Chapter Twelve:
The Fate of the West
A Month later/ Sesshomaru
"You're troubled Sesshomaru."
The young demon lord turned to look impassively at the female Inu behind him.
She had golden eyes and fair pale skin and was dressed as a Lady of the court. Silver hair, pulled up into two tails held up by sea shells, shone in the light of the setting sun and her momoko- Sama sat around her shoulders like a fur shawl.
Though the woman looked young and there was a striking resemblance between the Demon Lord and this female.
"I don't know what you are referring to mother." He said as he turned from the window he had been looking out of. He walked over to the sleeping form of the little human child that he had taken in almost a year ago.
Rin was curled up on the low couch where she had been working on her lessons with his mother. Almost lovingly he took a blanket and cover the child and then he left her to sleep.
Meanwhile Kimi, the first mate of the Great Dog General and mother to his first born son and current Lord of the Western lands, watched her son with a smug smile on her face.
Though the boy pretended otherwise his mother knew him better then anyone. She knew his habits and his facial expressions, minuscule as they may be. So of course she would know when her boy was troubled.
"Come Sesshomaru, tell mother what weighs so heavy on your mind."
Her son glared at her and gave an angry huff as he turned back to the balcony and the sun setting over the mountains.
"Sesshomaru your father use to look out at the mountains when he was troubled too. In fact I believe it was this very situation when he informed me of his human and the child she carried for him." The demoness smiled teasingly. "Am I finally getting a grandchild? Perhaps a hanyo grandchild?"
Sesshomaru scoffed as he looked to his mother. "Me father a hanyo, ridiculous."
Sitting down Kimi sighed as she leaned her head back as she mentally lamented about her child's stubbornness. Well the hard way it is.
The demon mother growled at her son scolding him in the in the Inu language like a pup. She then lifted her brow as her Lord son glared at her.
"I am not a pup mother."
"Then stop acting like it and tell me what is on your mind."
Sesshomaru sighed and relented. He took a seat across from Kimi and told her what he had been thinking on for the past month or so.
"InuYasha has come of age and taken his priestess as his mate." He told her. The news caused the demoness's eyes to widen and her red painted lips to open in a silent gasp.
"He mated a miko?" she asked and then laughed. "Oh the boy is certainly your father's son, only his pups would have the audacity to claim a miko."
Sesshomaru rolled his eyes like a disgruntled teenager as he allowed his mother to laugh for a few minutes. Once she had gained control of herself he continued to tell her about Kagome's condition and the child's power.
"So an unborn quarter Yokai was able to wield spiritual powers and attack you from the womb?" she cupped her chin as she thought about Sesshomaru's words. "That's interesting. A hanyo with spiritual powers could be very dangerous and there are certain demons that would love to kill something so powerful."
"Like the Snake clan. I also have been thinking about what the elders have asked of me."
This made Kimi sit up straight her attention on her son completely.
"Oh?"
There was a demon council made of the all of the demon Lords whose people resided near and far from Sesshomaru's territory. The purpose of the council was to keep the peace between all of the clans and tribes.
The elders where the oldest members of the Silver Inu Clan and they were the voices of the Silver Inu pack. The elders have been urging Sesshomaru to take a mate and produce an heir as soon as possible. Now a mate and pup wasn't high on Sesshomaru's priorities, in fact he saw the implications of having a family as a liability.
"I was thinking," Sesshomaru began as he looked to his mother. "InuYasha grew up, basically, a wild child and so has barely any behavior that a prince is expected to possess. His pup on the other hand, if raised in this court, would be taught and trained in the ways of a Lord."
Kimi chuckled as she shook her head. "You want to make your half brother's son your heir? Will he even allow such a thing?"
Sesshomaru shrugged his shoulders as he lounged in the chair he had sat in.
"I'm sure he will eventually see my way."
As the mother looked at her son she took notice of how her boy had grown. He had become something different then he was when the hanyo had been born and now she found he reminded her more of his dearly departed father personality wise where as his physical appearance seemed more from herself.
"Do what you see fit my son but I implore you to speak to you father's brothers and sisters as well as Gobodō-sama before you bring this before the elders."
"Of course mother."
Three months Later (Fourteen Weeks)
InuYasha sat in a large oak tree pretending to take a nap when in reality he was watching over his pregnant wife. Kagome was now four months pregnant and InuYasha had noticed that she had started to show. Though it was small and barely noticeable, the hanyo could see the slight roundness of his lover's belly.
Now that Kagome was in her second trimester her morning sickness had eased up which InuYasha was thankful for. He wasn't sure how much longer he could take Kagome throwing up in the morning. Now Kagome seemed to be feeling better and beginning to enjoy the pregnancy.
The half demon's ear twitched as his wife's laughter floated to him like a summer breeze. He looked down at the group below him and smirked when he saw that Shippo had somehow ended up buried in his laughing mushrooms.
Serves the little runt right. He thought as he remembered the times he had been buried under those damned things.
Kagome sat with Sango and Miroku as they laughed at the fox's mess up.
She seemed so happy and for that he was grateful. He really did not like the mood swings that she'd started having. He had been sat more in the past three or four months then he had since he first met Kagome.
Kagome smiled as Shippo clawed his way out of the pile of laughing mushrooms.
"Shippo are you oaky?" the miko asked as she helped the kit.
"No Kagome! You can't help me or you could hurt the baby!" Ever since they had found out about the baby Shippo had been running himself ragged so that Kagome and the baby would be safe.
"Shippo me helping you won't hurt the baby." Kagome sighed as she picked the fox child up and cradled him in her arms.
"Human women aren't quiet that fragile Shippo." Miroku informed as he sat in the shade.
"Feh!"
The group looked up in the tree to see InuYasha scowling down at them.
The monk's comment had irked him. Of course Kagome was fragile especially now.
"What's wrong with you InuYasha?" Sango asked as she petted Kirara's fur while she slept in her lap. "Are you suffering from mood swings too?"
InuYasha jumped down and stared the taijiya.
"I ain't having mood swings!" he growled.
"Actually InuYasha some men have been known to have sympathy pains so it's possible that you are having mood swings."
The half demon turned scarlet as he gaped at his lover in abject terror.
"I'm just annoyed that monk said you aren't fragile! Until my son is born you aren't allowed to do anything that could hurt either of you!"
Kagome smiled serenely and only nodded. "Yes dear, whatever you say dear." The hanyo had become extremely over protective as the months went on and Kagome had learned that it was best to just humor him. She also learned to humor his belief that their baby was going to be boy until he was proven otherwise.
"I mean it Kagome you-"
InuYasha stopped suddenly as he caught the approaching scent that was head straight for them. He turned toward the forest that surrounded the meadow just outside the village and with his hand on Tessiga he snarled out a warning.
"InuYasha?" Kagome asked as she stood and Kirara transformed and took her place close to the pregnant teen.
"What is it InuYasha?" Miroku asked as he prepared himself for a fight.
InuYasha only growled one word. "Sesshomaru."
Then the demon lord emerged from the forest much the same way he had two months ago only this time he was followed by his annoying little imp, the little human girl, and his two headed dragon.
"Little brother." The Daiyokai greeted as his eyes swept the little group coming to land on his sister-in-law and her rounded belly. "Sister."
"What do you want Sesshomaru?" InuYasha demanded completely ignoring that the known human hater had just called his human mate his sister.
Sesshomaru glared at the half demon then turned to Rin.
"You may play with the kit." He said to which the child smiled and ran to Shippo who was sitting on Sango's shoulder. After looking to Kagome the demon child jumped down and led Rin to the middle of the meadow where the wild flowers grew.
"Jaken,"
The imp jumped and looked up to his lord. "Yes?"
"You will go watch the pups." Jaken opened his mouth in protest but a cold glare from Sesshomaru halted the little green toad from complaining.
Once his followers were preoccupied Sesshomaru tuned his attention on InuYasha. "I have no desire to fight you hanyo. I come with a request."
Kagome moved to InuYasha's side while watching Sesshomaru curiously.
In all the time she had known him, the demon lord had wanted nothing but his half brother's death. The fact that he came to ask them a favor was very surprising.
"What kind of request?" She asked as InuYasha put a protective arm around her shoulders. Sesshomaru nodded to Kagome and answered her question.
"The elders of our clan are demanding an heir and I do not intend to find a mate because others demand me to do so. By right of birth you, InuYasha, would be my heir. But I doubt you would be willing to do that what with your blunt and brutish personality, diplomacy is not your strong suit."
InuYasha stood straight and crossed his arms while keeping Kagome slightly behind him.
"Feh, so why did you bother to come here if you knew I'd tell you to go to hell?"
Sesshomaru gave a tired sounding huff as he worked to keep the impulse to beat his younger brother unconscious under control.
"Again by right of birth your child also has a claim to the throne of the West. So I am here to ask for the permission of you and your mate to groom your pup to be the next Lord of the West."
Everyone was stunned into silence. This was about as unexpected as Naraku stopping by to hand deliver the Shikon Jewel.
"What?" Kagome asked as she put her hand against her womb.
Sesshomaru huffed. "I want to name the child may heir. When the pup is grown he will be the next Lord of the West. It as well as your pack will be under my protection and you all will have a place in the Silver Inu Pack."
"Don't you have elders or something that would object to this?" InuYasha asked as he tried to think of a way to get out of this situation.
"I have already discussed it with the elders and they are just happy that there will be an heir."
Damn the one time I want a bunch of old demons to be set in their ways and their not!
"I ain't stupid Sesshomaru. I know what this could mean for my baby. You'd have a blood claim on him and that means you'd have the power to take him from us and I won't allow that! My child is going to stay with his mother and me."
Sesshomaru rolled his eyes and turned to the side. "Think on my offer little brother and the benefits that your pup could have, not to mention your mate. They would both be safe from any that would attempt them harm and the mere fact that your son would be Lord means that none would be able to degrade him for his mixed blood."
Summoning his followers Sesshomaru turned to leave.
"Think on my offer little brother and whether your child's future means less ten you status as his parent. I will return for you answer."
And then he left as if he had not just asked for his brother's child.
A/N: So who was expecting that? Let me know what you all thought in a review any questions feel free to put them in a review or P.M. me.
Disclaimer: I don't own InuYasha
Gobodō-sama: I can't give you a translation because it would be a big spoiler so translation will come in later chapters.
Kimi's name means Righteous.