Light of My Life

Light of My Life

Title: Light of My Life

Author: kazeko

Series: Inuyasha

Rating: R

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 18: To Claim a Pack


Koyama slipped through the forest, mate at her heels. She could smell the Fire Stripe Pack all around her, and she knew that Inuyasha was on edge entering enemy territory. Until Koyama declared her intensions, they were safe.

The pair stopped as a familiar black-haired inu youkai landed in their path, three hunters at his heels. Tentei growled, his tone barely civil, "To what do we owe the pleasure? Our Lord Sesshoumaru did not mention a visit from his Beta male and nursemaid female in his latest communication."

"Beta Female," Koyama returned, her voice cool and uninflected. "I am the Beta Female of Crescent Moon Pack, daughter of the Alphas of Fire Stripe. As for you, Son of a Delta Male and Omega Female, I require an audience with my sister."

Tentei's aura flared at the insult and the implication that Koyama was better than him, but her words were too careful to allow reciprocation. Then her words sunk in and he took an involuntary step backwards. "Beta Female? Since when are you Beta of Crescent Moon? There has been no announcement."

"It was a minor change in position. A chance mating."

That caught Tentei's attention, and he raised his nose to sniff the air. His three hunters followed suit, growling something to each other as Tentei's eyes widened. "You mated the hanyou brother of Lord Sesshoumaru? You could have chosen a powerful male, but you chose one tainted by human blood?"

Koyama raised a hand to silence her mate's automatic response, indicating that she had the situation under control. "Perhaps he has human ancestry, but please, son of a lowly Omega, tell me of your power. Tell me how strong your pups will be, tell me of the Alpha Pup you have birthed."

One of the three guards snickered at Koyama's words, one of her brother's sons who had helped raise her from childhood. Tentei growled at the offending male, stepping forward and waving his tail in agitation. "My power has not reached its peak. The Alpha Pup will be born when my power is the greatest."

"Really? You think the Alpha of Fire Stripe will be born to you?"

"Of course! I am the Alpha Male, so the Alpha Pup will be my son!"

"Daughter," Inuyasha corrected, smirking slightly. "The Alpha Pup is a girl."

Tentei froze at the words, the three hunters stepping away from him as the import of the hanyou's words sunk in. "A girl? The Alpha Pup has not been born."

"She has," Koyama whispered. "She has been born to the true Alpha of Fire Stripe Pack. My sister and I are the same person . . . both meant to be Alpha. Both born Alpha Pups of Kikka and Koshu. But my father gave me a choice all those years ago, told me that I was the one he wanted to rule. I took pity on Kosame and said that Father chose her."

"That's not true! You know that Father would never choose you, a weakling, to rule this pack! You were always the soft one." Kosame's mocking voice filled the clearing as she entered from the other side, glaring at her twin. "I was always meant to rule, and Father saw that, in the end."

"Our father chose Koyama to be Alpha," Kenparu growled from the trees, emerging into the moonlight. He was Koyama's oldest brother, always a loyal friend, and he had been there when their parents died. He heard Koshu's last command, but at Koyama's request had never spoken of it. As Beta Male in the Fire Stripe Pack, his words were highly regarded. His son moved from behind Tentei and joined his father by Koyama's side. "Father knew that you would be too cruel, too cold to lead. He knew that the male who mated you would be weak, though he pretended to be strong. The best choice for our pack has always been Koyama. She has given birth."

"I have given birth to Katsumi, next Alpha of the Fire Stripe Clan. I demand leadership of the pack."

Kosame growled, tail twitching furiously. "I will not hand over leadership."

"Then I demand the right to challenge you for it."

"You cannot! You swore an oath that you would not challenge for leadership as long as Kosame's mate lived. You swore not to harm her family."

Koyama grinned, fangs bared. "Then I suppose my challenge must be second."

Inuyasha growled a challenge to Tentei as he leapt, claws ready for battle. The dark-haired youkai gasped in shock as he took a step backwards, searching for a way to escape, drawing his sword. Inuyasha dodged the youkai's first attack, slicing into his back as he drew Tetsusaiga and landed behind the Alpha, spinning into an attack stance. The other youkai backed away, wary of the hanyou wielding a powerful sword, and Tentei warily readied himself for battle.

Inuyasha grinned maniacally as he called forth his power, knowing that the youkai in front of him was weak for an inu. He watched as the kaze no kizu sliced through the air, aiming for Tentei, smirking when the youkai found he was too slow. In the end, it was the longest battle Tentei had ever fought, and possible the shortest one Inuyasha had engaged in. The blood of the Western Lord was stronger than the blood of a Delta pup from an unnamed pack, no matter Inuyasha's human blood. He watched as Tetsusaiga took down another youkai bent on making life miserable for him, took down the threat to his daughter's position in Fire Stripe Pack.

Tentei whined in pain, struggling to rise as his blood covered the ground. None of the guards moved to help, his Beta growled at him, and his mate shrugged. "I suppose you should have been practicing more over the years. Alpha position has made you weak."

"Kosame . . ."

"You could not even fight a hanyou! Do not pretend you are worth my pity now." The red-head turned back to her sister, eyes narrowed. "As for you, sister, you may have your fight. However, when you lose, I will find your presumptuous daughter and kill her, as well as any siblings. You were never meant to have pups, and you were never meant to rule. A hanyou cannot be Alpha Male of this pack, and his tainted daughter will never be strong enough to lead us in Hunt."

"She was born in inu form. She is a strong and powerful youkai, thanks to her father's blood. It is you who were never meant to rule, and I see now why Father chose me."

Kosame growled and flared her youki, changing into her true form, Koyama following suit. Kosame did not have the Alpha mark on her forehead in inu form, and her fur was darker than her sister's, a dull rust instead of brilliant red. Though they had been born twins, they had grown into two different youkai.

Kenparu raised his head to the sky and howled, the guards joining him in calling their pack. Dozens of youkai filled the trees, glaring at Tentei's body on the ground, staring at the sisters towering above the trees. The young ones, who had only known Kosame's rule, wondered who would win, wondered what would change. The older ones, those who knew that the former Alpha had two daughters with the mark, hoped that Koyama would win and everything would change for the Fire Stripe Pack.

Two huge inu youkai stared at each other across the trees, eyes red with rage, snarling and snapping, claws digging trenches in the ground. Koyama waited, always the patient one, knowing that her sister would make the first move. She snorted as Kosame lunged, aiming for her throat, a move she had always opened with. Koyama neatly jumped to the side, knowing that the youkai on the ground were perfectly capable of watching out for themselves while the Alpha fought. She jumped as soon as her feet touched the ground, leaping into the sky, daring her sister to follow. Kosame growled jumped up, snapping at Koyama's tail, eyes widening when her twin spun on one foot and swiped her claws across Kosame's side. The Alpha grunted and leapt away, flying higher as her blood dripped on the forest floor. Her ears twitched backwards in confusion as Koyama disappeared, moving too fast for her to follow, appearing underneath her an instant later. Koyama's teeth sank into Kosame's front leg, breaking the bone before she vanished again.

Kosame howled in pain and fury, jumping at Koyama as soon as she reappeared. The other inu barked in amusement as she deftly dodged, kicking out with her back feet and leaving more gashes behind. Kosame paused in mid-air, panting as the pain from her injuries began to increase. In a moment of clarity, she realized that her sister had learned how to turn her jyaki into poison, and had used that poison on her claws and teeth to infect her sister's wounds. Kosame felt the burn of poison filling her veins, and her beast went mad.

Koyama knew as soon as Kosame realized that she had been poisoned. Her sister's youki increased and the inu leapt recklessly, teeth snapping. Koyama jumped away, wincing as she felt a sharp pain tear through her back leg where Kosame's teeth connected. She felt her beast rage, begging to be released, but training with Sesshoumaru had taught her a little more control than that. With some effort, she focused her power and watched her sister move, calculating her power and strength. In an instant, she found a weakness. When Kosame jumped to the right, she stumbled just a little, her injured leg making it difficult for her to land properly.

Koyama growled as she moved into position to attack, carefully broadcasting her planned move. When she jumped, Kosame feigned right and prepared to roll to the left, but her leg trembled under the strain. Koyama shifted her trajectory in mid-leap, wincing at the pain it caused to her spine, and arrowed toward Kosame's exposed throat. She felt her teeth sink in and she bit down, grunting as they fell to the ground once more. She opened her eyes, surprised that she had closed them, and saw a single spark of regret in Kosame's emerald orbs. An instant later, they went dark.

Koyama slowly stood, wincing in pain, blood covering her leg and muzzle. Red eyes cleared to green as she looked down at the youkai gathered around her.

Kenparu looked up at his baby sister, smiling as a familiar mark appeared on her forehead. "As Father said, only one of you can rule. Only one of you can live."

"Only one can live? Surely, Kenparu, Father did not say that."

Kenparu nodded at Kontaru, his litter-brother and Gamma Male of the pack. The other youkai listed to his words as Koyama slowly returned to her human form, Inuyasha by her side. None of the inu youkai noticed when she drank a small potion, sighing in relief as the pain in her back eased. She found that her leg was healing quickly and she was able to stand on her own. "Father said that he knew Kosame would never accept it, but she was not truly meant to lead. In her heart, there was something missing that an Alpha must have. She had no compassion for her family, for her pack. For an Alpha, Pack is everything. Our sister could never put the pack before her own needs, however. Father knew this, and told Koyama that she was meant to lead, but she could only rule if her twin was dead."

"At the time I could not bring myself to challenge my sister, to kill her and her mate. So I lied, to protect her, to keep our pack strong." Koyama sighed and glanced at the two bodies that filled the clearing. "But then my daughter was born and declared herself Alpha of the Fire Stripe Pack. If she was chosen, then that meant that my Father's noble blood flows strongest in her veins. Knowing that she had been chosen, that she would lead the Pack, how could I not guarantee her a chance? Never has the Alpha Pup been born to anyone except the Alpha, and never has the Alpha been born out of the Pack. For the sake of my family, I had to end my sister's rule. Father told me to kill her years ago, and I realize now that I was too soft. I did not want to kill my sister, but I could not let her kill my Pack. I will be Alpha of the Fire Stripe Clan, if you will have me and my mate. If you will not have me, then at least take Kenparu to lead you."

"We will have no one but you, sister," Kontaru announced, stepping forward and falling to one knee. "You have always been our True Alpha. Your mark has even returned."

Koyama raised a hand to her forehead in shock as the other inu youkai also hit their knees, acknowledging their new Alpha Male and Female. Koyama grinned and cut her palm with her claw, holding her hand out to Inuyasha. Raising an eyebrow, her mate drank the offered blood, and Koyama smiled as the Fire Stripe mark appeared on his forehead as well. Overcome with emotion, she raised her head to the sky and howled her joy, her mate and pack members joining her. She was finally back where she belonged.

In the Western Castle, a silver-haired lord heard the call and nodded, knowing that his Betas had found a new place for themselves. He was not entirely happy that his pack had shrunk, but he was glad that his brother finally had the power and position that their father's blood guaranteed them. He was Alpha of a large pack, and he had a wonderful mate. Unlike his brother, Inuyasha was happy.


tbc