Author's Note:
Hello, loves! Thank you to everyone who commented with kind words. I'm glad you guys are excited that this story is back. I will do my best to get updates out as soon as I can, so please bear with me as we have a while to go. Please continue to read it, and I hope you continue to enjoy it!
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Chapter 3
The rays of the setting sun filtered into Sesshomaru's office as he signed off on his final document. The demon lord sighed as he rolled the scroll up and put it with the rest of the finished scrolls. Golden eyes looked around the room, examining the identical tall bookshelves that lined the walls, windows, oil portraits of his father, mother, and younger self, and deep oak, rich furniture that decorated his office with boredom. Despite his many duties as Lord of the West, Sesshomaru found himself without distraction as he waited for the carriage, which brought his heavily pregnant brother to the castle. It had been three days, which meant that the carriage should be arriving any moment now, but no word had arrived yet. If it were not for his school expression, a look of worry would etch itself onto his face. Just as he was about to open another scroll, an angry Narou entered his office without acknowledgment.
"I do not remember giving you permission to enter my room."
"And I do not remember asking. I came here on important business."
"And that would be?" Sesshomaru asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Lord Sesshomaru, I still find it appalling that you did not escort your brother here yourself. He is very vulnerable now and is late for his arrival. What if something bad happened to him? It would be on your head," she scolded.
"My brother is perfectly capable of handling himself. It has only been three days. The carriage will arrive by the end of the night, and you will see that your worries were for not. Besides, he has several guards by his side. What trouble could he possibly be in?"
"Normally, I would agree with you if he were not in the condition he is in. With his pregnancy, he is extremely vulnerable and could either miscarry or go into early labor. He should be about seven weeks and two days along, which means he could deliver any day now. I wish you would have followed my suggestion of making him come back to the castle with us instead. At least we know that he would be safe here."
Just as Sesshomaru was about to refute, Jaken rushed into the room with a scroll in his hand.
"Jaken. I distinctly remembered telling you to knock before entering my office," glared Sesshomaru.
"I am sorry, milord, but an important message was delivered here just a moment ago. It's about InuYasha. He's been kidnapped!" Jaken squawked as he handed over the scroll to Sesshomaru.
"Kidnapped! Who would be foolish enough to~"
"Fukushu, our first cousin," Sesshomaru glared as he interrupted Narou. "He's been after my father's throne for years."
"Whatever for? He's not even next in line for the throne with InuYasha and your pups on the way," Narou asked.
"Yes, but should InuYasha, my heirs, or I no longer exist, then he could stake a claim to the throne."
"He must have heard about InuYasha being pregnant and decided to kidnap him to draw you out. Oh Lord Sesshomaru, what are we going to do?" Jaken whined.
"We are going to go get him. Lord Sesshomaru, I know that things between your brother and you have not been ideal, but you must put your emotions aside to protect the future of your lineage. If he is willing to go this far to get his hands on the throne, then there's no telling what he will do to Lord InuYasha or your pups," Narou begged.
"I shall go and retrieve the hanyo myself while you stay here."
"Absolutely not. Your brother is days away from giving birth, especially with the added stress. Someone needs to be there to check on his condition and help deliver the pups in case he goes into labor. I shall be that someone. Besides, you cannot go alone. You could get yourself killed."
"You doubt my capabilities, Lady Narou?" glared Sesshomaru.
"Of course not, but it's better to be safe than sorry. Come now. Time is of the essence."
The sounds of rattling chains echo off stone walls as InuYasha pulls on them, trying to free himself. Blood leaked down his wrists, and the pups moved and kicked within his belly, communicating their fear through their bond with him.
"I know. I know. You're scared. I am, too. But don't worry, I'll get us out of here soon," InuYasha tried to comfort them, but it did little to alleviate the pain and their fear.
Suddenly, the door swung open and revealed a tall man with pale skin, long silver hair tied into a high ponytail, and armor similar to Sesshomaru's with green instead of red. Next to him was a rabbit demon healer with brown hair, a right bang part, two ponytails, and a white and pink kimono. InuYasha met her yesterday when he first woke up. She was a timid little thing who barely said a few words to him except her name, Usagi.
"What the hell do you want?" InuYasha growled as he backed closer to the wall.
"I came to check on your condition. I cannot have you dying on me before your annoying brother gets here," Fukushu said. "Now, hold still while Usagi monitors your condition."
"Ha! What makes you think that he'll come for me? I'm nothing more than a filthy hanyo to him."
"A filthy hanyo that is carrying his heirs," he smirked down at his prisoner. "I know all about who sired your pups. It's a shame, really. At least you're easier to look at than more Hanyo, especially since you are an omega. Hn. You would think that the moment he found out that you were an omega, he would cherish you and keep you safe within his castle walls. Perhaps he does not know the value you hold? Don't worry, I plan on doing just that once I get rid of your brother and those hellspawn in your belly."
"You talk too damned much. What are you going on about?"
"After the death of your father, my father's elder brother, Sesshomaru, inherited the throne. But, if he were gone with no heirs, then the throne would fall to me."
"That doesn't make any sense. Wouldn't the throne go to me instead?"
"Not necessary. Because of your status as an omega, you cannot hold the throne. If your father were alive, he would have married you off to someone within our clan to keep the throne. That's where I come in. I have already sent a letter to your brother, letting him know that you're here. He will come running to save you and your pups. I shall kill him, then I'll kill your pups, but I'll keep you alive and breed you like a bitch for my heirs."
"You're demented. Sesshomaru is the toughest demon I've ever fought against. He'll kick your sorry ass across this country before you can even blink. And if you think I'd let you do anything to my pups, you've got another thing~ ouch," InuYasha groaned as he slumped over.
His belly was in so much pain from the cramping that a sudden wetness appeared in his pants.
Usagi was immediately there to check him out before she turned to Fukushu with a worried expression. "It appears that he's in labor, milord."
"Good. Be sure to cut his pups out and leave them for me to deal with when I'm done with Sesshomaru. Speaking of which," Everyone turned their heads to see a bright ball of light pass through the sky as it landed on the ground. "It seems as if your brother is here. Please wait for me. This won't take long," Fukushu chuckled as he closed the door, leaving InuYasha and Usagi alone in the prison chamber.
InuYasha groaned and bit his bottom lip, drawing blood as he tried not to scream from the pain. All of the stress caused him to go into early labor, and the pups were coming now.
"Don't worry," Usagi said. "I'll make sure pups are safe during your delivery. Please wait here while I retrieve my tools."
InuYasha could only nod as sweat gathered on his forehead while he held back another scream. "You guys picked the perfect time to come. Damnit. I promise we're going to get you out of here, little ones," InuYasha thought to himself as he tried to make it through the pain. Although Usagi seemed nice enough, she still worked for Fukushu, so he couldn't trust her as far as he could throw her. With his pups as motivation, he was determined to make it out of this castle, one way or another, with his pups and himself intact.
"Well, well, well… if it isn't my cousin, Lord Sesshomaru. What do I owe the honor of your visit today?" Fukushu smirked as he exited through the front doors of his castle with his hands in the air.
"Do not play coy with us. Where are you keeping Lord InuYasha?" Narou glared.
"Ah, so you've gotten my letter and decided to come after all? I knew that hanyo did not know what he was talking about. He thought you wouldn't come to save him. I told him he was wrong."
Sesshomaru's glare hardened as he stepped forward, unsheathing his sword, Bakusaiga, "I will not ask again. Where is the hanyo?"
Suddenly, a deafening scream could be heard from one of the castle windows. Narou and Sesshomaru looked in the direction with worried expressions.
"As you can see, he's somewhere within the castle and about to give birth. Do not worry yourselves. I have a servant helping with the delivery. Unfortunately, neither of you nor your pups will live to see the rising sun," Fukushu said as he snapped his fingers and summoned his army.
"Lord Sesshomaru, we need to get to him before it is too late."
"I shall clear a path for you. InuYasha's and the pup's safety is a top priority," Sesshomaru said as he raised his sword in the air, summoned lighting, and brought it down, effectively clearing away some of Fukushu's army.
With the path cleared, Narou rushed toward the front doors. Fukushu cursed as he intercepted her. But when he was close enough, she reached into the red pouch attached to her hip and blew a toxic powder into his face. The inu daiyōkai gasped as it got into his eyes and stung them. Once he was incapacitated, she grabbed two poison daggers and stabbed them into his shoulders. He screamed at the blow as he tried to swing his sword, still blinded by the powder. Narou quickly sidestepped him and rushed into the castle. Unfortunately, Fukushu was able to wipe away the power from his eyes before he tried to go after her, only to be intercepted by Sesshomaru.
"Your fight is with me," he said as he held his sword out towards his cousin.
"It matters not. Once I defeat you, you brother, that woman, and your heirs will be at my mercy!"
The two inu daiyōkai rushed each other until their swords clashed, blowing back some of Fukushu's army with sheer force. The two were evenly matched as they tried to push the other back. Seeing that they were at a stalemate, Sesshomaru took a step forward, forcing more strength into his arms and blade, and Fukushu took a step back before he raised his sword and attacked. Fukushu dodged the attack by jumping out of the way and going into the sky.
"Kill, Lord Sesshomaru!" he ordered his army.
The army screamed as they rushed the Lord of the West, but it was futile. As each warrior came at him, Sesshomaru cut them down with very few swings. One by one, they fell at his feet with one swing from his mighty Bakusaiga. However, when the last of them tried attacking at once, Sesshomaru unleashed his Yōki Wave, which fired off explosive, green-colored blasts in every direction to wipe them from the battlefield. Fukushu managed to avoid the attack by putting a barrier around himself. Luckily, it lasted just long enough to withstand the blast before dissipating and weakening him further. When the attack finished and the battlefield was clear, nothing remained of Fukushu's army. The demon lord tsked as he lowered himself to the ground.
"That's a neat trick you have there, but it won't do you any good against me!"
Sesshomaru's glare hardened again as he prepared himself for another attack. Fukushu summoned his poison whip and launched it at Sesshomaru. The inu daiyōkai dodged the attack with his sword but was being pushed back by the force. Fukushu knew that fighting close range was not an option, so distance was the better offense. With his new strategy, Fukushu had Sesshomaru on the defense as he continued to attack with his poison whip. However, it would not last long. When Fukushu went to strike him again, Sesshomaru forwent his sword in favor of grabbing the whip with his bare hands. His flesh sizzled as it came in contact with the whip, but it did not faze him. Instead, he used Bakusaiga to disarm Fukushu by cutting the whip, effectively eliminating its regeneration abilities. The daiyōkai was in shock as his whip dissolved right before his eyes. It was so distracting that he barely missed Sesshomaru rushing toward him, sword in hand and ready to strike. By the literal ends of his hair, Fukushu managed to jump out of the way, losing a few inches from his ponytail before unleashing his lighting attack. Thinking quickly, Sesshomaru put up a barrier to defend against the attack until it finished.
Once the dust cleared, the Lord of the West cursed as he saw that he was alone. With a quick scan of his surroundings, nothing but the full moon, twinkling stars, and an eerie stillness covered the battlefield. Fukushu was nowhere to be found, leading Sesshomaru to believe that he had escaped. However, he did not have time to think about that when InuYasha was possibly still in danger. Deciding to leave things as they were for now, Sesshomaru quickly tucked his sword away and rushed into the castle, slightly praying for the safety of InuYasha and their pups.
Inside the prison cell, sweat-drenched InuYasha's body as his long silver hair stuck to his forehead and the sides of his face. He was still in much pain and barely conscious as he was losing much blood from his abdomen. But all of that was worth it to see his pups in Narou and Usagi's arms. Just then, Sesshomaru burst through the door to see the bloodied scene before him.
"Lord Sesshomaru, you made it safely. What a relief," Narou sighed as she placed a hand over her heart while still holding one of the twins.
"W-where is F-Fukushu?" asked InuYasha weakly.
"Gone. He managed to escape. Lady Narou, status report."
She sighed as she stood up and brought the twin she was holding to him to hold, "Lord InuYasha had a hard delivery, as expected, but successfully gave birth to a set of powerful twins. This one is a male." Sesshomaru looked down at a tuff of silver hair, two pointy dog ears like InuYasha's, Sesshomaru's markings, and pale skin. "And the one she's holding is a girl. Congratulations, milords. We have two new Inu daiyōkai added to your lineage."
With a stern expression, Sesshomaru walked over to the timid rabbit demoness, scaring her into holding the young princess toward him. Sesshomaru reached down to take the princess into his arms and looked her over. She also had pale skin with a tuff of silver hair and Sesshomaru's ears, but she did not have his markings. Both children were sleeping calmly in their sire's arms, but it was obvious that they would share the same golden eyes as their parents. Usagi held her breath and tried not to shake in Sesshomaru's intimidating presence. The Lord of the West turned toward his trusty healer with a raised eyebrow, asking a question.
"This is Usagi. She helped with Lord InuYasha's birth. She used to work for Lord Fukushu as a healer."
Deciding not to spend more time on the timid rabbit, Sesshomaru turned to kneel beside his younger brother to show him their pups. Once he was close enough, InuYasha gave his pups a once over before leaning back and sighing.
"T-they look more like you than they do me. That's fucking unfair," he joked before another scream ripped through his body, causing Naoru to rush to his side.
She lowered herself to his c-section wound and gasped when she saw more blood leaking out that wasn't there before.
"He's losing too much blood! Usagi, please help me," Narou commanded as he placed her hands near the opened wound.
The rabbit demoness did as she was told and placed her hands by the wound as well. With their combined powers, they did their best to heal the wound, but it wasn't working. He was still losing too much blood. InuYasha groaned and grunted as he tried to ride out the pain, but it was too much on his body, and he felt himself slipping into unconsciousness. With the loss of blood, his once tanned and healthy skin turned lifeless and pale. Despite him trying his best to hang on, InuYasha knew that it was a possibility that he could die. With a weak, shaky hand, he reached up to grab Sesshomaru by the fold of his top and turned to look at his elder brother with determination in his eyes.
"S-Sesshomaru… if anything happens to me… please take care of them…"
Before the lord could say anything, InuYasha's grip slipped from his top and fell to the floor as his head lopped to the side with closed eyes.
"We're losing him, Lord Sesshomaru!" Narou screamed as she added more power to her healing hands.
Wanting to save his younger brother, Sesshomaru placed the children on the floor, who started to stir and eventually cry at feeling the distress of their "mother" before tending to InuYasha. Sesshomaru leaned over toward InuYasha's neck, pulled down his top, exposing his pale neck, and dug his fangs into his collarbone, effectively creating a mating mark. Simultaneously, he released some of his yōkai and saliva into InuYasha to help with the healing process. That, in combination with the women's healing powers, was what saved InuYasha's life. Narou and Usagi sighed as they saw the bleeding slow to a stop, allowing them to close up the wound. While they worked on closing the wound, Sesshomaru removed his fangs from InuYasha's neck and licked the wound closed. Once done, a Mating Mark appeared in its place. After a few moments, Narou and Usagi sighed as the wound finally closed and InuYasha's pulse stabilized.
"How is he?" asked Sesshomaru.
"Thanks to you, Milord, he is stable, but it won't last for long. We need to get him somewhere safe so that he can heal soon," Narou said.
Sesshomaru nodded as he moved to collect the surprisingly light hanyo in his arms. "The castle is too far to travel, but I know where we can take him."
Narou nodded as she moved to gather the twins in her arms. Just as the two demons were about to leave, Usagi approached them with as much strength in her voice as she could muster. "Wait! Please take me with you, Lord Sesshomaru and Lady Narou."
"No. You used to work for Fukushu. There is no telling if you will betray us in the future. I suggest that you either learn to live on your own or find where your master ran off to," Sesshomaru said without turning to look at her.
"Please, don't leave me here. I promise that I won't betray you. If I were going to betray you, I would not have helped save Lord InuYasha. It was not by my will that I worked for Lord Fukushu. I want to serve under the true Lord of the West. I am also a healer, a weak one, but a healer, nonetheless. I can learn much with Lady Naoru's guidance, I can learn so much. I promise to pledge my loyalty to you and only you two. Please reconsider my request," she said as she got on her knees and bowed low before them.
Sesshomaru sighed as he turned around, adjusting InuYasha in his arms, and knelt to sniff the air around Usagi. "I smell no lies on her. However, I shall allow you to make the decision, Naoru. Should you take her, she shall be your responsibility alone. Is that understood?" he said as he stood up and walked toward the door.
"I understood. You shall come with us. But should anything happen, I shall kill you myself," Narou warned as she turned her back and followed Sesshomaru.
Usagi beamed with delight as she quickly got up and followed them outside. Once they were out of the castle, Sesshomaru used his demon powers to engulf them in a bright, white light and sped them in the direction of their destination.
It took them only a short time to arrive at their destination. The women did their best to shield their eyes as the light from around them faded into the dark of the night. Before them stood a large tree whose branches surrounded them as if it were a forest. Sesshomaru was the first to step forward and speak to the tree.
"Bokusenō, it's time to awaken,"
Suddenly, an old, wrinkly face morphed onto the bark of the tree with a smile, scaring the women. "Ah, if it isn't the eldest son of my oldest and dearest friend, Inu no Taishō. However, it does not seem as if you're here for a chat, young one. Tell me, what ails ye."
"I need a favor, Bokusenō," Sesshomaru said as he adjusted InuYasha in his arms for Bokusenō to get a better look.
"Oh no. Do not tell me that this is Lord InuYasha, your younger brother. Quickly, tell me what happened and how I may help."
"He delivered Lord Sesshomaru's heirs but lost too much blood and now needs a safe place to heal from his blood loss," Narou explained as she held the twins tightly.
"Ah, these must be the blessings I've heard so much about. Your father would be excited and disappointed to know how they came into this world. Lord Sesshomaru, if this old tree may be so brash, I know that the relationship between Lord InuYasha and yourself was not how your father wanted it, but it was still your duty to protect him. And now, due to your negligence, your younger brother has suffered a great deal. And now your heirs shall suffer too. You may be the Lord of the West, but you still have much to learn young one. I am very disappointed in you, and so would be your father."
"I do not have time to dwell on what I cannot fix, Bokusenō. All I ask is for you to protect and help with InuYasha's healing process before he perishes."
The old tree carefully looked at Sesshomaru, InuYasha, and their pups before sighing, closing his eyes, and lowering his branches. "Place Lord InuYasha within my branches, for I shall honor your request and keep him safe."
Sesshomaru did as he was told, stepping toward the branches and gently placing himself into them. Just as he stepped away, extensions of the branches appeared and pierced InuYasha's body, causing concern among the group.
"Do not be alarmed. My branches possess healing properties that will help with Lord InuYasha's recovery. Until he has fully recovered, this young one shall remain hidden within a barrier in my branches. No one but who is present today shall know of his existence."
Sesshomaru nodded before turning his back to Bokusenō. "Send word when he has healed, and I shall retrieve him."
"I shall not," Bokusenō said, stopping Sesshomaru in his tracks.
"Excuse me?" he asked as he threw a glare over his shoulder.
"I shall not."
"You dare defy me, Bokusenō?" he glared as he turned around to face the tree once more.
"Lord Sesshomaru, Lord InuYasha has suffered at your hands long enough. As I've said before, your father would be so disappointed in your actions and inability to care for your younger brother, especially after discovering his status and pregnancy. You should be ashamed of your actions, and it is high time someone taught you a lesson."
"What are you saying?" Naoru asked in concern.
"I shall be InuYasha's protector from now until the end of time. You are free to visit the young pup, but until you can prove to me that you shall take your role as his protector to heart, I shall not release him. Within my branches is where he shall remain until you have shown understanding of his value as your brother, partner, birth giver of your heirs, and as an omega."
"And if that day never comes?" Sesshomaru asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Then he shall remain with me until the end of days. I have spoken it, and so it shall be. I shall trust that you will do your best to raise your children in the way your father expects. Be good to them, and do not let them grow up without Lord InuYasha in their lives. Be the sire that honors and protects his family, and be sure to live up to your own legacy."
Just as Narou was about to protest, Bokusenō's face disappeared into the tree bark, leaving the group in shock. However, none of them could speak, and no one was there to respond. Instead, Sesshomaru commanded the women to follow him away from the old tree and back to the castle. When the trio was gone, Bokusenō's face reappeared with a disappointed expression on his face.
"Oh, Lord Inu no Taishō, my oldest, late friend. What are we to do about your sons? I fear that, despite my resolve and decree, Lord Sesshomaru may not live up to his responsibilities, and Lord InuYasha will continue to suffer. I shall do my best to protect your youngest son, but I do hope that Lord Sesshomaru will come around sooner rather than later, especially for their heirs. Rest easy, Lord InuYasha, for you are safe with me until you are released."
And with that, Bokusenō's face disappeared once again until he was summoned once again.
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To Be Continued…
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Author's Note:
I wanted to give a quick shout-out to the author of "Intervention, Thy Name is Bokusenō" by MJ_May. This is one of my favorite SessInu fanfictions, and it is well worth reading if you have not gotten the chance. Their fanfiction inspired the final part of this chapter and I wanted to make sure they received their credit. Thank you so much, MJ_May, for writing that story and giving me inspiration for part of this chapter. Be sure to check it out and be ready for the next chapter update coming soon!
