Kagura slept softly, the infant still tucked into her kimono. Sesshomaru sat in a tree staring off into space. "What in hell did I just do?" he asked himself. "Letting that woman come live with me." he thought. "Now how will I find Naraku." He pondered. "She might know where he's hiding though." He countered. "Well this is all your fault." His conscience countered. "If you hadn't slept with her you wouldn't be in this mess." Sesshomaru groaned. His conscious was right…so in a sense he was right.
"What would father say?" he wondered. "Probably pat me on the back and say well done." He thought with a soft smirk. His father had always had a way of making problems seem a lot smaller than they were. "Well I guess I can finally use the things father left me." He thought. Inu Tashio had left his son his cradle and several other Inu family heirlooms. He stared down at the small bundle tucked gently into Kagura's kimono. It began to fuss and whine.
Rin stepped closer and watched the small infant squirm. "Is that your baby Lord Sesshomaru?" she asked in her sweet singsong voice. "Yes Rin, that is my son." He said. He felt a sense of pride bubbling within him. He could teach that young pup how to fight and take care of him self. "So is Kagura the mommy?" she asked. "Yes Rin, she is the mother." He said staring softly at the still sleeping woman. Jaken looked as though he might faint. "I can't believe my noble master bedded that wench!" he thought in pure awe. "He has ruined his perfect family tree of Inu youkai, well besides Inuyasha," he thought to himself
Kagura awoke blinking in the sunlight. She held the infant tightly in her arms as it fussed. "Shhh." She whispered. She stroked the raven hair that adorned its small head. She held the infant to her breast and it began to suckle. She covered herself with a blanket and smiled up at Sesshomaru. He nodded but did not return the smile. She realized Jaken and Rin were staring at her. "Your…Rin, right?" Kagura asked the small girl. She nodded softly. "And your Jaken?" Kagura asked shifting a bit. He nodded. "I am Sesshomaru's loyal servant." He said nodding. She held the baby over her shoulder and patted his back until a burp could be heard. Rin giggled. Sesshomaru stared.
"You do that so the baby won't get sick after he eats." She said to Sesshomaru, re fastening her kimono and holding the infant in her arms. She had much experience in taking care of infants, considering that she was practically a surrogate mother to Naraku's demon child who grew into Hokudoshi She had fed him, changed, dressed, and bathed the child herself. "Jaken, will you take Rin off to find something for her to eat?" he said more telling than asking. "Yes, milord." He said beginning to saddle Ah-Uhn. Soon Rin and Jaken could barely be heard walking and talking in the distance.
"Would you like to hold him Sesshomaru?" Kagura asked. "What?" he asked his eyes widening a bit. "Would you like to hold your son?" she asked softly smiling up at him. He hesitated. "Come on…he won't bite…he doesn't have fangs yet." She joked. He jumped down from the tree and knelt beside her. Something seemed softer about her nature since the infant was born. She was smiling a lot more. He held out his arms. She placed him gently into his father's arms. He stared up at his father's eyes in awe. "His eyes are blue?" He half stated half asked. "Yours are red, and mine are Amber."Sesshomaru said. She smiled and chuckled. "All baby's eyes are blue when they are born." She said smiling as the infant took Sesshomaru's pointer finger into his mouth.
Even Sesshomaru smiled softly at this. This infant was his. Made of his flesh and blood…an imperishable bond between father and son. The infant reached up and touched his fathers face gently. He seemed fascinated with him. His mouth formed an "O" when he got a handful of the silky silver hair. Sesshomaru inhaled deeply. "I will never forget this scent…the scent of my son."
Kagura felt moisture pooling at the corners of her eyes. A tear rolled gently down her cheek. It was beautiful, to beautiful for words. Sesshomaru cared…and wanted to be a part of his life. "What is the matter?" Sesshomaru asked smelling the salt from her tears. She smiled softly once again. "It's happening just like I dreamt it would." He stared down at the ground processing her words. "So when will we return to your home?" she asked taking the infant back in her arms. "Tonight if possible…it will take a day or so considering the pace we will use in your condition." He said staring up at the sky. She sighed. "I have been having these feelings…" she began.
What feelings?" he asked. "That we have been followed here." She said whispering into is ear. He stared at her. "I have sensed no presences." He said to her. "I have the feeling…that Naraku knows I'm alive." She whispered even softer. "Why is that?" he asked. "Well, when I was alive he held my heart captive…literally." She began. "And when I was re-born…for the first time in my life, I felt it beating in my chest." She said looking to the ground. Sesshomaru was silent. "He cut out your heart?" he asked. She nodded. "Over time the scar has faded." She said looking down to her chest. "But the night I arose from his flesh Naraku cut out my heart." She said wrapping her arms around herself. It wasn't something she liked to relive, she remembered a stabbing pain…but it had only lasted a few seconds. She remembered the strange sensation of something moving around inside of her…She couldn't bear to think about it anymore.
Sesshomaru's nose began to twitch. "Naraku." He thought. There was a scream in the distance. "Rin." He thought a loud. "Stay here." He said to her leaping off into the air. Before she could get in one word he had disappeared. Kagura held the infant tightly in her arms as it nuzzled her softly. She sat for several minutes before she realized it. It was much to quiet…nothing made a sound. Her heart began to thud in her ears. A bush began to rustle. She held the infant even tighter in her arms. A rabbit dashed out of it and towards the woods. She let out a breath of relief. Before she knew it a hand clasped over her mouth. Lips brushed her ear. In a deep mocking whisper came the words, "If you scream or try to run, I will stab you in your newly recovered heart."
She looked down at the hand holding a lethal blade at her chest. Then it hit her. There was only one person who new her heart had been returned to her, and there was only one person whose hands could be so cold in the midst of summer. She swallowed hard. He replaced the hand over her mouth with an ugly tentacle and picked up the un-aware infant in his arms. He smirked. "I see you and Sesshomaru have been busy." He said mockingly. He lowered his tentacle down into her kimono and teased her breast with its tip. She plunged her fangs down into the tentacle. Naraku let out a yelp. "Bitch." He muttered. He pressed the dagger to her skin…not enough to kill, but enough to bring blood and pain.
Sesshomaru's ears pricked. "Was that Naraku?" he wondered. He could not sense his demonic aura…but he did smell her blood. He continued to rush off in the direction in which he had heard Rin's cry. Sesshomaru soon came upon a clearing. Rin sat upon her knees. He could smell her tears. Sesshomaru-sama." She said softly. "Jaken-sama has been h-hurt." She said holding the small imp in her arms. His eyes where half closed. "He has been stung by two saimyosho." She said sniffling a bit. "I-is Jaken going to die?" she asked hugging the small imp in her arms. The poor creature puked in her lap. Rin stiffened visibly. A look of disgust came over her face, then one of understanding. Sesshomaru sighed. "How long has he been like this?" Sesshomaru asked quietly. "Several minutes." She said cradling the creature in her arms. Sesshomaru was silent. "Will Sesshomaru save me when I die?" Jaken wondered.
Kagura cried silent tears as the tentacle slid down over her now exposed body. It gently slid over her stomach. "I see you have given birth recently." He said dragging his tentacle lazily over the taught skin. The infant began to wail. Naraku hadn't expected that. He placed another slimy tentacle over the infant's mouth. Kagura started to sob. She would have screamed at him if she could. "Please not again." She thought her body beginning to shake. She was terrified. He ran his hand down the fold of her kimono. It slid away, off of her shoulders and to the ground where she sat…
Sesshomaru jumped at the sound of his son's cry. "Rin, stay here with Ah-Uhn." He called flying off with to the north. He had a bad feeling deep down. He rushed through the trees. "Had Naraku planned this all?" He wondered. "To hurt Jaken, distract me, and get what he wanted from Kagura and the infant?" he thought. "I don't care what his motives are, I'm going to kill him if he has even touched a hair upon her head." He thought rushing through trees and brush. "I will kill him."
Kagura was in tears as he tied her arms above her head. "Please don't, please, please don't she muttered against the tentacle. It was happening just like last time. "Kagura, you are mine, and ripe for the taking. " he said fondling her full breasts. She kicked at him with her feet and legs. "Oh, no Kagura, you will not get me that easily." He said wrapping a tentacle around her ankles. She bowed her head. There was no use, her strength was gone from giving birth only a day before, and he had her bound and trapped. She laid still, tears pouring from her eyes. Sesshomaru was not coming to save her…
Sesshomaru rushed through the trees and towards the clearing. He could smell her tears and blood quite clearly now. He broke through the trees and into the clearing. "Naraku!" he yelled. Naraku's eyes went wide. He immediately put up a barrier around himself. "Would you like to join us Sesshomaru?' he asked stroking Kagura. "How dare you." He muttered growling angrily. Sesshomaru drew his sword and brought it down about the barrier. It did nothing. Naraku began his ministrations once more, Stroking and licking her. He removed the tentacle from her mouth. Sesshomaru continued to strike the barrier to no avail. "Please help me!" she screamed as he began to undress. Her body shook with her terrified sobs.
Naraku pressed her down to the ground beneath him and trailed his tongue over her ear. "You will soon be mine once again." He whispered biting her ear. She let out a yelp. Sesshomaru had had enough. "Dragon strike!" he yelled plunging tokijin into the ground. The barrier shattered like glass sending Kagura and Naraku flying backward. Kagura rolled and slowed to a halt and lay motionless, Naraku flew backward and struck a tree. Sesshomaru walked slowly forward tokijin raised above his head. There was murder in his eyes…
Naraku awoke with a groan. He sat up looking positively terrified. "Please…please don't kill me." He begged. Sesshomaru's eyes didn't change. "Give me one good reason why I shouldn't." he barked coldly. Naraku looked like a deer in headlights. "I-I will never touch her again…I swear." He said holding his right hand up. Sesshomaru's expression did not change. He lifted his sword once again. He brought It down upon Naraku and stabbed it through his still beating heart…all was silent. Kagura watched silently…"He's dead?" she asked her eyes going wide in anticipation. "Yes, you and our pup are safe." She ran to him and locked him in a hug. She began to cry once more. "Thank you so much." She whispered. She shook with sobs clinging to him. He visually stiffened. But relaxed and wrapped his arm's around her…
But there was still the matter of his servant Jaken. Was he live or dead. That question would soon be answered. Rin walked slowly into the clearing Jaken walking happily behind her. "Milord, I have miraculously recovered!" the imp exclaimed. "When Naraku was killed, his insects poison must have been thwarted as well.." he said aloud. Kagura had fixed herself up a bit, put her kimono back on, washed the blood from her chest and bandaged herself as well. "Since all has been taken care of, let us begin the journey hoime." He said calling forth Ah-Uhn. So they began the tedious journey of many miles...