink. Yes, it was true. Sesshomaru was VERY affectionate at time, especially when they shared a bed. Tenshika had become found of the taiyokai's fur and hugged it like a bedtime toy every night. Night after night, Sesshomaru would near her more, eventually wrapping his arms around her. In the morning, Tenshika would catch him with a slightly embarrassed look on his face, but it was the beauty of the moment that kept her in his arms.

It wasn't hard to find this out, Lady Tenshika. Lovers always have their fights. I find that the ones that fight the most, care for each other the most.

Suddenly, the dragon's mind started fuzz and she collapsed onto AhUn's scaly torso, her eyes fazing in and out. The fire dragon looked at her in worry. Maybe you should start making yourself comfortable under a Willow tree.

Tenshika, opening her eyes weakly, nodded as she stood up with some help from AhUn. The fire dragon knew that Tenshika's time was nearing rapidly. If she didn't make herself idle now in a safe, comfortable spot while in labor, she could miscarry. Here, Lady Tenshika. I'll fly you to a Willow.

"N-No, that won't be necessary."

Are you sure? If your knees and inner thighs start to paralyze before you get into position, you might hurt yourself.

Tenshika gave the two-head dragon a smile, petting it weakly.

"I'm touched by your concern, but it's okay. This is just something I have to do on my own."

With a gentle growl, AhUn nudged Tenshika off. She giggled, flying comfortably into the Weeping Willows garden. With an after though, AhUn also made his way into the sky; If Lord Sesshomaru was not there to help Lady Tenshika, their child would not have a father! I have to get to Sesshomaru at once.

Its claws grasping onto its blue fire, it raced towards the taiyokai's scent, hoping to be able to bring Sesshomaru back to the dragon before Tenshika gave birth.

With a loud, murderous yell, a tree was cut perfectly to the ground by a hand engulfed in black. Gracefully landing on his feet after the attack, Sentai smirked at the damage. Stepping towards to the tree to see how he did, he smirked. If it had been a real enemy, his head would have been perfectly sliced from his body.

Sentai had been training in the forest near Sesshomaru's castle, becoming stronger for he knew that the Western Land Lord would be too much for him to handle in his previous level. However, now a month after the whole thing started, Sentai had grown in power... enough to be an even match with InuYasha and -hopefully for him- with Sesshomaru as well.

Today's the day. I shall slay Sesshomaru and take his place as Tenshika's mate... and I might as well calm his lands as well. I'll have Tenshika AND all the wenches within the borders.

Suddenly, a sharp movement caught Sentai's senses and he flamed his hands black for attack. Sniffing the air for an identity, he smirked, his hands flaming in higher intensity.

"So, you couldn't wait for me any longer, could you, Lord Sesshomaru?"

The said regal figure stepped out of the shadows, his eyes flashing red once and a while. Sentai saw passed the look of 'calmness', however. He knew that Sesshomaru was perfectly guarded even though his hands were to his sides in no manner of defense.

"Why have you been dwindling in my immediate territory? Go back to the Southern Lands now."

"I don't think so, Lord Sesshomaru. You see, you have something I want, and I was a fool to just let you have it."

He must be talking about Tenshika. He's a stalker.

A familiar scent passed the taiyokai's nose in coming closer to Sentai. The smell of the young woman that his brother traveled with was soaked all over Sentai... and not in the nicest of ways.

He's worse than a stalker. He's a rapist. "So, you desire my mate... just like you desired my brother's wench?"

Sentai chuckled. "Oh, so you smell her on me, do you? Yes, well she was rather enjoyable, but the one I truly desire is the one that you call mate wrongly."

"Wrongly? I did not smell a claim upon her. Do not take women as yours if you do not have the proper claims upon them."

"Hn. Tenshika might think she's not mine, but she is. She's just not in her right of mine."

Sesshomaru was growing tired of the insults. Pulling out his sword, he pointed it at Sentai in a threat. "It matters not now. I've given you plenty of time to leave, now your welcome has worn out. For my mate's safety, you'll have to die."

"And for my mate's claim, you'll have to die."