"When was she-?" Izayoi trailed, blushing. She bounced Inuyasha on her hip to keep his him away from the stone beneath the tree. On the stone, which had just been cleaned, a name had been lovingly sketched.

"Just after Ryuukossei sent his official challenge to him." Tsukiko answered before reaching out and patting her hand. "Do not be vexed with him-I was worried, his nerves were racked and we needed each other for one night. He was loyal to you but he was loyal to me too. We were his beloved wives that he could not be parted from-not from you or I."

Izayoi nodded and smiled, holding her hand. "I know-I don't know what he would have done if he had to give up one of us-heavens forbid both of us!" she shook her head. Her fingers traced the name on the stone. "May I ask her name?"

"Hoshiko." she answered softly as if she worried about disturbing the ghost of the stone. Izayoi smiled.

"Such a sweet name! May I ask where you came up with it?" she asked smiling up at the youkai woman.

"He always wanted to name a girl that-I got to name Sayuri, he named Sesshoumaru, but he always wanted to name another daughter of ours that. I thought it would be only fitting." she added quietly and Izayoi blushed at the unintentional innuendo that came with it. Tsukiko paused as she had realized what she said and shook her head. "And I suppose I wanted something with myself with her too-moon and stars, you know-but also when he was younger I taught him about those stars. We used to watch the stars with our children, too."

Izayoi stopped and smiled up at her. "He always did like star gazing."

Tsukiko shook her head and helped Izayoi to her feet. "After her birth, she lived with Sayuri for a while. She was such a small, weak thing, but Sayuri took good care of her."

"Why?" asked Izayoi suddenly. "Why send her to live with her sister?"

"I was still recovering from his death-I...couldn't take care of her. You and Inuyasha only lived me through those three winter months before leaving. I hadn't even realized I was pregnant to you left." she answered, her voice almost tremored with uncertainty. "I need to think for a while-I had lost my husband, I had had to rise to ascend as the Inu no Taisho; I didn't know how I could possibly raise the child especially by myself. It might seem bizarre to you that I wouldn't know how to raise a child after two and not mention you raising Inuyasha alone."

Izayoi laughed as she set Inuyasha down. "I'm far from alone as I raised Inuyasha-just as you are not alone to raise Hoshiko." she said as she smiled at Inuyasha as he played with his younger sister. Hoshiko bore a remarkable resemblance to her mother-just as Sesshoumaru did-having the pale features of both her parents of yellow eyes and silver colored hair.

Tsukiko turned back just for a moment to peer at her husband's tombstone. It was a small affair-just a simple stone Sesshoumaru had carved during winter-as his real grave was the ceremonial one. Then she turned back and nodded as she watched her daughter play with Inuyasha.

"Yes, I suppose so."

Sinuses suck, and I wrote this while trying not to cough out a lung. Merry Really Early Christmas incase I don't turn out another drabble!