Title: Light of My Life
Author: kazeko
Series: Inuyasha
Rating: M-15 or so
Archive: Sesshoumaru/Kagome
Characters: Sesshoumaru/Kagome, Inuyasha/Koyama, Sango/Miroku
Summary: A powerful prophecy brings mortal enemies together, but prejudice may well tear them apart and spell the end of all inuyoukai.
Disclaimer: No ownership.


Chapter 8: To Greet a Queen
Shinju grinned and reached out to touch the woman's sleeve. "You have not been around for quite some time, Satori-san! Where have you been?"

"I have a separate palace in the mountains where I have been since my mate died. Once in a while, Sesshoumaru will invite me to some event or another, but I always decline. However, the naming of my grandpups is no small matter." She turned to her son and raised one eyebrow, her golden eyes intense as a pair of servants placed a platter of fresh meat in front of her. "I cannot believe that you thought I would not come."

"It is like you. Did you hear the names?"

"Yes. I would meet this Alpha Pup of yours. I was surprised to hear that your heir was born already. You have yet to come into your full power."

Kagome felt Sesshoumaru's posture change slightly at the words from his mother. She supposed it was some type of praise to say that Sesshoumaru's power would still grow in the coming centuries.

"Perhaps I do not plan to have more pups. Five sons will take a great deal of my time to train in any case. Sometimes the Spirit of the Pack gives pups so that their training will increase the father's power. I believe that Kiyokaoriko will be more powerful than her ancestors when she reaches maturity."

"She has your father's eyes." Satori turned to Kagome, raising one eyebrow. "I learned a great deal about these new females of the pack while they were bathing earlier, but I still have some questions. Tell me, young miko, where you are from."

"I-I'm from Edo." Satori raised one eyebrow, and Kagome sighed. "I don't generally tell people because Naraku might use this knowledge against me."

"Unlikely. No one in this room would dare associate with that pathetic false-hanyou." Her eyes met some of the Lords, and every one nodded. Her golden eyes returned to Kagome's, the youkai smiling. "Tell me about your home."

Kagome glanced at Koyama and Sango, the women shrugging. They sensed that Satori's words had bonded each lord to secrecy about Kagome's origins, so none of them would speak to Naraku or his minions. "Well, I'm from about five hundred years in the future."

Satori made a small noise in her throat, the other Lords whispering to each other, the cats speaking to each other in a strange dialect, the humans, Inuyasha, and Shippo leaning closer to Kagome to protect her from any violent reaction. Sesshoumaru narrowed his eyes and sniffed one, lightly. "She travels home on occasion. That shikon no tama Naraku searches for returned to the past with her."

"I see. Then you know our fates."

Kagome shook her head. "I know nothing about that. I cannot alter the future by telling you of the youkai I sense in the future. Anything we do can change the timeline that I am from. Inuyasha has seen parts of the future, but he will not reveal it to anyone."

Satori waved one hand in dismissal. "It matters not. Inuyasha is a hanyou and has little hope of living that long. I myself have lived for a long time and little care if I am alive in your time. However, this pack should still have a presence in your time."

"I would not know how to find a specific youkai, Satori-sama. I'm sorry that I have no answer for you."

"You have given me answer enough. In any case, I am satisfied that you two females are sufficient to care for my grandpups. Let us enjoy this feast."


"I think that she watched us in the hot springs."

Koyama nodded as she checked the boys, cooing softly to the babes before walking through the curtain into the room that she and Kagome shared. Kiyokaoriko hummed as she fell asleep, Kagome closing her yukata as she returned to her bed. "How do you know? Did she say something about it?"

"She asked me about my sister and my parents after the meal. She seems to think that my father made the right choice but I took the wrong path. She told me that an Alpha bitch never hesitates to kill a rival's pups and perhaps mate if that is what it takes to subdue her. I think that I would not have hesitated to take the Alpha spot or even kill Tentei if I had known what he would become, but I do not want to kill innocent pups. I think that I have always had a problem living up to some of the more violent inu pack laws. She told me that one day something will happen to show me my true path in the pack and I will know what to do on that day. She has offered to train us in certain fighting techniques we may not have learned in our previous packs."

"That's good. I know I need some help." Kagome snuggled into her blankets, one ear tuned for the cry of a pup, and sighed as she relaxed for sleep.

Koyama's final words followed the miko into her dreams. "You know, for a human, you're not that bad."


"Kaori! What are you doing to your brother?"

The child crossed her arms over her chest and growled. "Nothing, Mother Kagome. Kichiro disobeyed me, so I corrected him." Kagome lifted the boy and placed her hand over the scratches on his arm, healing them before she turned to the girl.

"You are too young to fight over pack hierarchy yet! I don't want you to hurt your brother, Kaori."

"He should obey me! I am Alpha!"

Koyama, who had been watching the exchange from the shadows, froze as Kagome leaned closer to the girl and did a reasonable impression of a growl. "Until you are an adult, I am Alpha. And your mother. If he does not obey your every command, then so be it. When you are older and fully members of this pack, then you can establish your precious peck order." With that, the miko walked away, carrying Kichiromaru. Kaori turned to Akihikomaru, who was playing with her, and the boy shrugged.

"Mother Kagome is very strange. If you expect a meal tonight, I suggest you obey her. After all, you chose her to nurse you."

Kiyokaoriko, generally called Kaori by her family, sighed. "I know. Something scares me, Aki. Kichi is going to get in trouble one day if he won't learn to listen. I do know what is better for him."

Aki released a semi-purr. "I know. But for now, Mother Kagome knows what is better for all of us. Maybe you can get Kichi to listen to you in another way."

"Perhaps."


"They're almost weaned! We still have shards to find!"

Sesshoumaru stared out of the window overlooking the courtyard. Shippo and Rin were playing with Katsuromaru, while three of the other boys were practicing tracking and his precious daughter was sitting with Akihikomaru by themselves. He had watched as Kagome retrieved Kichiromaru and scolded the girl, knowing that Kaori had been trying to establish her position as Alpha and the small boy had ignored her again. Though they were still very young children, the pups were beginning to sort themselves out and conflicts were becoming more common.

"Very well."

The conversation in the room ceased at the youkai's words. "What? Sesshoumaru-sama, did you just agree with Inuyasha?" Sango's incredulous voice broke the silence, Satori walking to her son's side and looking out the window.

"They are fighting."

"Yes."

"You had two brothers that year, Sesshoumaru. You're lucky that you survived after your father's attention turned from us. Would you have your pups killed by humans, as well? They are too young, and the females are barely trained."

"This Sesshoumaru doubts that the pups will be so easily separated from their human mother. Leaving them here will give Naraku a hold over this pack. Waiting until they are weaned and no longer dependant on the miko will give Naraku too much time to gather power. He has already had six weeks. Therefore, the shards must be found as the hanyou said. We must leave."

"When?"

"Two days. Mother, you will watch after the pups when Kagome and Koyama are unable to do so?"

Satori nodded. "They have learned a lot from me. I believe that they are better prepared to protect the pups now than they were."

"Inform the females and the pups. They will be ready for an adventure."


"Kagome?"

The miko looked up at Koyama as her sister nursing female sat down beside her in the shade. Kichiro, after Kagome healed his small wounds, had joined Shippo and Rin in their game, leaving the human in peace.

"I heard what you said to Kaori."

Kagome paled, eyes turned away. "Sorry about that. I know that she only respects pack status, and I didn't know what else to say."

Koyama grinned. "You think I'm angry about that? Kagome, I have spent the last three weeks flirting with Inuyasha. He will never be Alpha in this pack. I have no wish for that position or for Sesshoumaru's mating mark. In this case, you are the Alpha Female to those pups. They call only you mother, knowing that I am only a lesser female that nurses and cares for them. They need you to be strong and commanding like that."

"I . . . I don't want Sesshoumaru's mating mark," she whispered, a thrill passing through her at the words. For a moment, her mind brought her back to the nearly-naked youkai she had sewn up and bandaged more than a month earlier, wondering where the stripes on his hips led, wondering where the fur from the tail he sometimes showed ended, and wondering how he had behaved toward Matsurika when he mated her. "I'm jealous of her," she whispered, shocked at the realization. "I shouldn't be, Koyama. It's a useless, destructive emotion. I cannot think about mating and pups while we still have to defeat Naraku. I don't have time for this."

"For emotions? Kagome, you should desire Sesshoumaru! He's perfect, despite the lack of an arm, and every inu bitch in Japan wishes to nurse his pups, if only to be that much closer to him."

"If he had that arm . . . would he have been able to save his mate and the other pup?"

Koyama reached over and touched Kagome's arm, whining in sympathy as the human jumped into her gentle embrace. Kagome's tears were silent, but Koyama could feel her pain. "It wasn't your fault, Kagome."

"Without me, Inuyasha would have stayed stuck to that tree and never found his father's grave. Without the Tetsusaiga, Sesshoumaru would not have lost his arm!"

"Without those events and the subsequent battles, he would never have adopted the human child Rin, either. I think she is happier alive than dead. He has changed, the pups are evidence of that. If he was still obsessed with gaining power, he would never have mated, and he would never have come to Matsurika and fought for his pups' lives. I think that he has saved more lives like this than he would have with that arm."

"You think so?" Kagome sniffled, wiping the tears from her eyes. "But now that he's changed, doesn't he deserve his arm back?"

"It will grow back in a few decades, Kagome. But if you can think of a way to return it earlier, go for it."

"He will be able to protect his pups better with two arms."

From the shadows, Kaori listened to the females discussing her father. She had not heard before why he was missing one arm, but he could hold her just fine without it, so she never wondered. What was the Tetsusaiga, and why did it eat her father's arm? Curious, the little pup headed back toward the castle.


To be continued . . .