Disclaimer: Refer to Chapter 1

The Royal Family

Chapter 4 – Death and Birth

"He has lost too much blood. His wounds are not healing properly I fear—"

"Do not say that, it is bad luck, and his luck is bad enough already."

InuTaisho surfaced back to consciousness, and to the pain. He immediately wished for unconsciousness again, until he caught a scent, one that he had not expected.

He opened his eyes and they met another pair of gold, and a crescent moon?

"Lara?" He croaked, pain shooting through his shredded abdomen and radiating to his chest as he spoke.

"Yes." She whispered placing her hand on his.

InuTaisho made a quick glance around the room and realized he was still in his battlefield tent. Draba was sitting next to Lara, his Zanbatou leaning against his shoulder

"You came here?" he rasped.

"I wanted to make sure you kept your promise to come home alive." She said gently.

InuTaisho winced as he his body told him that was not going to happen "I don't think I can keep that promise, I want to, but there are forces beyond my control."

"You must not die." Her voice still gentle, but it had a deeply serious tone to it. "I am bearing your pup and I would have a father for it."

Sesshoulara watched InuTaisho's eyes widen as he slowly took upon the full weight of what she had just said.

"M-Mine?" He stuttered disbelieving the words and believing them at the same time.

"No one else's." She smiled.

The serene moment was interrupted by another quake of pain that racked his body and he reflexively rolled over onto his side toward Lara.

"Draba, my swords." He gasped after the pain subsided and he found his voice.

Drab nodded and carefully set down the Tetsusaiga and the Tensaiga between InuTaisho and Lara.

He took Lara's hand and placed it on top of the Tensaiga.

"Should the worst happen," InuTaisho spoke between pants. "Maybe you could use Tenseiga to bring me back. I do not know if it would work with someone else, but you are my wife and you bare my pup. Your blood and mine are one."

Sesshoulara nodded firmly and took the sword.

0000

"He is dead! The young lord is dead!" Jaken the toad demon advisor/secretary for InuMaru screamed at the top of his lungs.

"Silence!" hissed Sesshoulara. "You would cause panic among the soldiers? Stand aside!"

Sesshoulara stood up and turned to Draba.

"Draba, go tell the generals to come, do not tell them that he is dead, I want to try with Tensaiga first. Go with him Jaken."

The two nodded and exited the tent.

Lara turned back to InuTaisho's still form, and unsheathed Tensaiga.

"A beautiful blade." She spoke coolly pointing it out toward InuTaisho. "Now what do I do?"

Then she saw them! The ghastly ogre-like creatures, sent from the other side to collect the souls of the dead.

Strike them! A voice inside her head whispered. It took her a moment to realize it was the sword telling her what she needed to do.

In several quick, fluid moves she sliced at each of the "messengers," and they disappeared instantly.

Sesshoulara waited with baited breath searching for any sign a life from her husband. To her joy and relief the scent of death around InuTaisho began to dissipate and the blanket covering him began to move up and down as he breathed once more, then finally he opened his eyes.

"Taisho?" she carefully knelt down next to him. "Are you well?"

"Quite." He smiled at her, and slowly got to his feet.

Lara stared at him amazed for moment. All of his wounds had been healed, he looked as if he had not been in a battle at all.

"Quite a sword you have." She said sheathing Tensaiga. "Glad to see you're all right."

"I would not be without you." He hugged her. "And our pup."

0000

InuTaisho had quite thoroughly worn an area in the floor of his study where he had been pacing back and forth frantically. Draba watched a little amused at first, but as the hours wore on and the youkai king became more and more frantic, the leopard youkai was beginning to get a little worried

"Calm down, you don't want to be a nervous wreck when the pup finally comes." Draba offered a weak smile to the panicked inuyoukai.

"I can't help it! This is maddening!" InuTaisho said between hyperventilating gasps. "I don't even know what's going on in there! She could be dying and I wouldn't know! What if she did die and I got there too late with Tensaiga? What if the pup was born dead or miscarried, because she came for me on the battlefield? I wouldn't get to see my pup! It's my first one you know! What am going to I do Draba? I'm the worst father ever! I---"

InuTaisho was interrupted when Draba slapped him hard across the face.

"Sorry, but it was for the good of your heart and your nerves." Draba stated matter-of-factly.

"No need to be sorry. I was losing my head a bit." InuTaisho said calmly as he sat down. "It's strange. I can be as calm as stone on a battlefield, but then my wife has a pup and I go to pieces."

"War and domestic affairs are two very different things, usually with the latter being more difficult, and dangerous, mainly because you value it more so the stakes are higher." Draba said sitting down across the table from InuTaisho.

Just then the door opened and one of the midwives came in.

"You may see the pup now my lord."

InuTaisho practically knocked over the midwife as he jumped up and dashed out the door at full speed. He skidded to a halt when he came to the corner where he would turn and walk straight down the hallway to Sesshoulara's room. He took a few seconds to compose himself, then turned the corner and walked royally down the hall passing the servants and midwives lining the hallway, who bowed their heads as he passed.

As he reached the doorway he slowed his pace and quietly entered. As he entered strange scents filled his nose. There was Lara's scent, a bit tired and weak, but very much alive, which instantly took a heavy burden off his shoulders.

Then there was another scent that caught his nose and made his heart beat faster. The scent had a nagging familiarity of Lara and himself, but had its own unique quality to it.

He approached the bed. Lara lay asleep with her head nestled against a bundle of cloth. InuTaisho gulped and carefully picked up the bundle. Wrapped snuggly inside was a small pup that was clearly his own.

The pup had his white hair and claws, and stripes! The stripes on the pup's face were complimented by the beautiful half moon mark on his little forehead, which he had received from his mother. Oh if only he could see the pup's eyes, but he didn't want to wake him, being born was no doubt a very tiring experience.

A son! I have a son! He shouted for joy in his head.

Apparently he had shouted to loudly for the pup opened his golden eyes and let out a wail revealing baby versions of his fangs.

"Oh, no, no, no. It's all right" InuTaisho spoke in the gentlest voice he could muster. "I'm your father, and you are my son."

The pup stopped and stared at him, looking at InuTaisho as if appraising him, as if trying to figure out if the inuyoukai lord was worthy to be his father.

The color of the pup's eyes matched InuTaisho's, but their shape, the inquisitive and intelligent look them was all Lara.

"My son," InuTaisho whispered to the pup in his arms, smiling with pride. "You are small now, but when you are grown you will be strong, you will wield Tetsusaiga and Tensaiga, and become the greatest ruler Japan has ever seen. Just wait!"

The pup seemed to like this idea for he let out a giggle and reached for his father. InuTaisho chuckled and kissed his son's forehead.

"The great inuyoukai ruler conquered by a pup."

InuTaisho turned to see Lara sitting up looking very amused at the sight.

"You certainly are making a fool of yourself." She smiled.

"Well why shouldn't I?" He chuckled walking back over to Lara's bedside. "He's the first person who's ever completely belonged to me."

"Belong to you! I had the pup did I not?" Sesshoulara snapped indignantly.

"Of course, it's just ---"

"In all of your enthusiasm have you even been thinking of a possible name for our pup?" Sesshoulara crossed her arms over her chest in a mock challenge.

InuTaisho felt his blood rising to his cheeks in embarrassment as he realized in all of the hours of waiting and worrying he hadn't even thought of thinking of a name for the pup to pass the time.

"Uh…."

"I thought not. Fortunately I have been, even before this whole ordeal." Sesshoulara said proudly.

"Oh what is it?"

"Sesshoumaru."

"Sesshoumaru?" InuTaisho looked back at the pup, who was now snuggling against the fluff mounted on his father's shoulder.

"Yes. A combination of the names of his grandparents from each side of the family, "Sesshou" and "Maru." She said matter-of-factly.

"Sesshoumaru." InuTaisho said more positively holding out the pup in front of him, who stared back curiously. "Yes, yes that's it! My son! My heir! Sesshoumaru!"

0000

Well this marks the end of the InuTaisho arc for now, though I may right some prequal stories, about InuT's adventures around the world, but for now I'll move toward the future with InuT's sons.

Awwwww! Little Sessh is so cute!

I hope my reasoning works for having Sesshoulara use Tensaiga. Since Lara was carrying InuT's pup she had part of InuT's essence inside her, which InuT hoped Tensaiga would respond to.

Till Next Time,

Vega Sailor