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Hotaru left princess Maemi's bedside at the Dayoukai's request, she walked unhurriedly to the right side of the room closest to the balcony where he stood, and paused. He didn't say anything to her immediately. He seemed quite distracted as he stared into space Hotaru observed. She sighed in understanding. The lord had possibly just diverted a terrible disaster, though in all actually the worst of it had not passed.

She had no trouble recognizing his exasperated demeanor and had no desire to be at the end of it, and so she waits patiently for his instructions. She saw as he inhaled quietly a short time later as he prepared himself to speak.

"I leave her in your care, if her condition worsens send Jaken to find me; I will be in my study until very late," he'd spoken very softly, though that edge of sadness in his tone was not hard to miss. She nodded at him and he looked away.

She knew enough to know that trouble brewed in his home, and because of it he seemed less dignified. He had a lot on his mind and appeared exhausted and strangely unkempt to her. Blood smeared the front of his ragged attire, and though he tried to remain unmoved, his shoulders slouched just the same. Tired eyes focused on his wife again as he drew closer to the bed.

The princess groaned in sleep. Without thought Hotaru moved quickly to attend to her charge, while Sesshomaru's entire form went rigid with worry. As they watched, princess Maemi's eyes opened for a brief moment and then fluttered closed in sleep.

Hotaru sighed in relief. Sesshomaru relaxed. She wanted so badly for the princess to be well for the lord's sake as well as to preserve the peace. If the lady dies it could cause all sort of problems between the human kingdom and theirs.

She was honored that the lord had chosen her to care for his wife, although, so far all she had done amounted to very little. By the time she was summoned from the village and had made the journey to the palace, the Daiyoukai had already done his best to save his wife's life. Hopefully by the time the princess awoke the damage to her throat would have healed.

It was a lucky thing that lord Sesshomaru had interveved when he did or the princess would be dead. By the gardener's account who had witnessed the whole messy affair from afar, the lord's youngest daughter had almost choked the life out of the woman and had crushed her larynx in the process.

Sesshomaru had forced fed his wife blood from his body, and his technique seemed to be effective. However, the critical moments had not elapsed as of yet; one of many things could go wrong and they were both painfully aware of that.

He was concerned she noted, as he kept glancing at his injured wife's prone form lying on the bed and she knew why. The mostly likely problem could arise from the woman not being the lord's true mate. Hotaru had come across the strange detail when she had cleansed the woman earlier and was astonished by it.

Although the princess carried a small amount of the lord's youki within her being, she had no mark upon her body to signify her mated status. It was a curious thing that she wondered about still. What was really going on here?

Being human her body could reject the foreign blood inside it. There was no way to know if the treatment would be successful until the very last minute if she regains consciousness.

The knock at the door roused her from the inquisitive thoughts of the lord's personal affairs. Sesshomaru moved before she could think to do anything and opened the door. Three females stood at the doorway. Hotaru perused the trio quickly. The two younger women had red swollen eyes and looked to be crying, while the stern face middle aged lady held herself with dignity.

At this particular time the newly arrived guest piqued her curiosity, they were the only other people in the palace that had no demon heritage, so that could only mean they were relatives of the Daiyoukai's wife. She watched and waited to see how the lord of the house would manoever his affairs. She couldn't see any harm in allowing the princess's family members to visit with her, at least that was just her, though she could be wrong. She had better stay out of this, the lord's harsh countenance spoke volumes of his resentment.

"My lord," the elder female addressed him, "may we come in?" She asked as he had not made any move to welcome them. He just stood in the doorway and glared at them unpleasantly.

Hotaru heard crying and looked more closely, the youngest of the group sobbed while the one beside her held her hand. She harbored intrusive thoughts but decided against it, none of this was really any of her business, and furthermore, the lord seemed even more agitated than before now that they were here.

It took every ounce of restraint in his body not to dismiss them rudely. All the fuss in his home was due in part to the alliance and the princess. Her relatives were an unneeded hindrance that he would not tolerate. A deadly menace flared in his eyes and he swowled disrespectfully, his jaws locked tight in anger. He spoke no words, hadn't issued any threats but his message was very clear. The group withdrew quickly from his presence.

Irritated he glanced over his shoulder at the healer and spoke harshly. "Make her comfortable and no one is to see her now," he informed her and held her gaze.

Hotaru gulped; the curtness of the lord's statement made her uneasy and she forgets to speak. His eyes narrowed upon her in disapproval. "Will do my lord," she replied anxiously, the words rasping pass her teeth.

He nodded and left with an air of indifference, quietly closing the door behind him, without acknowledging his in laws that still loitered along the passage way.

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Whatever frustration he experienced made his steps heavy while his mind and heart felt bogged down as he walked in a daze to his study. Would his burden ever ease? He wondered and opened the door. The wide door that shielded the balcony still remained open just as he'd left it before, it allowed a mild breeze to caress his face, and arms which were bare now out of necessity.

The yukata that he wore was plain white, and before it had billowing sleeves which were ripped away by him as he'd tried to staunch the bleeding from his wife's neck and shoulders, from puncture holes that she'd received from his daughter as they'd struggled.

Tempted to shred the remaining scraps of clothes from his upper torso in anger his claws tightened on the fabric. He held still and shut his eyes tight against the rage moving through him. In a moment of rationality he calmed and his fingers slowly uncurled from the garment. The need to preserve a scrap of decency if the healer should call overruled the wild impulse.

The wretchedness of the situation made him drop his body down in the chair and rests his face in his palms, as regret from decisions he'd made imbibe him. He hissed nastily but held the curse words in. For a moment he considered breaking free, let instincts take over, shed the humanoid swathe that housed his true self and tear the palace apart, as rage, sadness and chaos threatened to swallow him whole.

Logically he knew that acting out would only attract unwanted attention and would do nothing to change the circumstances. Still, he couldn't help but to think on it, because the last time that he really felt free, now that he thought about it he could not remember.

He'd thought himself mighty and powerful, and at one time foolishly believed that he was invulnerable, but love, family and sacrifice was breaking his heart as it took everything that he had. A nervy sensation ran through him and his fingers spasm uncontrollably.

He found himself catching deep uneven breaths as he struggled with his relentless inner turmoil, which astounded him because he had never been so expressive no matter how hard a challenge he'd faced.

He had to rid himself of the self reproach and despair, before it took him to a place where he was weakened so badly that he could not function, becoming despondent and lose out on the one chance to save demon-kind.

While he continued to take in ragged burst of air, the anxieties dissipated leaving him numb. He knew he had no right to want such a thing, but he wished that Kagome was here with him, to help him through the dark times like she did when they were exiled.

The trembling in his fingers went away, so did the breathlessness and hopelessness; and instead a mild diversion of transparency replaced the sensations as he fought to stay on top of things.

The scrolls of parchment containing the architectural design and plan for the dam caught his eyes as his hands left his face. He traced a finger over the paper as he tried to remember if there were any significant reasons for the delay. Usually he was more astute than this, and construction would have been underway by now.

Imperceptibly he gasped, having failed to notice that the workmen from Osaka should have arrived by now and waiting at the location for instructions on how to proceed. Putting a halt to his tracing finger, he gathered the document and bound them with a piece of leather and slunk back in the seat.

Forcing his mind back to that time, he slowly recalled the reason for the disinterest in the project. Shippo, the name resounded inside his head unexpectedly. The fox had left with his mother, and it was a matter of objectiveness, because he had wanted him to oversee the construction. He was responsible, creative and had a unique way with people.

Who better than him to be chief facilitator of such an enterprise? He shook his head and sighed when he considered his troubles. No wonder he functioned half mast? And his offspring's were only making things worse by being rebellious. He'd thought that with everything going on that they'd collectively reached an understanding by now.

He supposed it was too much to ask of them considering the circumstances, but Aiko's action was unexplainable, because he had spoken to her not so long ago as to why they needed to act accordingly.

It wasn't a secret in his household that the princess was needed, a valuable tool in the fight for survival and equality. That is why it was hard for him to decipher what could have caused his daughter to act so casually and vicious. She could have killed her.

It pained him to know that he had hurt her, but it was convenient, he needed her to understand fully that the princess was not to be harmed in any physical way. It was quite sad really, the relationship between his daughter and himself could be destroyed over this.

In spite of that he would not budge on the issues surrounding the princess. Aiko will not appreciate the stance that he would have to take. He had no choice in the matter and neither did they. If they wanted peace in the house they will have to learn to coincide for the greater good.

He sighed with despair, the child was bereft without her mother and he'd been her only parent since then. They'd become closer than any of his other pups, and the thought that his daughter might reject him now encased his heart in a small shrinking bubble.

Somewhere between consternation and quiet; fatigue had started to set in. He raised a hand to his head and brushed loose strands of hair back into place, as the breeze moved from mild to heavy, so did the lethargic sensations. The more relaxed he felt, the more he felt like slumbering.

Sleep- that was what he lacked and needed at the moment. Several, deep, uninterrupted hours in which he could forget all about the sadness and misery surrounding him.

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It was the dead of night and silence filled the darkness. Aiko got out of bed, blew the candles out and walked to the door where a bag with a few of her belongings rested. She picked up the bag that she had packed earlier in the day and took one last look around the room; she sighed deeply and strode out the door quietly.

She stepped gingerly down the passage, though there was no need as the place was carpeted, cushioning each footsteps; she stopped at her brother's door.

Leaning in with her ear glued to the door she listened keenly for sounds from within, and after waiting a few moments impatience made her hasty and she was about to knock. Suddenly the door opened and Taizo stood in front of her. She opened her mouth to say something but he silenced the thought with a finger to her lips.

There wasn't any need for words as they both knew where they wanted to be and it was not with their father and his bitch. It was decided among themselves that the first place they would look for their mother was in Edo, the place held a nostalgic fascination for her.

They left the palace cloaking their auras as they utilized the secret passage-ways out of their home. It was extreme precaution because none of the royal guards knew the location of the exits. They couldn't take any chances, finding their mother was a single minded obsession now that they had no home without her.

Silence descended as they left the residence holding onto each other's hand tightly, the darkness enfolding them in a way that made them suddenly aware of just how alone they were, and exactly how advanced the hour.

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As morning broke Sesshomaru was awakened by the cawing of ravens on the balcony's ledge. The moon low and the sky partially illuminated by the dawn. It was still very early in the morning and the sun had not made an appearance as of yet. He yawned and stretched shaking the remaining sleep from his form.

Sleeping so late and long almost felt impossible. He had never needed such long restive periods before. Occasionally when that had happened he'd been badly wounded. The last time that he'd rested so much was when Inuyasha had chopped off his arm.

As he stepped out of his study, his first thought was to go and visit with his daughter. Then suddenly what he wished to do was to take a bath; yesterday's almost tragedy still clung to him. He still wore the tattered bloody clothes, and the ointment that he'd used to dress his wife's lacerations still smelled strongly on his fingers.

With a bath and a change of clothes along with the many hours of sleep that he'd gotten, he felt something akin to his old self. His wife's bedroom door was in sight as he traversed the long passage way. and the smell of minty dressing pervaded his nostrils as he approached his destination.

He didn't bother to knock, he just opened the door and stepped right him. The healer sat in a chair close by the princess's bed side, with a needle and yarn creating some type of garment he assumed, sprung to her feet as he entered.

At a glance he saw that Maemi was sound asleep, and he wondered if she had awoken during the course of the night. Being mindful of her state, and not wanting to interrupt the sleep necessary for her to heal, he gestured to Hotaru with a slight shift of the head to join him beyond the door which would be more suitable for them to discuss her condition.

The patient and long silent woman followed him outside the room, grateful for the reprieve. The soundless vigil watching over the woman was not her style; she hated the monotony.

He stopped abruptly at another door further down the passage that caused her to almost bump into his back. He turned around and faced her, and she noted that he looked less troubled.

"What is the state of her person?" He asked quickly

Hotaru was even more perplexed, she would think that a male asking about the condition of his wife would reserve some compassion as he did so. It was clear to her that the lord only asked out of duty rather than any real concern.

On a tremulous sigh she answered. "She should be completely healed in another day or so."

He seemed relieved by her answer and turned to go, but stopped after taking a few steps, he turned so that the left side of his profile was prominent.

He looked at her. "Thank you," he said simply.

Her lips parted to say something but the words failed her as she was stunned speechless by his gratitude, and so she kept them compressed and nodded instead. The Daiyoukai walked away leaving her standing in the lonely passage way with her ever growing inquisitiveness.

His steps and conscience led him this time towards his daughter's room. He needed to confront not only Aiko but all of his children, he tapped on her door. He would start with her first since by all accounts she was the one most distraught by the current situation. He knocked a few more times and still she did not answer. He was mildly irritated and took a quick sniff, tasting the air to ascertain if she was alright.

A moment later his eyes widened and brows furrowed with worry. He hesitated unsurely, and with silent unease turned the door knob and opened the door. She was not there, and although her scent lingered it was hours old. His heartbeat quickened with panic.

With an exasperated sigh he scanned the room quickly and saw nothing unusual to suggest foul play. His footsteps hastened down the corridor to Taizo's room as his troubled heart beats rapidly. Grasping the door handle tightly he turned and flung it wide, he was not surprised, the same sight and leftover smells greeted his eyes.

In silence he stared at the empty room, the erratic beating of his heart caused it to jump beats, it was unfortunate but it seems like his pups would not support his decisions. Perhaps it would have been best if they'd all left with their mother, because he hadn't the patience to deal with them, not now when he had his hands full with his wife and demon salvation.

He made a tsking sound beneath his breath and hurriedly left the vicinity to find Jaken and the general of the palace guards.

Jaken rose immediately to his feet almost upsetting the table and his meal when he caught sight of the angry frown upon his lord's countenance.

"Sesshomaru sama," he squealed and postured. "How may I be of service to you this morning?"

He held his shoulders like a blade, rigid and sharp and his eyes darkened with pain, Jaken gasped audibly before turning away from the rare image. It wasn't unknown to him; he knew that his master was afflicted over the loss of his mate and the problems it caused in his house, but seeing it right there in front of his eyes was surreal.

Up until now he had little to no idea what Sesshomaru felt because he'd always seemed so impervious.

His body quivered at the sound of his master's voice "I leave you in charge, converse with the general and have him guard the palace and my pups, none of them are to leave."

Inwardly cringing by the sharpness of the lord's tone, Jaken nodded and watched while Sesshomaru spun on his heels and left the palace grounds.

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Finding their mother wasn't as easy as they'd thought. It felt as if they kept going in circles. Nothing looked familiar, it wasn't impossible that they were lost, because they'd left in darkness, and trying to find a place that wasn't very familiar to them was difficult. And although it was now day time and they should be closer to Edo, their destination was still a maze.

They stopped.

"Taizo I think we may have taken a wrong turn, it's been hours and we haven't reached another town yet."

He sighed thoughtfully. "If that is the case we cannot go back, we will continue until we find mother."

Aiko smiled although sensations of worry assaulted her. "Okay let's go," she said and clutched the bag closer to her side.

The forest was quiet as Shippo left the red haired fox youkai's abode, he needed to unwind, and what better way to do that but by burying his needs into the velvety softness of a female. The diversion lengthened his journey by a half day's travel; nonetheless, it was time he got going.

He was off the beaten track by about twenty miles, so he needed to fly in a westerly direction to make up for the time. The easiest route to get to a destination is going straight; he smiled and launched himself in the air.

About ten miles inland the wind shifted and came straight at him, he took a long sniff of the cool air. He was startled and inhaled even deeper this time, there was no mistaking it, familiar scents travelled on the breeze.

But he wondered. Were his senses conveying the truths? Regardless, he had to find out. Shifting in the air he turned into the direction of the wind and sped off.

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Sesshomaru knew of only one place his children would run to and that was to their mother; after informing Hotaru of his intentions he'd asked her to attend to his wife until his return.

Perhaps it was coincidence that he'd overslept, but it rejuvenated his mind and body with the extra energies he would need to track and find his children. Hopefully he would catch up to them before they made it to Edo. He did not want to go there and stir up emotions and ugly memories that were best left alone. Hurting Kagome was something he had no desire to do again.

Hurriedly he sped through the air travelling in his orb of light to cover more ground. By his estimation his children had maybe eight to ten hours to make their escape. Their lingering scents in the house and on the air was his guide. It did not matter to him how long they had left the sanctity of the palace, they would not get far. They were inexperienced and did not know the terrain very well and could easily get lost. He had to hurry.

Shippo spotted the children from afar holding hands and straining against the rampant breeze. Seeing them here he still could not believe that they had made it this far on their own. Something terrible must have happened for them to run away.

He had to apprehend them somehow and take them back to their father he decided, because although Kagome would love to have them around, she would not be able to deal with the heartache and frustration when they were separated again. And besides, their father would be searching for them, and he certainly did not want Sesshomaru to come in contact with Kagome and further traumatize her.

Wanting to keep Kagome's secret also came into the equation; emotionally she could not deal with Sesshomaru if he were to show up on her doorstep. The situation would be a stressful one in her delicate condition, and she had just begun to really enjoy life again.

His hand reached for the pouch tethered to his belt. He shook his head being dismayed at the whole terrible scenario. He knew and felt that the children were not happy and sought the company and love of their mother, but he also knew that the children were needed in the west to help their father bring about the change; Kagome could not stress that point enough.

He could tell that they knew of his presence, they stopped and waited while he approached them.

"Shippo," they both said at once, excited to see him he realized.

"I am so glad that you are here," Aiko said and hugged him around the waist, while Taizo looked on silently with a soft smile about his lips.

She glanced up at him with a perceptive eye before letting go. "Is mother alright?" She asked a little dully.

He nodded and then answered. "Your mother is doing better."

It hurt him to do what he was about to do, but he felt it was better this way. As they returned to their former position standing close to each other he poured some of the contents from the pouch into his hand. The children watched fascinated as he sprinkled the glittery substance into the air around them.

Soon, the word he repeated in his mind, and mentally preparing himself to catch them when they fell asleep on their feet. In no time at all their eyes dimmed and they began to stumble. The job done he caught them as they fell forward. The sleeping powder had lulled them into an unnatural sleep, and hopefully it would be a long one.

By the time Shippo transformed into a huge bubble as the children rested on his lap, the Daiyoukai had bypassed them many miles downwind. He did not scent their presence.

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It was late evening and Kagome had made a frugal meal that she had eaten, she fed the dog and now sat on the sofa petting him at her feet. The wind blew heavier now and the smell of rain drifted in the air. She could hear the rustling leaves and felt colder as the temperature dropped lower.

She pulled her feet up on the sofa and threw the blanket across her waist and smiled. She felt happier as the pregnancy progressed without incident, she had none of the nauseating sensations, could eat anything she wanted as her appetite was fine. The silk robe that she wore felt soft against her skin and swollen belly. She smiled again and rubbed the bulging bump.

Her pregnancy was a miracle and it couldn't have come at a better time, she needed the hope that it brought although nothing could replace her other children. She looked forward in earnest to that time when she was strong enough to face them.

She had fled leaving them behind like the simpering coward that she was, but saying goodbye to them was just too hard and she could not do it. Whenever she remembered her youngest child she was a mess. She missed them all so much. Just thinking about them brought tears to her eyes, which happened quite often.

The quiet of the country side, fatigue and the crisp night air put her to sleep quickly. The small dog rested on the ground in front of the sofa remained awake in restlessness. His eyes shone like a beacon and he panted hard, and soon he got up and darted outside unaware to Kagome as she slept.

He halted by black boots and whimpered, large hands lifted him up and he barked playfully. Sesshomaru knew who the dog belonged to, The dog's scent mingled with that of someone he was quite familiar with. He had stopped by their old home close to Inuyasha's forest, the caretaker and his wife had told him that the lady gave them the house and went back to her former home at the school. They had parted ways then.

His heart beat struck like the thunder the closer he got to the house, it brought back memories that he would never be able to forget. The lantern burned bright as it illuminated the house through the thin curtains.

He stepped on the porch and hesitated, afraid to go in. He listened keenly and heard Kagome's gentle snores. She must be very tired he thought as he could recall only at those times did she breathe noisily.

He opened the door and pause with indecisiveness. He should not do this. He should just turn around and leave. She would never know that he was there. He shook his head in an attempt to clear the confusion. The puppy whimpered sensing his inner turmoil and he gently put him down.

He saw the sofa, Kagome was asleep on it, but from here he could not see her. He turned around to leave; there was no point now his children were not here. He made one long stride and halted, his eyes bulged like a toad's. He almost gasped for breath as his heart skipped multiple beats.

Every step that he made after he made the decision to stay filled him up with joy and dreadful trepidation. But the love he held into his heart for this woman dictated his actions and he moved in front. If he had tears to cry, he would have let them fall.

There was no mistaking it; Kagome was very pregnant with his child, her swollen belly was proof of that. He gazed at her with love and adoration, and suddenly he felt free. His heart beat sped up, blood rushed through his veins pooling into his heart, and dying embers burst with life.

What pain he'd felt, and sacrifices that had bled him dry was all worth it now. One moment with her and he could face whatever else life threw at him, though he couldn't stay, because if Kagome had wanted him to know she would have informed him by now. He had no right to make any demands on her, he had truly hurt her and he was pleased that at least she would have a child to fill her bosom and to love.

Pausing a bit more, he casted his eyes over her beautiful form and remembered when she had carried his offspring's. He recalled how much she'd enjoyed it when he would rub her belly soothingly. It had always surprised and filled him with wonder when their baby moved with just a touch of his hand. He longed to touch her again, stroke her belly like he used to do.

He couldn't resist the urge; he wanted to feel his child this one time as it resided in her womb. She would never know that he was here. He stretched out a hand and barely glided his fingers over her rosy cheeks; he felt the softness of her skin and warmth. She sighed softly and pressed her face into his palms.

He didn't want to wake her so he removed his hand and now it hovered above her belly. He hesitated, but the impulse was too strong, his pups called out to him like in a dream and he gave in..

But as soon as his hand leveled and touched her belly, the baby gave a huge jolt. Kagome gasped in sleep and he pulled his arm away; too late, she had already opened her eyes.

She wanted to scream with fright but the sounds died in her throat. She tried to sit up, dizziness flashed in her head and bile formed. Her body weak and her mind in a haze she slumped back down on the sofa. She closed her eyes and thought perhaps that she was still asleep and dreaming, or this was a terrible nightmare, she just could not think.

Kagome opened her eyes again to a sparkling gaze that peered down into the depths of her soul. She couldn't move, she could not continue to breathe. Time evaporated and the months fell away. Her face instantly went ice cold as blood drained from her cheeks. Her heart rate doubled and she could feel the rush of blood pounding inside her eardrums.

Awkwardly she raised her body up, he remained unmoving, only his eyes watched her every move. Unable to comprehend the situation she panicked. Her mouth gaped as she gasped for breath, lost for words and incapable of speech, she fell back onto the sofa. His lips parted and she watched as her name rolled off his tongue. Finally she fainted away, overwhlemed and unbelievably stunned.