Lessons Learned

Author: Shortey 83

Chapter: 36 – Kuromaru

Disclaimer: I do NOT own InuYasha or Skyrim!

Story Start:

While second guessing was a part of human nature that she was quite familiar with, trusting her gut was something she was even more familiar with. In fact, she was right at home when that little voice was whispering to her. However, just because she couldn't put those feelings into words, didn't mean she was going to back down on the issue, especially when she was growing more and more uncomfortable by the hour.

"I need to ensure all is well with the child when it is born." Ayako demanded as a strong contraction came over Takara. "It is imperative that my Lord's offspring is in good health."

I don't give a rat's ass what you think, right now!" Takara screamed. It had come down to either using her energy to control her patience or her pain, but she could not do both. Her patience, she decided, was worth the sacrifice. The smug look on the elder woman's face was more than enough to assure her she had made the correct decision.

"And who will help you deliver the child?"

"I need your help like I need an open wound! I'd rather give birth in a nest of snakes than accept your help!" The woman looked like Takara had just slapped her across the face, and Takara only wished that she had. The anger that she felt was stronger than she was used to but then again, they said anger could blind a person, but as the throbbing in her lower back increased, she had moved far past anger and arrived at seething hatred. It probably wouldn't be very long before she moved into unadulterated fury.

The day had already been a long one. Takara had barely been able to sleep since much earlier the previous evening, but she tried between bouts of pacing the room. The entire argument had started with Ayako insisting that the mother-to-be was moved into a different room 'as not to disturb her Lord's rest' as she claimed. The time before she had been with Sesshomaru may not have been something she remembered, but alarm bells started going off in her head. She felt like the older woman was trying to remove her from Sesshomaru, and while she understood things in the past were different from things in the future, she would be damned before she let the old hag separate her from the one person she trusted more than life itself.

When Sesshomaru had stepped in and also ordered that she not be moved, Ayako had relented for a while and insisted on moving items in the room around, only for Takara to demand (a bit unreasonably she admitted) to move them back as she had them. Sesshomaru had stayed silent on that issue, but a glance in his direction confirmed that he gave the woman a look that explicitly said, "Do as you're told, or else."

At one point, when her labor seemed to stall, Takara dismissed the woman. She left without a fuss that time, but it didn't appear she had gone far. One strong contraction and a groan of pain later and the woman was back in the room. Perhaps it was just how things were supposed to be done in their current time, but then again, could it really be so normal for one woman to be so insistent on being present for the birth of a child? Of course, there was the factor that the child to be born was half demon and perhaps she was just curious, but as the day wore into night that seemed to be less and less the case.

"As the head of this house, I demand to be present for the birth of the child! It is my right!" Ayako finally demanded. A low growl began to work its way from Sesshomaru, but a hand on his arm seemed to ground him. It didn't ground Takara. She used his arm to pull herself up mid contraction, the pain she felt fueling her rage. And it was rage.

"Zu'u los fin vahdin se daar hofkah! Hi fen thaarn dovah ahrk bo!"

Takara had no clue where the strange words had come from, nor did she care about how they seemed to make the entire valley tremble as she spoke them, but the sight of the blood draining from the old woman's face and the people outside screaming in terror settled her into an eerie calm. The old bag had stopped talking, but she was still standing in place, trembling in fear. That she hadn't moved was unacceptable. She stalked forward until she could look the old woman in the eye.

Bo uv dovah fen meyz hi."

The words were almost growled and even though Ayako didn't understand them, she knew what Takara had meant and fled the room. As she ended her sentence, her contraction ended and Takara took a deep, calming breath. She took several more after that before she went back to pacing.

"Takara?"

She looked over to her husband and where there was usually no emotion in his gaze, there seemed to be a bit of curiosity. She didn't know what to say. She just rubbed her swollen stomach before she shrugged. "I don't know. She was just making me mad."

"I saw that." He tilted his head a bit as he watched her. "What did you say?"

A blank stare was all he got in response before a smirk plastered his face. "You haven't the slightest idea, do you?"

A sheepish grin split her face as she shrugged her shoulders. "It could've been my mom's cookie ingredients for all I know."

"It wasn't!" A voice called from the just beyond the porch. Before Sesshomaru could move to open the screen, a massive red and scaly head pushed it gently aside.

"Yolheimin!" Takara greeted the dragon, waddling over to place kiss on his snout, belly leading the way. "What are you doing here so late?"

"I was coming to see if your pup had arrived yet. I haven't been to visit in a while and wanted to see if you were well. Who made you mad and do I need to hurt them, Vulombrii?"

Takara waved his threat off and moved to where she could scratch the ridge of his brow. "It's nothing. I think I've handled it." She paused as she felt her husband stand behind her, his large hands coming around to hold her swollen belly protectively. It occurred to her then that perhaps, for the sake of her dragon friend that it was best she not stand so close to him. She allowed Sesshomaru to pull her back into the room and stand just in front of her, keeping her smile in place. The dragon seemed to understand the demon's protective urges to keep his female safe and gave him an understanding nod that Sesshomaru returned.

The dragon moved and she could see that he was settling his long body in place as he rested his head gently on the porch, careful not to break it under his weight. "She must've upset you by challenging you the way she did."

"Challenging me?"

"Yes, after all, the first thing you said to her was "I am the lady of this house. You will obey me and go."

Takara blinked at him, ignoring the throbbing pain and pressure on her lower half. "I put together two complete sentences?"

"Three in fact because the last one was "Go or I will make you.", but I can see you still don't have a grasp of the dragon tongue like you use to." The dragon reached up and gave his own chin a scratch. "Any more memories coming back to you?"

"Unfortunately, no. I'm surprised I didn't just ramble off a bunch of random words, if I'm completely honest. I was just so angry."

A grin full of fangs met her as the dragon looked to her mate. "Well, my friend. I suppose it isn't better that you haven't made her angry with you then. She might remember more if you do."

Before Takara could answer for Sesshomaru, an even stronger contraction came over her that nearly sent her to the floor from the pain. Strong arms wrapped around her and held her gently before she was carried over to the pile of furs. "Rest, Vulombrii. I will stand guard outside for you." The red dragon turned his head to Sesshomaru. "If there is anything I can do to assist, you need only ask." Her husband gave the dragon a nod and Yolheimin shut the screen door, his shadow disappearing from the screen.

On hand stroked her hair while the other rubbed her rock-hard stomach, a soothing growl rumbling from him, it's volume so low that she could barely hear it, but she felt it. "Tell me what you want, My Treasure. It is my understanding that human females generally do not wish their males present during birth, and I will leave if that is your wish, but you may not be able to deliver this child on your own."

She had been strong her entire pregnancy, building herself up to where she could do what was needed, but now faced with the pain of labor and all of its unknowns, Takara didn't know what to do. She considered for a moment as she tried to steady her breathing once the contraction ended.

"I'm sorry, Sesshomaru." She finally gave into her weakness and allowed a few tears to fall. "I'm scared because this is new to me, I hurt, and I don't even know what I want, but I do not trust that woman." He didn't say anything, but he didn't need to. Sesshomaru simply held her for a while until she calmed down as best she could through the pain until she had composed herself a little better. She didn't have a clock available to her so she tried to time how far apart her contractions were. While she couldn't be precise, she knew they were getting closer and closer together.

Roughly three contractions later yet another familiar voice came from beyond the screen. "Sesshomaru," his father called. "Forgive me if I've overstepped, but I've brought Kagome to assist Takara if that is what you want."

Sesshomaru looked to Takara and she nodded but grabbed his hand before he could stand. Almost ashamed by how childish she was being. "Will you stay with me?"

Something in him broke as he stared down at his little mate. Her eyes were red from crying, terrified from the unknown, and tired from the pain she was in. Of course, he rationalized that part of her was scared as this was her first birth and about the differences in the birthing processes in their worlds, and also the pain that whelping presented was a lot for her to bear. A little regret filled him at being so selfish and wanting her with child. But the sight of her swollen with his pup had been irresistible and he admitted he would undoubtedly be selfish again if this birth was successful. He had been unsure of what to do about the older woman as Takara hadn't specifically stated why she didn't want the other female present, but as soon as it was communicated that Takara didn't trust the woman, that had been a completely different story. If his mate didn't trust the female to be around her, neither would he.

That had left the issue of the birth and while he had helped to deliver his first pup, it was an issue that he and Kimiko had fought over. He and reason had won that argument, but now reason wasn't on his side. The way she pleadingly clung to him with uncertainty in her eyes softened him to her even more as his inner demon purred in contentment. Its' mate trusted him enough to be around her when she was at her most vulnerable and that made him happy. "Of course, My Treasure." He leaned down to give her a gentle kiss on her lips. "If you need me, you need only tell me. I won't be far."

She gave him a nod and he stood to approach the screen, opening it to see his father, his brother's female as well as the monk's female. He didn't say anything, he simply stepped aside, and the two females entered the room while he and his father took a seat close by on the porch. "I see her labor has intensified." His father noted to which Sesshomaru answered with a nod. "It has been over a day. Do you suspect anything is wrong?"

Sesshomaru considered before he shook his head. "The pup is happy where it is and is reluctant to leave it's mother. If I have any concern, it will be when the pup begins to show."

"I thought much the same. Your female is small and the pup felt rather large."

There was no response given, but one wasn't needed. "I have heard something about a curse or something to the effect in her family? Kagome told me that Takara believes she's destined to have… ten pups, was it?"

"It would seem. Apparently, the last child on her mother's side is always a female and has one child more than her mother."

"Well, I would admit that is more than coincidence at the very least." Tōga placed his hand on his son's shoulder. "Do not worry, my son. She is only having a difficult time because this is her first pup."

"Perhaps it is more than that." Sesshomaru admitted. When his father didn't respond, he continued. "I may know why the pup is so large and smelled so strongly of demon."

Now his father turned to face him; waiting for an explanation.

"Before she and I were separated, we mated while she was in her heat cycle, and I assume she conceived as a result of that particular coupling."

"It was different from how you would normally mate?"

Sesshomaru nodded. "She wanted to play. She ran from me and hid so that I could seek her out."

"There is nothing unusual about that, Sesshomaru." His father chuckled.

"When I caught her, she taunted me, pleasuring herself right in front of me."

Tōga's head snapped back to the room were Takara lay panting and swollen. "That little female? Had you not explained to her why she wasn't to do that?"

"Yes, but I doubt she understood why and perhaps that was my own shortcoming."

"I expect you punished her for such behavior?" The look he gave his son said that he had better of punished her.

"To our mutual pleasure."

"Then what was so strange about the coupling? It sounds as if everything went as it should."

Sesshomaru scratched his own chin as he thought. "She enjoyed it far more than I expected and responded so favorably to my demon."

"You allowed your demon to punish her?!"

"Foolish, I know, but she tormented it so. Her heat combined with sending us on a chase…"

His father considered that statement and nodded at least in understanding.

"Once she recovered from her punishment, she decided to take me into her mouth."

Yet another shocked look from his father as he once again whipped his head back to the screen where Takara was groaning in pain. "That little female…?"

"And something about the sight of her enjoying my seed snapped my control, and I had to mount her."

Tōga looked from Sesshomaru to the screen of their room a few times before his brows creased in confusion. Sesshomaru answered his unspoken question.

"I nearly transformed when I tied her, but my demon sensed her fear and halted the transformation."

His father stood off the porch in shock as he stared at his son, his expression a mix of astonishment and anger. "You nearly transformed?!" When Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes at his father, the elder demon remembered the humans just beyond the screen and calmed. "You could've killed her, Sesshomaru."

"You think I don't know that?" Sesshomaru hissed back the slightest hint of remorse in his amber eyes. "Part of me wondered if that was the reason she didn't immediately return to me when she vanished. Now I will still feel that guilt if she or the pup is harmed due to my carelessness." He could feel the rage seeping from his father because for some reason, the elder demon had become quite fond of her since their meeting. Sesshomaru had dismissed it as his taste for humans, but he was beginning to think there may have been more to it than that. The thought made Sesshomaru's own temper flare as he growled in return. "She's mine." He growled to his sire. If the elder male wanted to fight for her, they would do so now.

The anger emanating from his father was replaced by confusion for a moment. "I don't want your female, Sesshomaru. She is very beautiful, that's true, but she is also an endearing individual and I do not wish harm to come to her."

His father was known for a lot of things and his honesty was one of them. Sesshomaru took him at his word and calmed before returning to his seat his father doing the same. They sat in silence for a while, listening to the sounds of the night along with Takara's groans of pain and the women's gentle voices coaxing her to settle.

"You want to try walking?" Kagome asked and Takara bit back a rude remark understanding her friend was only trying to help. She thought for a moment before she nodded and both women helped her up. She hurt so badly, and she just wanted the pressure in her lower regions to go away, but the walking did help, a little. Occasionally she would glance over at the screen, and she could see the silhouette of Sesshomaru and his father sitting just outside the door. She was unsure of what she should do.

"He didn't seem mad, did he?" Takara asked softly.

"Who, InuYasha? Not at all. He's in the forest keeping an eye on things too, just in case. He won't show it, but he cares about you and wants you to be happy."

"No, Sesshomaru. I hope he isn't upset that I told him I wanted you two here."

Sango laughed a little. "You're the only one who has the power to read him for anything besides anger, Takara."

That made her laugh a little. She had a point.

"I don't think so," Kagome answered. "He understands that this is the way humans do things, but I have a feeling he will be here immediately if you decide you want him here."

"Should I want him here? Will he be upset if he isn't?"

"I think as long as you're happy, he will be too. Now just a little bit more and we'll help you back down."

Takara nodded in agreement when she felt another contraction and warned the girls. The held her when it hit and Takara gasped at its strength, trying to catch her breath when it passed. It was then she felt a wetness running down her legs and embarrassment hit her. She didn't even get a chance to say anything before Kagome noticed.

"Well, the show's about to start. Looks like that was your water."

"What show would that be? I find no entertainment in this." Takara laughed.

"You're right, I should've said the party is about to start because this is going to be fun."

"I take it back, show is better. I would much rather provide the entertainment as opposed to the fun. I have no fun right now. It is all gone. This sucks!"

Both women burst out laughing and Takara couldn't help but join them, the pain the laughter brought making things worse and only made them laugh harder until they got Takara settled back in her furs and calmed down. She had just settled to the furs when another powerful contraction hit and she yelled a little in surprise at its sudden appearance.

As she caught her breath, she looked to Kagome. "I need you to do something for me."

"I am not writing out your will."

"Good because I wasn't going to ask you to…yet."

"What is it?"

"Will you apologize to Sesshomaru for me?"

Kagome gave her a blank stare. "For what?"

"I have not nice things to say and he will probably be the subject of those not nice things. Tell him I love him, but this is all his fault."

Kagome continued to give her a blank stare but this time there was concern in her eyes. The woman didn't move.

"I feel a contraction coming."

"Okay, okay." Kagome relented. "Why don't you do it, Sango? He doesn't seem to mind you as much as me."

"Because I have children, but he may take pity on you since you're pregnant too. You're also more likely to survive than me."

"He's not that bad, you two."

"Do you want to tell him?" They asked in unison. It shut her up.

Footsteps approached the screen and he had heard whispering the past few minutes but was unable to make out what was said after Takara's last contraction. The Kagome girl stepped out of the room, nervous as she eyed him. "Is something wrong?" His father asked the question that Sesshomaru's face asked.

"No, n-nothing's wrong, but Takara…"She trailed off and Sesshomaru raised his brow in question.

"Well, she told me to let you know that she does not have nice things to say right now, you will most likely be the subject of those not nice things, and this is uh…"

"This is what?" he asked.

He watched the girl swallow before she backed to the screen, prepared to dash through it. "She said this is all your fault, but she loves you." She didn't wait for a response and rushed back through the screen and slammed it behind her.

Tōga laughed to himself, or at least he tried until another contraction hit Takara and she loosed a such a well formulated and articulate string of colorful vocabulary directed at his eldest. It was impressive. He no longer bothered to hide it after that.

Had it been under different circumstances, Sesshomaru would've been angry at his mate, but considering the situation and his surprise to find out she had such a dirty mouth, he let it go… kind of. "You have my heart too, My Treasure."

"SHUT UP!"

He should've felt more shame when he laughed right along with his father.

Kagome washed her hands in a bucket of hot water and dried them on a clean towel before she felt to see if the baby's head was still in the correct position and felt it just inside and ready to crown. "Alright, Takara, this is it. The next contraction, I need you to push hard. I can feel the head."

Takara nodded and bit back the nasty remark she had for her friend stating what she felt was obvious. She had wanted to push for what felt like an eternity. Besides, she had a few more not nice things to yell at Sesshomaru for putting her in this situation. The next contraction, she did as Kagome instructed and pushed as hard as she could but as she felt the pain of the baby's head trying to emerge, she let loose another string of profanity that ended on a scream of pain.

Both Kagome and Sango did their best to comfort her, but as the pain hit her on the next push, she felt something inside her crumble and her anger turned to fear and a few tears slipped out her eyes. "I know," Sango tried her best to soothe her. "Let's deal with one contraction at a time. It's head, then shoulders and then the baby is out enough to help you the rest of the way." The former demon slayer stroked her hair for a moment before picking up a cool cloth to wipe her sweat drenched face. "You can do this."

Takara didn't get a chance to argue that as another contraction hit and her body started to push without her direct effort. She felt a bit of movement and Kagome made a shocked sound, but quickly followed up with "The head it out. We're almost there, Takara." Something about the way she made that statement worried Takara, but she knew her friend wouldn't say anything that could possibly upset her at the moment. Her worry turned to fear and she couldn't help but want Sesshomaru.

Sesshomaru, I'm scared. She thought, but she wouldn't say the words out loud. An instant later, he was entering the room, closing the screen door behind him and approached her. Sango quickly moved to her other side while Kagome remained knelt between her legs, wiping the baby's head clean with a towel and ensuring the cord wasn't around its neck.

Her husband didn't say a word as he dropped his fur behind her and arranged himself to where he could support her full weight. Just his touch calmed Takara from the near panic she had felt coming, and she calmed, relaxing into him given the circumstances.

Two more contractions and she still hadn't managed to push out the shoulders. "It's ok, Takara. It's just a big pup. Give it all you've got the next contraction." Kagome told her and she nodded. She didn't hear it, but a soft growl rumbled in Sesshomaru's chest that she felt. His hand gently rubbed her back and she took deep breaths, preparing for the next contraction.

When it struck, she bore down with everything she had until she felt her pup move, her scream raising several octaves in pain as it finally moved. Kagome leaned forward and reached down with both hands, gently pulling until Takara finally felt the entire pup slide from her body. "He's out, My Treasure." Sesshomaru growled to her, continuing to stroke her hair. "You did very well."

She panted under her husband's praise but picked up on what he had said. "'He'?"

"Yep," Kagome told her as she finally cleaned the pup enough to get a hold if it. "It's a male."

Male? Takara wondered, too tired to voice the question out loud as she panted to catch her breath. The next thing she knew, Kagome was placing a large, wet fur covered thing on her stomach and covered it with a towel. It was then she realized what she was holding.

Her baby, sired by a dog demon, had actually been born as a pup.

It took her only an instant to get over the surprise before pure elation and love spontaneously combusted inside of her.

She used the towel to rub his fur dry as he whimpered his disapproval the entire time. He wasn't the color of his father with his pure white fur. Instead, his fur was much the same shade of blue black as her own hair from nose to his fuzzy tail. She inspected every inch of him while his let his displeasure be known. He appeared nearly the same as an ordinary dog was shaped, only as a pup… except for his shoulders. They were more humanlike in appearance and his front paws had slightly longer digits than an average canine and he had thumbs instead of dewclaws. The underside of each of his fingers were covered in additional pads under each section of his fingers.

Tears ran down her face as she gently wiped his muzzle off and cleaned out his ears. Time seemed to no longer exist as she felt herself growing weary from exhaustion. She was startled awake when Sesshomaru moved from behind her and replaced his body with his furry pelt and she gladly leaned back into the cloudlike mass. She watched as Kagome pulled away the birth drenched furs and a bowl she guessed was filled with the afterbirth. She didn't even realize when that part had happened. Sango put clean furs down to replace the ones pulled away and worked to clean Takara up while Kagome removed the dirty items from the room. She noticed her eyes had become heavy again when Kagome stroked her head and told her she had done a good job as well that she and Sango would be nearby if she needed anything. Takara nodded and thanked her friends and tiredly watched them leave before looking back down to the now mostly dry, black bundle of fur in her arms.

His eyes still closed, Takara looked into his face and couldn't help but fall so deeply in love with him, emotions swamped her, and she didn't put up her usual battle to keep them under control for Sesshomaru's benefit. She was too tired to even try. His little nose kept twitching every so often and his pawlike hands clenched and unclenched enough for her to feel his little nails. His ears didn't look like his father's canine form, but were smaller, more like InuYasha's ears, at least for the time being.

The one thing she hadn't expected was his smell. He smelled just like a puppy, even his little puppy breath was the same. The little bundle did his best to bury himself closer to her body and she marveled at how inky black his fur was against her own pale skin.

It took great effort to tear her gaze away from her son to look to his father who stood at the screen door speaking to his own father. She didn't overhear too much of what was said, but she heard Tōga say something along the lines of, "I will be here to meet him once you are ready. Care for your mate."

With a nod to his father, Takara watched as Sesshomaru shut the screen and returned to them. He settled next to her, close enough for her to lean against him as he observed his pup. He had yet to hold him, but Takara was reluctant to release him from her arms. "You are happy, My Treasure?"

She smiled at her husband's simple explanation for how she felt. Looking up and meeting those molten honey eyes and though most people couldn't read him, she could. He was also happy. "Yes, I am." She told him, reaching up to bring him closer for a kiss. He returned it and pulled her tighter to him until the pup whined, knowing somehow that he did not have his mother's undivided attention. "He's perfect, Sesshomaru." She realized her mistake the moment those words left her lips. She glanced back at him in time to see a small twitch at the corner of his mouth.

She sighed. "Go ahead and say it. I'm as ready as I'll ever be."

He looked at her with his usual emotionless gaze for a moment before he finally said it. "Of course, he's perfect. He's mine."

She sighed again. "Damn hormones. Walked right into that one."

"Indeed, and now I am ready for my apology."

Takara didn't respond. Instead, she looked to the sweet, innocent bundle in her arms. "Now don't listen to your father when he talks like that. You already have a head directly proportionate to his ego. The world isn't ready for two of him."

A laugh came from the other side of the screen telling the couple that Tōga still stood watch outside their room.

A smirk finally graced his features and Takara could only return it with a smile. "I'm still waiting for my apology." He told her, smirk still in place.

"You can have it once everything is back in order below deck." She pointed to her lap. She paid no mind to his mate's father's bellowed laughter outside. This time a ghost of a smile drifted across Sesshomaru's face as he turned away. "Until then, not gonna happen."

Takara felt her eyelids growing heavy again as her pup began to root at her chest. Before she was too exhausted to do so, she felt it was best she get him fed. It took her a moment, but she eventually arranged him to where he could latch onto her breast and suckle greedily. "I'm glad that he at least has my hair color in his fur, otherwise I would be a little… annoyed." She yawed, watching her pup.

"Why is that?"

"Because it was hard work growing him. I would've been irritated if he came out looking like your carbon copy after doing all the hard work."

"Hard work?"

"Were you growing an extra set of arms? Eyeballs? What about a nose?"

He had the audacity to actually think about his answer. "Not that I'm aware of."

An exaggerated pout sprung to her face, not used to Sesshomaru feeling so playful. "You're not getting an apology. I'm keeping it until you have a serious conversation with that ego you have."

He laughed as he reached down to stroke his suckling son. "Yes, My Treasure."

She had nearly lost the battle with her exhaustion when she asked him, "Did you have any ideas for a name?"

"I had, but since you did all the work, I suppose I could let you name him."

"How magnanimous of you, My Lord."

"I thought so as well."

"Kuromaru."

"What?"

"His name, I like Kuromaru." Takara yawned and allowed sleep to claim her.