#16: Inuyasha (Sesshōmaru & Kagome)
...xXx...
“Lady Kagome.”...xXx...
Kagome looked up at the pale orange-haired kitsune youkai, Yumi, who had been assisting her with her needs in the Western Citadel. She put down the scroll she had been reading and smiled kindly at the demoness. “Yes?”
Yumi’s green eyes filled with worry as she lowered her head. “Lord Sesshōmaru wishes for your presence.”
Kagome closed her eyes and released a little bit of her power to see if anything was amiss. Once she came close to Sesshōmaru’s study, she knew what the problem was. He was having another argument with his mate. Heaving a deep sigh, she looked at the setting sun. Her heart ached, knowing her time with him was up.
Yumi’s voice brought her back to reality. “Lady Kagome, I know that it’s not my place to say this, but please reconsider your plan to leave. We—”
Kagome moved forward to hug the slowly sobbing young demoness. She knew how everyone, especially Yumi, didn’t wish for her to leave, but it was for the best. She had foreseen that this day would come. No, she didn’t like it, but she would still take it all in her stride. A sad smile formed on her lips. “I’m sure we will meet again, Yumi.”
Rather than calming down, the demoness cried even harder, drawing the attention of nearby servants. When they saw Kagome’s face, they turned mournful. Even though they didn’t like her decision, they respected her wishes. No matter how unofficial it was, in their eyes, Kagome, the Shikon Miko, was the true Lady of the West.
Once everything settled, she left her room and made her way to Sesshōmaru’s study.
Five years had passed by since the final battle with Naraku. Though they won in the end, the only survivors were both Sesshōmaru and herself. After grieving for their loved ones, especially their adopted child, they had grown closer. So close that a few moons later, they had become friends with benefits. She then helped him rebuild his destroyed palace. She was his retainer, confidant, best friend and lover for the last five years. Even after he mated Sumiko three years ago, he still sought her bed. She didn’t love him, and he didn’t love her either. Both were only using each other for comfort. No more, no less. At least, that was what she thought.
While she had never expected anything from him, she knew she would have to leave him if he couldn’t make up his mind. No, she had no intention to be his mate or anything, but if he couldn’t let one of them go, everyone would be unhappy. And so, she made the decision to leave. Moreover, she could feel her heart had started to sway. Falling in love with him was the last thing she needed. She had learned her lessons about one-sided love with his half-brother, and that was quite enough for her. The closer she got to the study, the conversation between Sesshōmaru and Sumiko became clearer.
“I hate you.”
“This one can assure you, the feeling is mutual.”
“How could you do this to me? I am your mate, not that shameless whore!”
Sesshōmaru’s eyes flashed red and a loud snarl passed his lips. He resisted the urge to backhand Sumiko. If she was not currently whelping with his heir, she would suffer his wrath. Kagome was definitely not a whore. She may not be his mistress, but he made sure what was his would stay his and no one else’s. Right now, he had been lamenting his decision to mate the demoness before him. Sumiko was a white inu demoness with silver hair and green eyes. Despite not coming from the noble line, she was beautiful, but unfortunately, that was not important to him. What he needed from Sumiko was an heir. Once he had his son, he would get rid of her. However, she had made it impossible with her constant demand to remove Kagome after she found out that he would only touch her when she was in heat, which was only once a year, to procure an heir while he spent the rest of his nights with Kagome.
Even when Sumiko was in heat, he only made sure that she conceived and left immediately. Sumiko didn’t need to know that he had to imagine Kagome’s face every time he took her for a few moments, not hours, and then, he would painstakingly clean himself thoroughly before joining Kagome, hugging her close until her beautiful scent that heavily laced with his lulled him to sleep.
Sumiko immediately shut her mouth and fear slowly filled her emerald eyes. Her mate was furious. Although the mating bond was weak, she could still feel his anger through the mark. Still, it was not fair! Her mate had chosen that human miko over her, a pure blooded demoness. She was pretty confident that the miko must have put some sort of spell on Sesshōmaru so that he wouldn’t care about her. Because of the human whore, she was so stressed out that she had gone through two miscarriages in a row. She wanted her to be gone from their home before she lost her third pup!
A soft rapping on the rice paper door distracted them momentarily. Her hatred for Kagome came back full force when she saw how Sesshōmaru inhaled her scent and immediately calmed down. She was ready to lash out when pain suddenly shot through her abdomen. Her eyes brimmed with tears as she wailed. She was going to lose her pup again! That was her last thought before everything went black.
...xXx...
Sesshōmaru heaved an inaudible sigh after he sent the head healer, Kin, away. The older black inu was giving him another report that he had lost his unborn pup, again. This was his tenth pup, and he was at his wits’ end. He had thought the problem would be solved once he asked Kagome to leave the palace temporarily. It seemed Sumiko had expected him to share his bed with her once Kagome was gone. Too bad for her, he refused to touch her more than necessary, and in the end, with or without Kagome’s presence, nothing had changed, much to her dismay.
Before he let Kagome go, he had told her his desire for his heir to be raised by no other but her. That was thirty years ago. Throughout the years, he had missed her. A lot. She didn’t even bother to send words about her well-being or how she had been faring. Thankfully, he knew her. Kagome was a free spirit, and she was more than capable of taking care of herself.
“Kagome.”
Clear blue eyes met his golden ones. “I understand, Sesshōmaru.”
‘No, you don’t.’ He fought the desire to take her back to his palace and dispose his worthless mate instead. Kagome didn’t know that she held his formerly cold heart. Since when had she become his important person, he didn’t know. What he knew was he loved her, but he refused to say anything until he had his heir. Whenever he became one with her, he always had the desire to mark her as his mate, so he could be with her instead of Sumiko. However, the demoness was a necessity.
He watched her say goodbyes to everyone. It was not unknown to him that his servants and guards adored and admired Kagome. He also knew that they all saw her as his mate, the true Lady of the West, much to Sumiko’s displeasure and his delight. As much as he wanted to make it happen, he would have to wait.
“If I may, Lord Sesshōmaru...”
He didn’t spare Kin a glance, and the head healer, who was also his caretaker when he was but a pup, took his silence to continue, “This is a mistake.”
Kin, until this very day, had never elaborated what she meant by that. But, given time, he finally understood. It was a mistake to send Kagome away. If only he realised it sooner. By now, Kagome already hit fifties, and it was too late to bind her with him. Oh, he had no problem looking at his Kagome no matter how old she had become, but knowing her personality, she would not let him have her.
Suddenly, a powerful aura brought him out of his thoughts, and moments later, he was looking at his uninvited guest in his study. Since he had sent Kagome away, this person before him had stopped visiting him. He knew that it was her way to show her displeasure of what he had done. Despite of what everyone believed, InuKimi, his mother, had nothing against humans. His parents union was strictly done for politic and nothing more. It was pretty much the same with him and Sumiko, but fortunately for his father, his mother was an understandable woman, unlike Sumiko.
“Ten miscarriages, I hear.”
He broke his gaze. “What do you want, Mother?”
“This one wishes to know what you plan to do with the bitch.”
He glared at his mother half-heartedly. “You may be my mother, but she’s still my mate.”
“An unworthy one,” she added and sipped her tea calmly.
“...”
“Kagome is worthier than—”
“Mother,” he stopped her sharply.
The former Lady of the West sighed. “Don’t you want me to look at your mate?”
He suppressed his surprise quite nicely with a grunt. “Hn.”
His mate’s inability to give him an heir had spread throughout the land, and words had been sent that those who could find and solve the problem would be rewarded handsomely. Unfortunately, as of today, no one even knew what the problem was. His mother might not be a healer, but she was quite knowledgeable. He could easily find another demoness to give him an heir, but he did not wish to touch another unworthy wench. One was more than enough.
...xXx...
Golden eyes scanned the mist-covered Mt. Hakurei before descending down to the nearby human village. He had heard rumours that a beautiful deity resided within the village. He, however, had not come here for the deity. His mother had told him this place before she left.
Sumiko was not happy to see his mother, but good for her that she kept her mouth shut. Otherwise, he would have to ask his healer to render her unconscious.
His mother moved to touch his mate’s hand for a while before sighing. “There’s nothing wrong with her.” His mother turned to him then. “Just to be sure...”
As soon as his mother touched his hand, her eyes were glazed over in a trance-like state. After a minute, she let him go and shook her head in dismay. Without waiting for his prompt, his mother explained, “This one cannot help you. You have angered the gods, Sesshōmaru.”
InuKimi glanced at Sumiko before looking back at him. “Has this one told you that she’s not worthy to be the mother of the next Lord of the West?”
Sumiko flushed red with anger. “What? Are you trying to say that that whore is worthier than me?”
Choosing to save her breath, InuKimi simply glared at Sumiko and turned to her son, who appeared to be emotionless but knew deep down he was shocked by her earlier statement. Solemnly, she continued, “Kagome is Amaterasu-sama’s beloved daughter, my son. The day you chose the bitch you call a mate was the day your punishment began. From what I see, you will become the last of our bloodline.”
His mother’s eyes told him that he couldn’t even have a hanyou heir.
Sesshōmaru ignored Sumiko’s wails as he took his youki back that was within her, breaking the already weak connection between them. It was weak because he had never allowed her to mark him back. Thus, they did not have a complete mating bond. With his mother’s knowledge, he knew that this was the end of his mating with Sumiko. He would not have her around for another minute. Enough was enough.
He followed after his mother out of the palace. “Mother.” ‘Is there anything I can do to fix this?’
InuKimi patted her son’s cheek gently. “Your answer lies at Mt. Hakurei.”
“Thank you,” he whispered as he watched his mother leave for her own castle in the sky.
With his powerful aura alone, he knew that humans were aware of what and who he was.
A brown-haired miko in her late forties approached him cautiously. “Lord Sesshōmaru?”
“Hn.”
The miko surprised him when she smiled and bowed. “We’ve been waiting for you, Milord.”
Before he could utter a word, the miko started walking back to the village. “Please follow me. My name is Akemi. I shall show you where Lady Kagome is. We have done nothing but keep the shrine clean for her. Though, there’s not much to be cleaned. I thought you would have arrived with your entourage to move her.”
So many questions ran through his minds, but he pushed the will to ask. The village was not big, but he could see that everyone was healthy and having good lives. Kagome must have done something for these people. They were not rich but prosper nonetheless. What surprised him most was instead of fearing him, they all respected him. The bows they gave him were indication enough. Yes, he was sure now. Only Kagome could do something like this.
After a few minutes, they reached a small shrine. He had felt it long before they reached the door. The cool air that slipped pass through under the sliding door caused one of his eyebrows rise. Once the door was slid open, he had the biggest shock of his life. For almost a minute, he stood there with his eyes widened slightly as he stared at the ice-covered Kagome. She was dressed in white kimono with cherry blossoms. Through the thin-layered ice that covered her entire body as she lay on the stone slab, he could hear a faint beating of her heart. He stepped closer and gazed at her sleeping form. She was still the same as he had seen her last, still beautiful.
“How long?”
“Twenty-eight years, Milord,” she murmured softly as if not want to disturb the sleeping miko. “We had a fleeting thought that you will not come for Lady Kagome, but our goddess has assured us that you will come.”
“Amaterasu-sama.”
“Yes.”
Now, he had his answer. Two years after she left him, she had fallen into this state. No wonder he had received not a word from her.
It had been so long since he last saw her, and the desire to touch her had reached to the point of unbearable. As soon as his hand made contact with her ice-covered cheek, the ice magically turned into golden dust. He ignored the miko behind him who gasped in awe as they witnessed how the golden dust swirled and formed a small glowing sun symbol and settled on Kagome’s pale brow. Two golden stripes, much like his, were painted upon her cheeks as well. The golden light continued its journey underneath her kimono. By the time all ice was dissolved, he knew his miko bore the same marking as his.
Gently, he scooped her cold, unmoving body into his arms. Looking at her slightly pale, serene face, he murmured, “We’re going home, Kagome.”
...xXx...
The grape was halfway to her lips when she heard his voice. “Come back to me, Kagome... This Sesshōmaru... I need you...”
Kagome blinked her eyes and continued eating again. She knew that Sesshōmaru had retrieved her body from the village two days ago. Well, two days for her but two years for him. They were not in the same realms, so the time-flow was different. A year and a half after she left Western Citadel, she gave up living. She couldn’t take her loneliness anymore. She missed him so much, and that was when she realised that her heart was no longer hers. Her beating heart was his and only his.
How ironic.
She left him because she didn’t want to become another Kikyo, but then, that was what happened. Sumiko reminded her of the time when she still pined for Inuyasha. Still, the separation was too much for her to bear, until one day, Amaterasu visited her through the dream, offering her a place to stay in the immortal realm. She, of course, readily agreed and went along with Amaterasu. The Sun Goddess had wanted to physically change her so that she could become her true daughter, but she gently refused. Her long lifespan, courtesy of the Shikon no Tama in her heart, a fact that no one, not even Sesshōmaru, knew yet, was enough to make her different from any other human. She didn’t want to add another reason for the people to fear her.
“My daughter.”
Kagome immediately looked across the table. “Yes, Amaterasu-sama?”
Amaterasu sighed. “Didn’t I tell you to stop calling me that?”
Kagome smiled sheepishly. “I’m sorry, Mother.”
A smile formed on the beautiful golden-haired goddess’s lips. “I want to tell you that my gift for you is ready, and you can return to the mortal realm whenever you wish.”
“Oh.” Her voice was subdued.
“What are you afraid of?” she inquired quietly.
Kagome sighed. “I don’t know if I’m ready to face him and his...”
“If you’re talking about his heir, you don’t have to worry about that. There’s no point of giving you a gift if I didn’t take care of everything else.”
Kagome frowned. “What’s that suppose to mean?”
Amaterasu waved her hand dismissively. “It’s in the past now. If you insist to know, I’m sure he will tell you.”
Kagome looked at her anxiously. She had been living with her divine mother for a month now, so she knew a thing or two about her bad side. When it came to punishment, Amaterasu never showed mercy. The said goddess only stopped her punishment when the lesson was learned and ingrained to the heart so there was no chance to make the same mistake again. Now, she was not sure if she really wanted to know what her mother had done to her demon lord. Nevertheless, she really wanted to go home, to him. Shaking her head mentally, she smiled at Amaterasu. “Thank you for everything, Mother.”
“You’re ready to go then?”
After receiving a nod from Kagome, Amaterasu stood up and both left the dining room for the throne room. As they stood in the middle of the room, where a symbol of glowing sun was carved, Amaterasu offered a hand to her beloved daughter. Sensing her hesitation, she assured, “You can come back here anytime you like, my daughter.”
With that said, Kagome took her hand and both were transported to the mortal realm.
Every living being within the Western Citadel could feel the divine presence of Amaterasu when she made her appearance at the front courtyard. It went without saying that they all went down to their knees and bowed low towards her. Sesshōmaru, on the other hand, bowed with one knee. He was, after all, still a lord of the land.
“Sesshōmaru, Lord of the West.”
Sesshōmaru waited for the goddess to continue with bated breath.
“Do you admit wrong for what you did to Kagome, my beloved daughter and the Shikon Miko?”
“I do,” he replied with honesty while ignoring the gasps of his subjects. Aside from his normal response, he knew that they had never heard him admitting that he was wrong. Yet, it was the truth. Lying was beneath him, so he gave nothing but the truth. Even though it was in front of his subjects, he would do anything for Kagome. As long as this goddess before him gave him back his love, his heart, he didn’t care about anything. He would even give away his land to the other ruling lords if no one was willing to accept Kagome as his Lady. He could fight everyone who would want to take his land, but he was sure Kagome would not want that. There was too much bloodshed involved in that decision.
Unknown to him, everyone within the West, humans and demons alike would refuse to be ruled by any other but him. They would stay loyal and stand strong for their Lord and Lady until the end of time.
“What will you offer to have my daughter to stay here?” Amaterasu wanted to ensure that the demon lord knew Kagome would be taken away once more if he hurt her in any way.
Of course, Sesshōmaru caught on what she was trying to say and answered truthfully, “All that I am.”
Amaterasu, satisfied with his answer, looked at her left side, where Kagome stood hidden. She could see the relief and happiness in everyone’s eyes when Kagome revealed herself. It was without a shadow of a doubt that everyone loved her daughter. “My daughter, are you going to stay with this demon?”
“I am, Mother.”
Amaterasu nodded with a smile. “Be happy, Kagome.”
Without another word, the Sun Goddess vanished in a flash of light.
It was only then Sesshōmaru and Kagome gazed at each other. Everyone was excited and happy to have their Lady back, but for now, they left the pair alone. The two beings did nothing but looked at one another, especially Sesshōmaru, who wanted to make sure she was real, not something his mind had conjured up.
While letting Sesshōmaru stare at her, she studied the golden stripes, similar to Sesshōmaru’s, on her arms. She had asked Amaterasu what purpose the marking had, but the Sun Goddess only said that those were her gift, something she would not see until a few years later. She would become the mother of a new race of human that would have the same lifespan as demons, which would eventually bring both races to live side by side peacefully.
Sesshōmaru hesitantly reached out to her. The weight on his shoulders was lifted immediately when he finally cupped her face. Closing his eyes, he pulled her into a hug, burying his face in her hair while doing so. It had been so long. Thirty-two years felt like a lifetime. He now finally had her, and never would he let her go. Never.
They stood like that, holding one another, for a long while. When they parted, their hands were still connected, refusing to let go the other.
“Kagome...”
Her eyes were shining with love.
“Will you allow this Sesshōmaru to court you?”
A bright, beautiful smile was her answer before she kissed him on the lips.
Needlessly to say, the palace rejoiced for the pair. Surprisingly, no one, not even the other ruling lords, opposed their union after six months of courting. It seemed they had seen it coming and had no objection whatsoever since they respected Kagome as the Shikon Miko.
Seven months after their mating, Sesshōmaru was gifted with quadruplets. The first pup was a son named Akihiko, an exact replica of his father, complete with his markings and the moon that signified him as the next ruler. The second pup was a daughter named Yuzuki, another replica of her mother with golden markings. The third pup was named Kazuhiko, a raven-haired boy with golden eyes and the same golden markings as his older sister. The youngest pup was another daughter with silver hair and clear blue eyes. Instead of golden markings, she had the same magenta markings as her eldest brother. Her name was Mizuki. Each of his pups had their mother’s sun on the left side of their necks, right below their earlobes.
Sesshōmaru couldn’t be more proud when he held his full-blooded pups for the first time. His life was complete and even more so when five years later, Kagome gifted him with a pair of twins, a boy named Yue and a girl named Tsuki. Both were born human, but they found out later that they were blessed with demon’s lifespan since their growing rate was just like that of a demon. Both children had their royal markings like their siblings before them. Yue was an exact replica of his eldest brother but with golden markings. Likewise, Tsuki looked just like her eldest sister except for her magenta markings.
All pups were loved by all and especially spoiled by their grandmother. A few decades later, Sumiko came back into their lives, still under the delusion that Kagome was no more than a shameless whore who put Sesshōmaru under some sort of spell. Unfortunately for Sumiko, she didn’t watch out for their protective heirs and met her end by their eldest pup’s hands when she tried to attack their mother. After that incident, everyone was clear not to mess with the royal family of the West.
With Kagome’s knowledge of the future, wars that threatened the demon race were easily avoided until they all reached Kagome’s original time, where she was reunited with her mother, brother and grandfather. Meanwhile, Sesshōmaru was eternally grateful for having Kagome as his mate. He had made a mistake, which made them both miserable for many years, but he was glad to be given a chance to fix it. All in all, his life was complete, surrounded by his pack, and he would make sure they would all live happily ever after.
The End
Thanks for reading.
Da'aaaw! Loved it!
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