I: A Paradise Disturbed

Author: Nefertili

Fandom: Inuyasha

Rating: PG13

Pairing(s): Sesshoumaru/Kikyou

Genre(s): Romance, Angst, AU, Action

Warning(s): More battle scenes, some violence, fluff... What more can I say?

Disclaimer: None of the characters, except perhaps some, are mine. They are owned by Rumiko Takahashi.

Summary: Two years after IMotC, Sess is challenged to surpass an enemy in recovering a mysterious relic left behind by his mother. But can he protect Kikyou, who now carries his child, at the same time?

A/N: See how busy I am? I really want to update, people, but my schedule sometimes goes against my intentions. I am glad some of you got the gist on who the Demon Lady is, so let's get back to the present and see how Kiky and Sesshy are going, shall we?

...o0o...

The soft pitter-patter of rain ceased, rousing Kikyou from her deep sleep. To ears which had gotten accustomed to the ceaseless sound of rain falling on leaf and roof for days, a sudden silence in the emerald mountains seemed quite eerie. She gradually regained consciousness, and her line of vision immediately fell on the series of overlapping screens that surrounded their bedchamber.

Her soft mahogany eyes roamed to where the beautiful paper screens parted, offering her a sight of the misty ranges surrounding their home. The weak rays of sunrise were slowly penetrating the landscape, which was still cold in the lingering presence of summer rain. But Kikyou had no worries about keeping herself warm. She smiled to feel his even, comforting breath against her ear and his arms wrapped around her waist in a loving embrace. His furry pelt provided them a most delightful blanket, and Kikyou felt her eyes begging her to return to the realm of dreams.

Out of the blue, a little foot kicked her from within, causing her to be fully awake in an instant. Moving as little as possible, Kikyou ran a delicate hand over her belly, feeling the child within it stir. The bulge on her abdomen was already beginning to show, which was exactly how it should be. After all, it had been four months...

Quietly, the beautiful raven-haired young woman eased herself out of her mate's embrace, not wishing to disturb him from his reverie. She gazed longingly at the face framed by long silvery tresses; the sight of his amber orbs closed in a most peaceful sleep undid her entirely. After a few more moments, she turned away and retrieved a silken robe from where it lay, folded neatly on the floor.

Kikyou cloaked herself in the robe, masking the plainness of her hakama and white blouse with royal bolts of blue silk patterned with purple flowers that carried her name. Thought it still felt strange for her to be clad like a noblewoman – after all, she had been a priestess – she knew that she loved the garment, for he had presented it to her when they first settled in the Lands. She looked extremely beautiful in it, he had told her, and he would have liked to see her wear it often.

Kikyou crawled silently to the screens, the wooden stands inlaid with impressive scrolls of paper painted with a youkai dog howling at a crescent moon. She inched them away to reveal more of the deceptively peaceful landscape. Though the rains had stopped after leaving them cooped up indoors for what seemed like an eternity, no amount of harsh weather could drive away the unnumbered youkai dwelling within the woods. After all, this was the West; this was his realm, his domain...

Humming to herself, she let her luxurious raven locks spill down her shoulders untied as her hands gently caressed her swollen belly. No amount of worldly possessions could equal the gift they had given each other: the gift of a new life. A smile lingered on Kikyou's lips as she recalled the instance four months earlier when she first told Sesshoumaru the wonderful news.

...o0o...

"Don't breathe a word about it to Sesshoumaru-sama," Kikyou instructed Rin whilst running a motherly hand through her brown hair. "I want to tell it to him personally."

Her chocolate brown eyes glimmering with enthusiasm, the little girl nodded with a big grin on her young face. Rin, for one, was extremely excited by the news. She's going to have a younger sibling soon! After all, she looked up to the Demon Lord and the former priestess as her father and mother, and they considered her their adopted daughter.

Kikyou smiled at Rin's happiness. It eased her heart a bit to think that Rin was not at all jealous of having another youngster around, after all the years of undivided attention. It had been two years since they had first settled in the Western Lands, and they had longed for a child of their own above all things. Now that this dream is coming true, nothing could compare to the joy she felt.

"Sesshoumaru-sama will surely be overjoyed with this, Kikyou-sama!" Rin said happily.

"Sesshoumaru-sama will be overjoyed with what?" a familiar croaky voice inquired. Kikyou looked up to see two more presences enter the spacious, sunlit room, and coming behind the stubby form of Jaken was the tall, regal form of her mate, the great youkai Lord Sesshoumaru.

Sesshoumaru tilted his head slightly to the side, noticing the mischievous smile on his beautiful mate's face and Rin doing her best to hide her giggles beside her. What is going on here? Is there something he didn't know?

"You have finally returned; we've been waiting for you," Kikyou said, standing up gracefully to embrace him. Sesshoumaru gladly took her into his arms, and after their brief hug, she looked deeply into his eyes, seemingly trying to tell him something.

"You know that I don't appreciate guessing games, darling," Sesshoumaru said with jest, cupping her smooth cheek with his hand. "Please, what had transpired here that hadn't reached my knowledge yet?"

"Have you no idea?" Kikyou continued to tease him, running her hand through his silken hair. Jaken was trying to get some information out of Rin, but the human girl remained stubbornly firm, refusing to divulge their little surprise.

'What has gotten into you, beloved?' Sesshoumaru thought confusedly to himself. Sure, he had sensed that Kikyou has been feeling rather unwell the past weeks. Many mornings, she would suddenly wake, rushing outside their chamber retching. It even came to a point when she complained of a severe headache and dizziness, and couldn't get out of bed. Sesshoumaru had spent the whole day hovering by Kikyou's side, busying Jaken and Rin with concocting various remedies to ease her queasiness. She recovered indeed, but it took him longer to shake away his sense of dread and worry.

She would still be regularly visited by bouts of nausea like a malignant spirit, and Sesshoumaru could not help but be more protective of her. She was unusually choosy about food, too. Kikyou was usually content with whatever they had to offer, sometimes even rejecting the better things for herself. But now, he recalled a time when he sent Jaken away for a good many hours to procure a vegetable which grew deep within the mountains because his mate wanted it at an odd hour.

Kikyou realized that he was totally clueless of what she was talking about. She silenced herself for a moment and observed Sesshoumaru, who was looking at her with a look of impatience and confusion. Gradually, she inched her face closer to his until they could feel each other's breath clearly. Her mahogany eyes shining gently, she whispered into his ear the words that robbed him of speech and motion for a while.

"I am with child, my love."

...o0o...

"You seem deep in thought, my lovely Kikyou," a deep voice floated from behind her, driving her from her musings. No sooner had his voice reached her ears, his arms found their way around her waist and he buried his face within the shadows of her fragrant hair. Kikyou leaned herself against Sesshoumaru, allowing him to caress her belly and feel the little soul living within.

"I thought you were still asleep," Kikyou whispered, obviously enjoying his warm caresses.

"I wakened when you stirred," Sesshoumaru answered in the same whispery tone, his normally expressionless amber eyes glistening with love and devotion. "What were you thinking of all this time?"

"I was just thinking of the past months, darling," she said softly, kissing him tenderly while stroking his cheek with the back of her hand.

Sesshoumaru could not help but smile. To see Kikyou's transformation from a cold priestess to a loving and caring mother touched him completely. She was so different – yet not so – from the Kikyou he had known when Naraku was still alive. Love had changed her so much, and for the better, perhaps...

"Do you feel fine?" he asked her. Since the onset of her pregnancy, Sesshoumaru had taken to keeping a sharp eye on Kikyou to the point that she felt as though she had gained a shadow. Not even his concern during the trying times of Naraku could equal to the protectiveness he was showing her.

"I feel quite okay this morning, really," Kikyou answered, in an attempt to ease his worry. Though her morning sickness came less frequently, there were still times wherein she was suddenly seized by headaches and spells of nausea. She never expected pregnancy to be this difficult, or was her case really different? After all, she carried the child of a taiyoukai in her womb...

Sesshoumaru noticed her thoughtful silence, and he took his time to observe his beloved. Her face was not as flushed as he thought it was, and she seemed to be in quite a good mood. That was a great blessing in itself, for the Demon Lord had to take extra precaution in dealing with his lady when she had her growing mood swings. Kikyou rarely had temper tantrums, but Sesshoumaru found himself walking on eggshells around Kikyou as her mood suddenly shifted from one form to another.

A sudden burst of activity outside their room drove them from their personal musings. Rin's and Jaken's voices rang clear in the early morning air.

"Ah, the rain had finally subsided, thank goodness!" Jaken was exclaiming with relief. "I wouldn't last another day cooped up in here!"

"Shush, Jaken-sama!" the little girl muttered. "You're going to waken Sesshoumaru-sama and Kikyou-sama with your voice!"

"We are already awake," Kikyou called out from the inside, gently slipping herself from her lord's arms to walk out to the verandah outside. "You need not worry about disturbing us."

Rin's lips broke into a childlike smile and ran to embrace the former priestess. Kikyou gathered the little girl in her arms, her voluminous sleeves drawn over most her small body. Sesshoumaru, who had followed Kikyou out of the room, could not help but be imagine how delighted she would be once their first child was born.

Out of a sudden, an unexplainable feeling of alarm spread through his senses. Sesshoumaru frowned slightly before he resumed his usual neutral gaze to hide his worry from his companions. What is happening to him? It was as though a familiar, yet not so familiar, voice was calling to him in his mind. A voice...the voice of a woman.

"Would you like to take a walk in the forest, Rin?" Kikyou's own voice barely penetrated his pointed ears. "Just the two of us; after all, the rain had gone..."

"Yes, yes, Kikyou-sama!" Rin replied enthusiastically. "Rin will surely come!"

"I am not sure this is advisable for you, Kikyou," Sesshoumaru said, breaking his silence. He had her best intentions at heart, but he understood that she had grown frustrated at the inactivity the weather placed upon them.

Kikyou's face turned quite sullen, and Sesshoumaru regretted his words for a moment. Oh no, he should have known better than to arouse her temper...

"Do you have to order me around, Sesshoumaru?" she snapped. "Just because I am pregnant doesn't mean that I could no longer defend myself!"

Sesshoumaru felt panic rising within him. Alas, Kikyou, don't get mad at me now...

"Then take Jaken with you. He should be able to–"

"I don't need that silly toad for a guard!" Kikyou's voice was beginning to rise dangerously. Sesshoumaru knew that he had no choice but to give in to her, lest the worst happen.

"All right, then," he said with resignation. "Go and do what you like." His voice then took on a tenderer, concerned tone. "But please take care of yourself, beloved. I wouldn't want you to endanger yourself or our child..."

Kikyou's facial expression automatically changed. She gently cupped his cheek with her hand to make up for her harshness earlier.

"I will," said she. "Don't worry about me too much. I also care for you, Sesshoumaru..."

She broke off to feel Rin inserting several skins taken from a fragrant citron inside her sleeve. How wise of the child; inhaling the slightly bitter vapor of the fruit skins slightly eased her nausea whenever they came, and Kikyou could never really tell when her body would be attacked by queasy lassitude.

Sesshoumaru smiled and planted a tender kiss on her lips before he bade her off with Rin. His amber eyes continued to follow them until they disappeared into the forest, leaving him and Jaken in their fortress.

"I wonder how you could stand her temper, Sesshoumaru-sama!" Jaken said beside his heels, but the Demon Lord said nothing in reply. He was presently looking at the mountain ranges with a serious stare in his eyes. Something was wrong; something was clearly wrong...

...o0o...

A fan snapped close, breaking the silence in the small gathering.

"How many casualties were there?" a female's wont echoed in the shadowed chamber.

"Not as many as the first instance, m' Lady; they do not appear to be fully interested in us," a meek male voice answered.

A shadow of another male stirred beside the slender female form, saying, "If we are not their target, then what is the reason behind these encounters in our borders?"

"Parts of our land lie in the borderline between the West and the world dominated by humans," explained the lesser voice. "They appear to have set their eyes on the Western Lands. To cross our domain would be the swiftest way to get there, m' Lord."

Another silence followed. Once more, it was the female voice that broke it.

"Very well; thank you for the report. You may go." The smaller form bowed to the greater two and left the darkened chamber, leaving the two forms to speak among themselves.

"Do you think the Lord of the West knows of this impending danger?" the queenly voice asked her companion.

"Nothing is reputed to be hidden from him," the regal male voice answered. "He probably knows about this better than us."

"In any case, he must be warned. After all, my father respects his family very much, and we are in his debt. You ought to go to him soon."

"I will. I will waste no time any longer."

A soft swishing of silken robes was heard as the taller figure arose, and where a human form once was, there now stood a creature with graceful antlers that stood out in the darkness. In a flash, the creature galloped soundlessly out of the hall, its errand clear in mind.

...o0o...

The end of chapter one, yay! What was Sesshy so worried about? And who is the lady and lord at the end of the chapter?