Chapter Twenty:
-3 year skip-
Youko sighed, laying in the bed, not wanting to move, but he knew he needed to get up get the triplets to their lessons. Thankfully with being 'big sisters' now the twins had mellowed out a bit more. They still had their moments but at least they were helpful as well.
With a miserable yawn the fox stretched starting to get up out of bed. Not only did he have to take care of his kits, but a mate as well. He huffed, nudging the sleeping dogs shoulder, "Come one...get up, you have that meeting today.." Something about another lord or some sort of group meeting thing they had to attend.
Sesshoumaru cracked an eye open, groaned, and forced himself out of bed, "Hai, hai... Meetings..." The Dog and Fox found it rather hard to sleep with such energetic pups, and so many of them so close in age, but Sesshoumaru couldn't miss the Gathering of the Lords. He'd called it, after all, to discuss territory allotment of the lands where Naraku had decimated the demon population and were currently leaderless.
Youko smiled softly a bit apologetically, as he rose from the bed as well. "Get yourself ready, I'll take care of the kits, the sitter should be most delighted." He chuckled. What fun it was to make a bat watch over three energetic kits. But honestly? He had a feeling Kuronue secretly enjoyed it, that and it gave his own daughter Kaoru someone to play with closer to her age.
Sesshoumaru snorted, it served the Bat right. He had to admit that the louse had his uses at times, especially when he stayed out of the way. Out of sight, out of mind as the saying goes. "My brother should be here within the hour, I'm told he's bringing his whelps with him, the children will be pleased." Sadistic mirth lit his sleepy gaze as he pulled himself from the comfort of his bed to dress for the day.
Youko chuckled softly, "They should be around Ati's and Tia's age shouldn't they?" he mused softly, unless his dear friend had more kits and didn't tell him, if she did Kagome was going to get a scolding from him! Turning he glanced to his mate once more before he just slipped his own clothes on and went to fetch his children.
When he reached their room he smiled seeing them still in their beds. Poor little dears.. "Come on babies, time to wake up" He cooed as he went about gently rubbing each of their shoulders.
They were slow to wake, but slowly they all stated to get up and it make Youko smile, very glad they were not rebellious little things like the twins had been. "You get to spend the day with Uncle Kuronue and Kaoru, doesn't that sound fun?" He asked his sleepy little Kits as he set about getting them dressed for the day.
Once the kits were dressed he smiled softly, "come on, lets get daddy and go have some breakfast then you'll get to see uncle Kuronue." He smiled softly, it was so easy to usher them around when they were in their sleepy-zombie-mode. To bad it didn't last all day. By time breakfast was over they would be ready to run and play, but lucky for him and Sesshomaru, today Kuronue got to chase them.
Returning to his and his mates room, three sleepy kits still yawning and rubbing eyes in front of him he looked to his mate smiling softly, "Ready for breakfast my dear?" he knew they probably didn't have time for a big breakfast, but he wanted to at least make sure the kits got fed, Kuronue would be starting early with watching over them. Since he, Sesshomaru, Youmaru, and Youtaira needed to attend this meeting.
Sesshoumaru stopped his stare out the open balcony doors and nodded, collecting Sessani and Himikavi up into his arms, leaving Kitsavi for his mate. "Of course. Perhaps my brother will join us if he smells the food."
Youko nodded gently lifting Kitsavi into his arms and followed Sesshoumaru down to the kitchen a soft laugh escaping him. "I know the smell of food works on the twins... Perhaps its a family trait" he teased playfully to his mate.
Once down in the kitchen he gently set Kitsavi into her seat then pulled seats out for his mate to set down the other two. Once his arms were free he stepped close, leaning up he gave his cheek a soft peck, offered a soft smile then moved to inform the chefs they were ready for breakfast to get served. The rest would filter in soon and if food wasn't on the table soon the triplets would start chewing on the table, really, they had to replace the last one!
Sesshoumaru 'hn'd at the suggestion that gluttony ran in the family, sitting down to wait his food. One pointed ear twitched as he heard a commotion at the back. InuYasha was here. He covered his smirk by raising his tea cup to his lips, listening to the patter of little feet and the answering echo of much larger one, followed by the cry of 'wait up!' from one mortal woman. His brother and the miko were here as representatives of the common people, because they had been key members of the group that slayed Naraku.
"Food!" InuYasha exclaimed as he entered, having beaten his pups to the table, they jumped onto his back like excitable little monkies and cried out in agreement.
Youko chuckled softly, watching as they arrived through the one door. "Don't just talk about it!" he teased, motioning for them to sit where places were set for them. He smiled looking to the little miko once she arrived, "Come and have a seat." he smiled, tail flicking back and forth as he moved to help her sit since InuYasha was probably to busy with food getting brought out by the chef and kitchen staff.
-Small ff-
Once breakfast had been served and eaten Youko was wiping up his kits faces then looked up at Kuronue stepped over, "All right all right... Take good care of them for me, yea?" He asked watching the bat, not like he really needed to ask, but the nod helped reassure him. He turned, stepping over to Sesshomaru sighing softly as he looked back to the triplets going with Kuronue, he knew the bat would take good care of them but it didn't mean it would help him worry less.
Looking back to Sesshomaru he gave a nod, "Come lets get going..." He turned to Youtaira and Youmaru, "Come on, lets not keep the group waiting." He smiled softly to his two oldest kits, who both gave nods and started to follow after their parents.
Poor Kuronue had to keep watch over all the children staying behind. Luckily for him Tiara and Ataira were old enough to help him at least.
Once they reached the place they were meeting with the other lords, Youko couldn't help but look over the ones there. A brown and black wolf pair, the brown male was probably the one in charge by the way he stood protectively beside his female mate, their son standing beside them. Youko glanced over the black wolf boy, getting the feeling he didn't like the lad. Granted he didn't even really meet him, just something about him made his fur want to bristle. He recognized the wolves as the leaders of the Eastern lands.
Then looking to another group, they were some sort of Eagle demons. They looked mostly human if you could ignore the distinct bird beak on their face. Their feathers varied in color from black to browns but nothing was to flashy on them. He was surprised seeing five younger ones around the two leaders, all about the same age as all the children that were there, he didn't think he wanted to know if they were all born at the same time. He recognized the eagle demons as the leaders of the Northern lands.
Then his eyes fell onto the last group. The Equines looked powerful, and surprisingly more human than the eagle demons in shape, but just like the eagles their skin portrayed their animal half's colors. Probably a good thing they didn't have horse faces it would probably look odd on smaller human shoulders. He noticed they had to younger ones with them a piebald palomino girl, and then the other seemed to be a black stallion just like the father. These horse demons were the leaders of the Southern lands.
Sesshoumaru greeted the other Lords with a nod of his regal head and waved his hand to the grand table, many cushions scattering the floor for mates or companions to sit demurely behind their leaders. "The children are welcome to play in this Sesshoumaru's gardens while we talk business." Were the first words out of his mouth, and the mothers shared glances with their mates before nodding and allowing the excited youngsters to follow a servant out to the gardens. The Western Lord hid a malicious smirk at the thought of the Bat having even more charges to look after.
Youko watched as the children headed out to the gardens led by a staff member. He stayed by his mates side, since their younger children were all ready outside with Kuronue, he could only imagine the bat's joy to having even more charges. But then again the lazy bat needed to have some more work around here...
The Leader of the eastern lands, the brown wolf decided now would be the time to speak up, "Sesshomaru, you've summoned us all here to discuss the allotment of the territory freed up from that Naraku fellow, but there is something else we of the East need to speak to you about Western lord." It was common for the East and West to mix blood to keep the bloodlines more pure to canine... The wolf looked to the children behind Sesshomaru frowning at the fox. The filth. The girl was to much like that mother. But the boy. Despite the fox ears was a spitting image of the father. "You know it's time for a mate-ship between our young."
Sesshoumaru shifted the slightest bit in his seat, sniffing subtly at his son to test if the half-ling still smelled of breast milk. He did not. "We shall discuss the matter after the land dispute is settled Lord Garou."
Youko watched the wolves, not liking where this turn of conversation seemed headed, but thankfully Sesshoumaru was getting them back onto the task at hand.
The wolf now identified as Lord Garou gave a nod, "As you wish Lord Sesshoumaru" was given in response.
The Lords and their families settled at the table, Sesshoumaru at the head, his mate on his right, their eldest children sitting on cushions behind them while InuYasha and Kagome took the seats to the left, and slightly behind, as they were only there because they helped take Naraku down. InuYasha fought his boredom, keeping watch of the surroundings rather than yawning blatantly like he wished to when talk turned to whose territories bordered the no-man's land, and who deserved a bigger piece of the pie.
"Oi, Runt," InuYasha growled as he spotted Shippo sneaking in, and the kit blinked innocently up at the hanyou, "Aren't you supposed to be helping with the babysitting?" Shippo snickered and jumped out of reach of the red clad inu's hands, sitting himself behind Youtaira, a smug look on his mischievous face.
Youtaira glanced back at Shippo a faint smile on her face before she looked back ahead, knowing how important this meeting was and she knew she couldn't let her affection for the fire fox to get in the way of this meeting.
Things were getting rather heated as the Lords kept moving the colored string for their territory over the no man's land, when Kagome sneezed. This would not usually be a big deal, sneezes happen, but she had been focusing on keeping her miko powers bottled up to not alarm the other Lords.
The Eagle's mate screeched, drawing their attention to the sheepish mortal, who grinned nervously, "Uh, sorry about that, please continue."
"What rights do they have in this meeting?" Lord Kah grumbled, "They're not ruling Lords or Ladies, they have no say in this dispute."
InuYasha looked as if he were about to say something when Kagome intervened, "You're absolutely correct, Lord Kah, my mate and I merely wished to petition a simple request from the Eastern Lord while borders were being redrawn. The village we reside in, Edo, is very close to the borders of the Western Lands, and since Lord Sesshoumaru and my mate are on better teams after Naraku's defeat, we were hoping it would not be unreasonable to allow the village to become part of the West's territory."
For being a human among demons, she was completely calm, collected, and polite. The Northern Lord still gave her a suspicious look, but sat back to allow the Wolf Lord his say in the matter, after all, it was his territory.
Lord Garou stared down at the human girl who was bold enough to make such request. "And why would I permit Lord Sesshoumaru more of my land?" He asked simply. Really he had no reason to redraw that portion, since it was his land.
Kagome tilted her head to the side curiously, clearing her throat mildly, "Lord Garou, am I right in thinking you are related to Lord Kouga of the Mountain Wolves?"
Lord Garou watched her, but gave a slow nod, "Yes, he's a cousin of mine..."
Kagome's coy smile widened, showing her teeth for a moment, "Then, milord, would you be so kind as to grant this request from a fellow Sister? Lord Kouga claimed me as Pack back during our battles with Naraku. Consider it a means of keeping peace between the packs?" Her tone was saccharine sweet, innocence radiating off the pure miko who was mated to a hanyou, and the Eastern Lord snarled, but was forced to consider her words carefully.
Lord Garou grumbled sitting back in his chair, he looked to Sesshoumaru huffing, doubting he would offer anything in exchange, but then he grinned... "You, Promise mate-ship of our two oldest sons... and you can have the piece of land her village is in."
Youko heard the words from the wolf and he bristled a bit, a faint growl attempting to escape him. He looked to Sesshoumaru and seeing his calm face his auds pinned back and he paled a bit. He wasn't...actually considering it was he?
Sesshoumaru gazed calmly at Lord Garou before looking to his side at his half brother and the miko, then looking behind his mate to his son who sat there stony faced and silent. Finally he turned back to the wolf and nodded his head, "This Sesshoumaru agrees on the condition that, should our children be unable to come to cohabitate that we shall discuss another arranged mating between future offspring."
That was enough for him, Lord Garou nodded, "Then the land is yours... Now lets settle the rest of the land disputes." He looked back to the paper, smirking as he looked at the other lords, "Besides, other than grazing what your your people use it for?" He asked the Southern equines."
After the screaming match between the Southern and Eastern Lords, followed by an insult fest of the Northern Lord looking down on the 'mud walkers' as he liked to call them, repeatedly, they came to an agreement of how to split the land. Tempers were tested, but blood was not shed. A productive meeting to be sure. "This Sesshoumaru invites you to stay the night, and partake in dinner." He offered graciously as he stood.
Youko bristled a bit, stupid Sesshoumaru, he didn't want the wolves in his home more than they had to be, but he silently stood beside Sesshoumaru and gave a respective bow of his head to the other lords before he turned, "Come children, lets go.." He stated softly, directing Shippo to come with them as well. His eyes landed on Youmaru who didn't budge, but he sighed and left the room with Youtaira and Shippo, glancing to InuYasha and Kagome on his way out expecting they would follow as well.
Youmaru steeled himself as the other Lords accepted the invitation as it was late considering how long it took for them to make their minds up and all be happy with the land results. He slowly stepped closer to his father looking up at him silently, before glancing over to the wolves, the eldest son seemed to be sizing him up as well. If this was what would make his father happy, he would deal with this...
-End Chapter twenty-
As always, reviews are loved!
The Triplets Name's:
The oldest of the three, girl, and the Kitsune-Look-A-Like is Kitsavi
The middle of the three, girl, and the Normal looking one with Hybrid traits is Himikavi
The youngest of the three, boy, is the Sesshomaru Mirror-look-a-like Sessani