I do not own Inuyasha!
The seasons came and went; the blistering temperatures and sometimes heavy rainfall of the summertime was gradually being overshadowed by autumn, with its cool wind and striking colors of red, gold and brown as the trees lost their springtime youth and matured in time with the onset of winter.
The months came and went quickly and with it the hostility and backwardness. It was not surprising now to see their demonic children in the center of the town with human ones playing and helping each other. Kagome's school flourished not only with children but with illiterate adults who had a desire to learn to read and write, and acquiring a skill if they so required.
Kagome had befriended a woman who was a priestess much like her, and together with a Buddhist monk they ran the school with great efficiency. Sesshomaru would visit with her while she was at the community center, she was in an advance stage of pregnancy, and by the looks of things his mate had no intentions of slowing down.
With nothing to do to assist Kagome because she was very experienced in what she did, and besides it wasn't his thing, he became listless and bored and so he trained his mind and body hard. His sons would join him whenever it suited them.
He was mindful that they were still children and required friends to have fun while socializing so he did not object too much. Yuki was the only one of his children who remained watching as he trained and tried to imitate him with a piece of stick as a weapon.
The first time that his youngest picked up a piece of stick as she watched him he smiled, she tried her very best to imitate his swordplay in a childish fashion, it was as interesting as it was an amusing sight to behold, but he thought if the child showed an interest in the sword at such an early age, maybe it would be best if he encouraged her.
"Do you want to know how to use a blade?" He questioned the child thoughtfully.
Looking at her father with the straightest face that she could muster, although she wanted to smile so badly being happy that he finally took notice she replied.
"Yes father I want to be like you."
He knew that Kagome wouldn't be pleased with this new development but still he had to tell her.
And in spite of those objections he had gone ahead and procured a small light weight blade for Yuki from the town's blacksmith. As he made his way to the back of the house to the small garden and makeshift dojo to present the sword to his daughter, he felt a searing pain in his gut like he was just punched savagely.
It almost had him doubling over. He knew what it was, Kagome was in labor. He sighed remembering the distress the first time that she had given birth. Making a hasty retreat he headed towards the town and his mate instead. Yuki would be fine; the nurse would take care of her.
Kagome felt like she was being ripped in two and screamed with the pain. It was excruciating like the first time, and she was no more prepared now as she was then. Sesshomaru reached the community center where Kagome and the priestess were in a back room trying to deliver the baby.
He said nothing as he approached and put his arms around her shoulders while she sat up in bed and pushed. It was in the early hours of the following morning that the baby finally arrived; and it was the first day of January and the beginning of the New Year. Kagome exhausted and was barely able to hold the baby before falling into an uneasy sleep.
While she slept Sesshomaru transported her and the baby back to the house where it would be more comfortable, with the help of his first born Akiyoshi.
The baby became awake and was greeted by her siblings. She was beautiful like his older children; fair, silky silver hair, pointy ears and curiously she had her mother's eyes, only hers were clearer and glistened like the sun shining on ice.
The baby had full demonic energies swirling around with spiritual ones although they felt separated, and Sesshomaru wondered if she would have a metamorphosis like Yuki.
However he shrugged the thought aside as the baby started to wail; apparently she wanted to eat, but because his thumb had somehow caught into her mouth and while she sucked at it without any sustenance being expelled she cried.
He knew that Kagome was extremely tired and needed rest to recover from the long and tiresome birth. He could still smell the blood on his hands as he'd cut her open to assist with the birthing just as he'd done before, even though he had washed them many times.
Taking the child to her mother he lies in front with the baby between them; opening her robe and exposing her swollen breasts he placed the baby on one of her nipples where she sucked hungrily. Kagome woke up for a few moments and mumbled.
"Aiko," It was the chosen name for the baby.
The corners of Sesshomaru's mouth curved in a half smile at the chosen name and meaning behind it, but Kagome was too exhausted and fell asleep instantly after she'd smiled back at him.
Sunlight poured through the thinly screened windows of the house and fell on the floor, the sleeping pallet that she was on, and on her face. The sound of the morning school bell echoed dully in her head. Though she'd known that long clanging ring over the many months since the school's inception, Kagome had yet to get used to it.
For one fleeting moment she buried her head under the soft feathered pillow, imagining herself cuddled in her big fluffy bed back in her time in her mother's house. The linens would smell lightly of lemon pine in her airy pink bedroom. The shrine would be closed this time of year for the New Year's festivities, one that she used to participate in when she was a child.
Sesshomaru was already up and about with the children while she rested. It had been a week since the birth of another daughter; she felt completely drained of her energies caring for the baby and running the community center. After the blood loss from the birthing she'd become weak and tires easily.
Sesshomaru had watched her and he'd noticed that she wasn't recovering quickly enough. He couldn't decipher what was causing the strange delay, however, he had taken it upon himself two days prior and had decided to feed her his blood to help replenish what she'd lost, it was very helpful because she was feeling as strong as an ox and back to her old self after two days of ingesting the fluids.
Kagome sat up revitalized and refreshed, ready to take on the world. Now that the bell had stopped she could hear the children as they readied for school, and walking to the window she could see her mate as he paced back and forth with the baby cuddled in his arms in the small garden that she'd cultivated.
She smiled feeling totally appreciative of her life and family, knowing in the back of her mind that something awful would tear them apart in a future time. She couldn't think on it now without feeling depressed and hopeful all at the same time.
Maybe Bokuseno was wrong, because as she looked at her partner and how contended he was as he held their child, she just could not believe something so terrible would happen to disrupt their lives.
Sighing softly Kagome greeted him. "Good morning Sesshomaru," his head came up and their eyes met. "I am sorry I overslept."
Grinning at him as he came to the window he asked.
"How are you feeling this day?"
Kagome reached through the window and hugged him close around the neck kissing his face.
"I feel wonderful because of you."
He smiled at the teasing embrace as Kagome's breath and lashes tickled his face. His mate was a very loving and a kind being. Before her he would never consider himself as affectionate, but because of her he had become very accommodating of her little demonstrations of loving affections.
Kagome had grown on him and he could not imagine going back to a point in his life without her in it. Bokuseno's warnings greatly troubled him as well.
The months ticked by and soon enough five years came and went in a blur. Their town prospered trading with other towns. Kagome had become skilled in various tea preparations and had packaged the crushed tea leaves in silk cloth and sold them.
Two years prior she and Shippo along with her mate talked about developing the town through trade, Sesshomaru had hired a butterfly youkai who wove the most beautiful silks; with her awe inspiring creativity and speed the materials piled up in cart loads.
They'd gotten permission from the lord of the town whom had become a close friend of theirs to carry out the business as long as they paid their taxes.
Kagome thought process was clicking and she'd made use of all those self-help books from the future, and had created scented soaps and perfumes by extracting the essences from sweet smelling wild bushes, flowering plants and fruits.
As the years moved on Sesshomaru changed even more helping Kagome in any way he could. He wasn't afraid to get his hands dirty excavating a field with his strength and quick mind. Side by side they worked for five years knowing that the time draws nigh and soon they would have to leave.
They had not planned on staying in this town for so long, but somehow it had grown on them and had become like a second home.
Everything that they had done since coming here was successful. Even their last child Aiko was growing and happy. She had the same abilities as her older sister only she did not change with the increase in her powers. She was born with perfect control over them and could manipulate them at will.
Kagome thought that with training Yuki should be able to control her energies without changing midway through the year. She ran it by Sesshomaru who suggested that it could work but would take a lot of effort on Yuki's part.
Kagome smiled and thought, that shouldn't be a problem because she had not known another child as disciplined and committed to any task assigned than her Yuki, the child tend to be a little pensive and too mature for her age.
With the lord's permission they were able to facilitate twelve families from the sanctuary; five full demon families inclusive of their fourteen demonic offspring to live and gather roots in the town. The other seven families consisted of inters-pecies couples with their hanyou children.
They would leave the legacy that they had created in the hands of these families, with the expectation that they carry on and make better what they'd started and doing it peacefully.
It was a sad time for all of them, the children had made lasting friendships and did not want to leave them behind, but they were mature enough to know that this was only the beginning; there would be more towns and villages, more friends and acquaintances because of the path they must walk.
With that thought in mind they packed their belongings quietly making preparations to leave when it was time.
The town had a day of celebrations in their honor, because of them the poverty level had greatly diminished. They would leave behind a tea shop with a two room building that they'd used to store and package the teas, a factory that made soaps and perfumes, and a large store that the silks were woven and stored.
Merchants were invited to the town to make their purchases. The town's people had hope, jobs and took pride in the community's achievements because they too also worked very hard to make it happen.
Sesshomaru and family left the town behind forever. And as he watched Kagome while she cried silent tears, he couldn't love or admire her any more than he did now even if he tried. Shippo hugged her close and walked beside her, because he too could see how this exodus had unsettled her.
"Don't cry mother, you are the best thing that has ever happened to those people and they know that, but the journey for us is far from over. We need to prepare."
He said those words to a woman, his mother, one that he respected and loved down to the very ground that she walked on. Gazing up at him with glossy eyes and a curtain of wet lashes she commented.
"When did you grow up to be so wise? I love you."
Shippo stepped away from Kagome after hugging her one more time. In time Sesshomaru came by her side and took her hand, lacing his fingers through hers.
For the next twenty years they moved from towns, cities, and villages developing them through trade and integration. For the most part it had been a very successful undertaking, but with everything nothing is ever perfect.
But hopefully their message of peaceful co-existence had reached the masses and that would be enough to change the unfortunate future that awaits them if they failed.
The last village that they would go would be Kagome's old home in Edo. Kagome felt a cold chill as they entered Inuyasha's forest. It was a weird sensation that had her rubbing her arms trying to ward off the chill. Sesshomaru noticed as he too could feel a change of sorts. What could it be?
Word was sent to Inuyasha and Koga to meet up with them here. They tried to take their minds off the ominous feelings because their work was not yet over, but that was proving to be quite unsuccessful.
In the western domain twenty years prior lady Harumi never graced the ryu's bed. She knew that he had no chance of ruling without her. Half the council hated her but still continued to give her their respects because it was what Sesshomaru instructed them to do.
Without her Ryoma hadn't any hope of holding onto his half of the empire. He'd left her alone when it became apparent that she held him in contempt over Seira's death, and the fact that she could not control him like she'd thought left her bitter; any romantic feelings that she'd harbored for him in the past was doused with poison cleansing her mind and body of the infection.
However, as she bides her time to overthrow him she would converse with him as head of the council and co-ruler.
The west was one of the richest empires in Japan and it lacked nothing. It was mainly a demon kingdom although humans lived there. Something she was going to change soon. Her male grandchildren were strange, they were complete reptilian like their father, nothing of Seira and their heritage were in them.
Izumi was a gem and beautiful. Ryoma kept watch over her day and night and would not let her out of his sight, the few visits that he let her have been supervised. It made her wonder how the children could be so different. But her initial thoughts on the matter climbed to the fore of her consciousness when nothing else made sense.
Ryoma had deposited the eggs inside her daughter during sexual intercourse, a feat that was quite common among his kind, although the act was considered barbaric in these times, it was a strategy used in times of old to increase the dragon population, not knowing that she had given Seira a potion that would make any baby conceived thrive more successfully inside the womb.
Unfortunately he had taken matters in his own hands to secure his line causing her daughter's death. In any case the potion worked and a baby was conceived that grew within Seira protected inside the placenta.
"Humph," she grunted. "Life is full of many surprises."
The years came and went numbering twenty five in total and the dragon twins matured and were striking like their father but cold. Without a mother to teach them they lacked compassion and were cruel. They would terrorize the neighboring towns and villages, gorging themselves on livestock or the blood of a maiden as they came into sexual maturity.
At this point in their development blood and gore was essential, but could have been curtailed if their father had taken a more proactive stance in their growth. Izumi was different; she had grown into a striking adolescent and was kind. Ryoma did all he could to shield her from his sons, because as they matured they eyed her with lust.
Izumi was his daughter and that was a fact, but the twins were made from one gene pool and had none of their mother in them.
Their sister did not feel like family to them as her scent was different, and as they'd watched her grow and become so beautiful with her long black hair, slanted golden eyes and porcelain skin, lust consumed them like a virus that clings and would not let go.
It was his deadly warnings that kept them at bay. Izumi remained unawares of the danger her brothers posed to her virtue, she loved them because although they were different they were family.
Soon enough father we will get her alone and ravage her because you cannot watch her forever. Daichi thought as his lust ridden mind and body felt heavy with need, while he watched his father and sister drinking tea in the garden below her room.
Aiko – Love child
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