"We cannot help you... only give comfort. Your mate is beside you. He is most
important. Use him as your rock to draw your strength from," Ryouta grinned
after saying that and cocked her head to the side before continuing. "And
if drawing strength from him isn't enough... remember that HE was the one who
put you through this in the first place!"
Kagome whimpered and rested her head on Sesshou's paws.
"Now, Milady... Push!" Ryouta commanded. Kagome pushed and bit her mate's paw as she did so, causing him to grimace.
/I won't have an arm anymore if you keep trying to bite it off,/ he said. She relaxed as the contraction subsided and released his paw.
'Well you're not the one trying to push something the size of a watermelon out of a hole the size of your fist!' she snapped and groaned when another contraction hit. She yelped loudly as the pain got worse and she pushed down harder. A small white form appeared and she reached to do as her instincts dictated. She licked the puppy clean and ate the afterbirth absently. The puppy whimpered but yelped when Ryouta started rubbing it vigorously with a dry cloth. It was easily as big as she was.
Kagome leaned back onto Sesshoumaru, not complaining when another contraction came. She jerked when the pup found a nipple and started to suck heartily.
"Congradulations, Milady. You have a beautiful daughter," Ryouta said after she finished checking the newborn carefully. Kagome looked at her pup, a small white blur against her midnight black coat and nudged it with her nose carefully.
"Where are her markings?" she asked, yawning widely, her tongue lolling out.
"They won't show yet," the healer replied, getting ready for the next one to be born.
Kagome whimpered as she started pushing again. It was much easier than earlier but still hurt. She yelped again as the puppy finally came. It was grey with an off-blue hue when the sun hit it the right way. Ryouta rubbed the puppy as Kagome licked it clean.
"Another girl, Milady," she said as Kagome nudged it closer to her body. Sesshoumaru stood up and walked around his mate to sniff at the pups he'd sired. Although, Kagome growled at him warningly, her instincts warning her not to let him get too close.
He stopped and lowered his head to reassure her he wouldn't harm them. She growled louder and curled her body around her offspring protectively.
/I won't hurt them, love,/ he reassured her, trying to nuzzle her neck.
"She's acting on instincts, Sesshoumaru. Too many males have killed their children before for her to feel at ease with you," Aya said, walking to her new grandchildren.
"Well, isn't that just adorable?!" she squealed as she saw their faces. They were just too cute for words and she ran her hands through their fine baby coats eagerly.
"We should bring them inside, Sesshoumaru," Koulas said. Everyone was forced to cover their eyes and look away as a bright pink light blinded them for a moment. When they could see once again, they found Kagome leaning against a tree with her daughters wrapped securely in her embrace.
Sesshoumaru transformed back as well and wasted no time in rushing to his mate's side. She smiled up at him, pleased and tired.
"They're so beautiful..." she whispered. He sat down beside her and the others left, sensing that the new parents needed some time alone with each other.
"That they are..." he agreed, taking one from her arms. He studied his daughters carefully. The one he held had a soft white fuzz of hair on her head while the other one had a bluish-grey fuzz on hers.
"What do we name them?" he asked, looking Kagome in the eye. "You did all the work so you should get the honor..."
She sighed and leaned on his shoulder.
"The shadings on their foreheads gave me an idea... If that old tale the healer told us is true, which I doubt only a little, then they are the twins of destiny. One of them has a lighter shading than the other... I'll name you...Hikari. And your twin is Kokuei."
"The light and shadow of Destiny... trust you to be poetic over our children's names..." Sesshou chided. They both watched in fascination as the shadings on their daughter's foreheads became more distinct. Into exact duplicates of Kagome's mark. Hikari had a yellow crescent moon with a black star between the points while Kokuei's mark had a black crescent moon and yellow star.
"It suits them..." he said, before giving Hikari back to Kagome, scooping her up into his arms pups and all, and making his way calmly back to his castle where the rest of his now very extended family waited.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In the shadows, a pair of bright red eyes watched them closely... waiting...
Kagome yawned and blinked when she felt something that gave her the chills. She blinked again and it was gone. Spreading her senses, she finally relaxed just as soon as she was sure that her pups were safe.
A low chuckle came from a pale throat.
"That's right, little miko... enjoy them while you can..."
Kagome whimpered and rested her head on Sesshou's paws.
"Now, Milady... Push!" Ryouta commanded. Kagome pushed and bit her mate's paw as she did so, causing him to grimace.
/I won't have an arm anymore if you keep trying to bite it off,/ he said. She relaxed as the contraction subsided and released his paw.
'Well you're not the one trying to push something the size of a watermelon out of a hole the size of your fist!' she snapped and groaned when another contraction hit. She yelped loudly as the pain got worse and she pushed down harder. A small white form appeared and she reached to do as her instincts dictated. She licked the puppy clean and ate the afterbirth absently. The puppy whimpered but yelped when Ryouta started rubbing it vigorously with a dry cloth. It was easily as big as she was.
Kagome leaned back onto Sesshoumaru, not complaining when another contraction came. She jerked when the pup found a nipple and started to suck heartily.
"Congradulations, Milady. You have a beautiful daughter," Ryouta said after she finished checking the newborn carefully. Kagome looked at her pup, a small white blur against her midnight black coat and nudged it with her nose carefully.
"Where are her markings?" she asked, yawning widely, her tongue lolling out.
"They won't show yet," the healer replied, getting ready for the next one to be born.
Kagome whimpered as she started pushing again. It was much easier than earlier but still hurt. She yelped again as the puppy finally came. It was grey with an off-blue hue when the sun hit it the right way. Ryouta rubbed the puppy as Kagome licked it clean.
"Another girl, Milady," she said as Kagome nudged it closer to her body. Sesshoumaru stood up and walked around his mate to sniff at the pups he'd sired. Although, Kagome growled at him warningly, her instincts warning her not to let him get too close.
He stopped and lowered his head to reassure her he wouldn't harm them. She growled louder and curled her body around her offspring protectively.
/I won't hurt them, love,/ he reassured her, trying to nuzzle her neck.
"She's acting on instincts, Sesshoumaru. Too many males have killed their children before for her to feel at ease with you," Aya said, walking to her new grandchildren.
"Well, isn't that just adorable?!" she squealed as she saw their faces. They were just too cute for words and she ran her hands through their fine baby coats eagerly.
"We should bring them inside, Sesshoumaru," Koulas said. Everyone was forced to cover their eyes and look away as a bright pink light blinded them for a moment. When they could see once again, they found Kagome leaning against a tree with her daughters wrapped securely in her embrace.
Sesshoumaru transformed back as well and wasted no time in rushing to his mate's side. She smiled up at him, pleased and tired.
"They're so beautiful..." she whispered. He sat down beside her and the others left, sensing that the new parents needed some time alone with each other.
"That they are..." he agreed, taking one from her arms. He studied his daughters carefully. The one he held had a soft white fuzz of hair on her head while the other one had a bluish-grey fuzz on hers.
"What do we name them?" he asked, looking Kagome in the eye. "You did all the work so you should get the honor..."
She sighed and leaned on his shoulder.
"The shadings on their foreheads gave me an idea... If that old tale the healer told us is true, which I doubt only a little, then they are the twins of destiny. One of them has a lighter shading than the other... I'll name you...Hikari. And your twin is Kokuei."
"The light and shadow of Destiny... trust you to be poetic over our children's names..." Sesshou chided. They both watched in fascination as the shadings on their daughter's foreheads became more distinct. Into exact duplicates of Kagome's mark. Hikari had a yellow crescent moon with a black star between the points while Kokuei's mark had a black crescent moon and yellow star.
"It suits them..." he said, before giving Hikari back to Kagome, scooping her up into his arms pups and all, and making his way calmly back to his castle where the rest of his now very extended family waited.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In the shadows, a pair of bright red eyes watched them closely... waiting...
Kagome yawned and blinked when she felt something that gave her the chills. She blinked again and it was gone. Spreading her senses, she finally relaxed just as soon as she was sure that her pups were safe.
A low chuckle came from a pale throat.
"That's right, little miko... enjoy them while you can..."