Sesshoumaru bowed low as he saw My-duyen step into his child's room.
As he looked at his grandmother, he noticed for the first time how much she looked like his own mother.
My-duyen's silky, chrome hair fell past her ankles and lightly grazed the ground. Her skin had a dark tan and almost looked red. Her traditional kimono was pure black with a silver obi and had a single red rose on the back. The cloth looked like it was made from Maiden's Flower, a rare cloth that Sesshoumaru remembered his mother using when creating her own clothes, his mother made the cloth but it was hard work. Finally, she went barefoot, something his mother always did.
"Where is she?" She asked as she looked around. Sesshomaru got out of the rocking chair and picked up his sleeping daughter from her crib. He offered his grandmother the rocking chair and once she was seated, handed her the child. Sesshoumaru pulled up a regular chair from the corner on the room and sat across from his My-duyen.
"I remember this room, it used to be yours, was it not?" She didn't wait for him to reply before coddling the young one and speaking again. "You and your father are the same you know. What did he call his inventions? I forget, but he was always saying he would westernize the world. Some of his inventions are being used in the South. They're more convenient."
Sesshoumaru's child swiped at her rose making My-duyen smile at her.
"You know Sesshoumaru, for a hanyou she's not at all what we expected. We were expecting a mini InuYasha, but I guess her father must be raising her correctly. Have you thought of a name yet?"
"No, nothing has come to me."
My-duyen gently tickled the pup's stomach causing her to burble and laugh. "Hello there young one, do you know who I am? I'm your My-duyen."
Sesshoumaru watched them and wondered if Rin would have done the same thing, he knew that his mother's family would have loved Rin as much as he did.
He frowned, but his pup's laughter made him remember a story My-duyen had told him long ago, and he knew he had her name.
"Teshi."
My-duyen looked up and smiled softly. "What?"
"Her name is Teshi."
"That name brings back old stories."
"That's where I got the name from."
"One day, either you or I will have to tell her some stories. I believe she'll love them, I know your mother did."
Jaken burst into the room out of breath and bowed. " My lord, your family is looking for you."
Sesshoumaru looked at Jaken and scowled, "Then tell them where I am and leave us." Jaken bowed again and left the room.
"Is that really Jaken? I thought your father would have killed him many years ago."
My-duyen was playing with Teshi when Sesshoumaru's grandfather, uncle and cousins came in.
"Where are Aletta, Sahirah, Adoncia, and the pups?"
"They're with InuYasha's mate and her adopted son. They seem to be getting along."
Sesshoumaru pulled out more chairs and soon everyone was sitting in a circle.
"Sesshoumaru, have you thought of a name for my great-granddaughter yet?" Zhi asked with a smirk. My-duyen answered for him. "Yes he has, but you won't find out until he announces it."
My-duyen handed Teshi to her mate. Zhi frowned at her, but smile when she began to play with the spikes on his armor. Carefully handing the girl back to My-duyen, Zhi took off his armor and took back the pup.
"Now I see why you haven't been wearing any armor, she has a fascination like no other." Zhi carefully put a hand on the back of her head and his other hand supported her back so she was sitting up facing him. For a brief moment, Sesshoumaru felt jealous due to his lack of a second arm, but it was slowly regenerating, it was already down to his elbow and in nine year he knew he would have his full arm back.
"Sesshoumaru, you really should smile more often. It really wouldn't hurt." Jayden said as he too took off his armor and lifted the baby out of her great-grandfather's lap and into his own.
"She's cute. Did she get her eye color from Rin, they look just like hers." Sebola stated, he had only seen Rin at previous baby naming ceremonies and once when she was a little girl.
Sesshoumaru merely nodded as he reached out for her.
"While you all are playing pass the pup, why don't I visit the others, Zhi hun, do you know where the women are?"
"I'll show you." Zhi and My-duyen left the boys in the pup's room and left for the gardens.
Jayden watched as the pup snuggled up against Sesshoumaru's chest, sniff, sneeze, and fall asleep with her nose pressed against his haori.
"I think she likes you." Sebola stated, Jayden pushed his nephew gently. "Thank you for stating the obvious."
"Your welcome!" Sebola replied and Sesshoumaru raised his eyebrows at them.
Another sneeze was heard from Teshi, and Sesshoumaru blew into her face, which surprisingly calmed her down. "Sessh, after awhile you're going to have a toddler on your hands." Jayden told the new father. "I'm gonna go see Aletta, you should come."
Sesshoumaru followed the guys out and talked with his aunt Sahirah, Kagome, and InuYasha for the rest of the day.
Sesshoumaru woke up to the sound of a baby crying across the hall and went over to her. Teshi was covered in sweat and tossing and turning all over the crib, she smelled scared so he went over to her and picked her up. In her sleep, Teshi sniffed his robe and calmed down. Sesshoumaru looked outside and saw the sun rise for the first time since his mother died and he smiled, he knew that this pup was going to be trouble for him though, he was having trouble with his stoic facade and that, he could not allow.
Adoncia entered the room with a worried expression on her face, but when she saw Sesshoumaru smiling, it fled and she sat down in a chair that was still in the circle. Sesshoumaru joined her in the rocking chair.
"Is she alright? I heard her crying and then it suddenly stopped."
"She had a nightmare." Sesshoumaru stated placidly.
Adoncia yawned and rubbed the sleep from her eyes. "Sesshoumaru, I believe your pup needs a bath. Here, I can do that for you." Sesshoumaru looked at her with a careful eye and slowly handed Adoncia the hanyou. Adoncia left the baby's room and came back thirty minutes later with a bubbly little girl gurgling away.
"I like her scent Sesshoumaru. It's peaceful." Sesshoumaru nodded and sniffed the child Adoncia placed in his arms; the child was his all right. Teshi's vanilla and brown sugar scent jumped out at him.
"Bye Sesshoumaru." Adoncia left her silent nephew alone with his daughter.
Kaiba entered the baby's room when he smelled Sesshoumaru there and walked in and bowed.
"Lord Sesshoumaru, the lady's statue has been finished along with her portrait. Where would you like them?"
Sesshoumaru put the hyper pup into her crib and walked over to his castle healer.
"Put her portrait next to the other Western Ladies in the main hallway next to my mother's. As for her statue, bring that in here and place it at the foot of the crib."
"Yes my Lord, by the way, your father's family has arrived early and are waiting for you in the main hall." Kaiba bowed and rushed to tell the servants what to do with the artwork of the late Lady of the Western lands.
A/N - How do you like this?
Disclaimer – I still don't own them, Takahashi sensei does.