Part 6: Something Lost, Something Gained
Sesshoumaru's patience was wearing thin. He was ready to strike his mate's brothers, but their movements were so wild and their demonic auras clashed in a way that made it difficult to distinguish one from another. His giant jowls dripped with deadly purple poison as he sniffed the air in an attempt to get an idea of where Aori was in the airborne melee. He could sense that she was mainly in the center of the battle so if he struck on the outer edge he would be less likely to hit her. He noticed that he smelled no blood so none of them had been wounded. Perhaps it wasn't their intension to hurt his beloved, but it didn't matter to him. He still considered her brothers a threat. When he saw Aori suddenly drop several feet below the battle he took this opportunity to strike with his poison claws. He growled in irritation when his target's body dissipated like a fine mist. Fusumi's laughter filled the sky as his body reformed beneath his sister to catch her in midair. Her other two brothers smashed into her body from above causing the siblings to crash deep into the ground below, sending earth and vegetation exploding into the air. Sesshoumaru descended with an angry roar as the three brothers emerged from the crater. The inu youkai bore down on the brothers when he felt something slam into his massive chest. He caught a glimpse of cerulean locks out of the corner of his left eye and the scent of his mate filled his nostrils. Once he touched down on the ground he looked down at Aori, who was clutching his fur in her hands and begging him not to interfere. Sesshoumaru transformed back into his human looking form but the flames of his anger still flickered in his eyes.
"Sesshoumaru, I'm going to put an end to this right now," Aori quietly stated as she removed two layers of her regal garments and took them before her brothers. "Ryuuja, give me your sword." Her older brother gave her a strange look and demanded an explanation. In answer to his question Aori snatched his short sword from it's scabbard then slashed her right arm causing her blood to splatter against his armor and all over her discarded robes. She then handed the bloody garments to Ryuuja , pressing them against his breastplate. "Show these to father and tell him he no longer has a daughter. As far as you all are concerned I am dead." Her younger brothers' protest filled her ears as she turned her backs on them and headed back to her mate.
"Fusumi! Kofu! Be quiet. Our sister has made her choice quite clear. As of this day she will go down in the clan records as dead. There's nothing else to be done here."
"But onii-san...!"
"Kofu, let's go!"
The youngest brother looked over at his beloved sister who was now in the arms of her mate. He was about to call out to her but according to the clan traditions her bloody display was a sign of her death and the abandonment of her clan, and he was to treat her as if she was deceased. He clenched his fists as tears stung his eyes before he followed his brothers. He couldn't believe his sister had chosen that unworthy inu-youkai over her clan.
Sesshoumaru watched as the three kaze youkai disappeared in the distance. He wasn't happy that his mate had harmed herself in order to get her point across, but it was a good thing the three understood the gesture. All in all he still would have killed all three of them if they had done his beloved any harm.
"Sess-kun, are they gone?" Aori quietly inquired in a voice quivering with emotion.
"Hai, koibito. Come let me dress your wound." As he wrapped her bleeding right arm in strips of fabric from her remaining discarded royal garments he seemed oblivious to her silent tears. Once he finished patching her up he stood pulling her with him. "Koibito, why do you weep?"
"I've lost my clan. I never thought the day would come when I would be with out them."
"There's no need for you to weep. You are part of my clan and I will protect what is mine."
Aori gave a halfhearted smile at his attempt at comforting her because her heart ached for her family. Over time she pushed the memories of her family back into the deep recesses of her mind. The trio continued to wander for two years until they had good reason to settle down, at least temporarily. Aori's growing belly provided a needed distraction from still present memories of her relatives as Sesshoumaru made plans for their clan's future. Having his mate carrying their child out in the elements was unacceptable to Sesshoumaru. When he came across housing he deemed decent enough he decided to take it. Being the straightforward demon he was he simply told the lord of the house to vacate the premises or die. The inu-youkai only had to dispatch of several guards for the daimyo to get the message. Sesshoumaru was content with the results because cleaning up a bunch of bloody human corpses was not on his agenda.
Although the house wasn't as grand as the palace Aori grew up in, it was a nice size so she didn't complain. She set up a demonic barrier as the three youkai made themselves at home. For the next several months Sesshoumaru and Jaken didn't wander too far from the pregnant wind demon. The protection of his mate in her vulnerable state was paramount. Humans were not his concern. Other demons were. He knew that his presence kept others at bay. Further along in her pregnancy Aori was no longer able to maintain the barrier. Most of her body's energy was focused on the developing offspring. Towards the end of the pregnancy Sesshoumaru noticed that his mate would stay in one part of the house and slept most of the day. While Jaken stood guard the dog demon would watch over his mate while she napped. He traced his pale, slender fingers over her belly, which was stretched so far that he could feel her bellybutton poking through the fabric of her clothing. He noticed her scent had changed slightly because of her state. It had a tempting sweetness to it that he liked. He brushed a finger across Aori's cheek before he planted a light kiss on her chin. She stirred when he gently nipped her shoulder. By the gods, she even tasted as sweet as she smelled.
"Sess-kun," Aori groggily mumbled in her sleep. "I'm hungry." That was the fifth time that day that she said that. The inu youkai didn't complain because she was in fact eating for two. Surprisingly enough the only thing that got bigger on his mate was her belly, which looked as if it was about to burst. When the time came for the birth Jaken was a nervous wreck and Sesshoumaru attempted to appear to know what he was doing. It took only a moment for Aori to figure out that she was going to have to call the shots or else this whole situation would lead to disaster. After getting Jaken to calm down she ordered him to gather plenty of blankets and some clean water. She asked her mate to help support her while she squatted. After that she let gravity do the rest. With Sesshoumaru supporting her she was able to catch the baby in her own hands, which was quite impressive in itself. The first cries of a newborn could be heard as the father cut the umbilical cord with a sharp claw and tied it off with a lace from one of the mother's obi. Jaken watched in fascination as his master calmly cleaned the infant.
"Well, Aori-chan, looks like we have ourselves a daughter. What shall be her name?"
"Let me see her first then I'll be better able to decide." After wrapping the baby in a blanket he brought her over to his mate. Aori studied the baby's features, taking in her wispy silver-white locks, tan complexion, and golden eyes. "I shall call her Chieko (A Thousand Blessings). I believe she'll bring much prosperity to our clan."
"I agree." Chieko's father's eyes met with hers as he slipped a claw into one of her tiny hands. The tiniest hint of a smile crossed his lips as her tiny fingers gripped the tip of his own. This baby wasn't even an hour old and Sesshoumaru was already planning on trying for a son next. As Aori nursed the infant her only thoughts were to make plans to get some much needed rest.
