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The Heir and the Kuro-Inu

Okay, here is going to be a little confusing, so I'm going to write up a family tree for you. It will include the genders and the type of youkai, plus their approximate age in human years (don't try to do the math...its approximation etc.). Also, Don't worry if doesn't add up or it seems like someone had a kid at 14 because remember: in this story youkai age like humans for the first nineteen years or so and then one to four years for every century after that.

Western-Inutaisho m,48; Sesshomaru m,27: Inu

Northern-Kin m,51 and Mitsu f,49; Akeno m,27, Mai f,25, Kyoko f,23, Rai m,21: Light (also known as Celestials)

Southern-Yukio m,47 and Hana f,48; Kouga m,24, Ginta m,23, Ayame f,22 : Wolf

Eastern- Hisa f,63 and Ryuukotsusei m, 60; Kimi f,29, Kamlyn m,26, Keitaro m,25: Dragon

Southwestern-Ichiro m,56 and Natsuka f,57; Michiko f,25, Leiko f,24, Kei f,23, Sachi f,21: Inu

Northeastern-Meiko m,40 and Sumi (died in childbirth); Kagome f,23, Kioshi m,23 (twins): Inu

Specifically the Northeastern Clan

(Kenji and Satu are twins)

Meiko's younger brother: Kenji m,39; Morio m,22, Mikio m,22 (twins)

Meiko's younger sister: Satu f,39; Udo m,22, Botan m,21, Rinji m,19

Meiko's older cousin: Taka f,46; Reizo m,28, Kentaro m,25, Manzo m,24

Kagome's Great Uncle (mom's side) Shijo 58; only living daughter Orino 31 who is barren (other children dead)

Kagome's Great Aunt (Father's side) Akina 55; who has a son Kado m 29-his children all died young

Saburo's kids Taji m,30 and Shoda m,26

Whew! okay and since I don't want to write the meaning of every name, there's a link at the bottom of the page. Most of the people who are specifically Northeastern Clan won't be mentioned until later, but I'll try to remember to post it at the beginning of the chapters that introduce a bunch of new people

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That night there was a welcoming dinner for the new 'ambassador'. There were many minor dignitaries, lower nobility's daughters, and of course at least one daughter from each of the six Families. One of the things that all young noble demons and demonesses learn at an early age is the geneaology of their peers. Kin and his wife Mitsu, the Celestials of the North sent both of their daughters and a son; Mai and Kyoko as potential brides and Akeno had come out of the friendship he and Sesshomaru shared. Kagome was somewhat friendly with the girls as she had grown up very close to them, but Akeno she did not know well. Ichiro and Natsuka, Inuyoukai of the Southwest, sent Michiko, Leiko, and Kei; all of their daughters except the youngest. All were beautiful and knew it, but Michiko was especially breathtaking. Yukio and his wife Hana of the Southern Ookami sent their only daughter Ayame and their son Kouga to accompany her. Kagome didn't know either of the wolves, but Kouga sent her a rakish smile when her gaze fell on him. The dragoness Hisa of the Eastern Lands sent her only daughter Kimi, who was older than Sesshomaru by a half a century. She looked powerful and commanding, a woman who would take no crap from a male. Kimi was her mother's daughter. And of course, Meiko had sent Kagome.

She looked around the room for some familiar faces and saw her Aunt Taka with her three boys. Technically Taka was her great cousin, but it was easier just to call her Aunt. She had married out of the family and had a longer lifespan. Consequently, that was passed down to her sons should they choose to keep to the outer apogee of the Clan; the periphery the that curse didn't reach to. But that was unlikely. They always came back into the fold. Next to them was her Great Uncle on her mother's side, Shijo, also not a member of the inner clan. Kagome looked away quickly before she drew their attention; Aunt Taka always made her feel uncomfortable. And Reizo...she didn't even want to think of him.

Fortunately in the other direction there were two similar-looking neko youkai with brown hair and green eyes grinning at her. She excused herself and walked a little too fast to be called proper in their direction.

"Nikki! Nikko! What are you doing in the West?" she said, almost breathless with excitement.

"Pay our respects to the Inu-nishi, of course," Nikko said, differing from his twin sister by having slightly darker, cocoa-colored hair. Nikki's eyes were also more gray-green; his were a definite dark leaf color, He jerked his thumb over to a knot of men conversing. "Da's over that way, if you wanta say hi."

"Where did you get that kimono, Kagome?" Nikki exclaimed. Kagome had chosen to layer a sheer lilac kimono with navy blue embroidery over a white one, with a silver obi to finish the look. The embroidery on the back depicted Lord Mareo with Sou'unga, and the spirit that was released when the sword was unsheathed (think 3rd movie, when Inutaisho is about to kill Takemaru and there is that misty smoke-dragon-thing...but obviously not Inutaisho on her back).

"Oh, Maemi made it for me...Jomei's mother." Secretly, she had changed to spite Inutaisho and everyone who was loyal to this damned Inu Clan. But before she could explain her reasoning, there was an interruption.

"Ah, Lady Kagome, seeing as how you embarrassed me so thoroughly in front of my men and my Lord Sesshomaru, I think it only fair that you dance with me to assuage my wounded pride." Bankotsu had come upon the three abruptly and knelt before her with a flourish, causing somewhat of a stir with the surrounding youkai. Nikki and Nikko looked at her questioningly.

"Ask Jomei," she muttered and took the proffered hand. This type of entertainment was taken from the youkai culture of the Western European area. There were a few there that night, looking uncomfortable in the unfamiliar clothing, but confident in their dancing abilities.

The pair of former sparring foes joined a group dance that switched from partner to partner, conversing when they could.

"You have excellent form, Lady Kagome," Bankotsu commented.

"Yes, Jomei was very persistent about proper stance being the ultimate tool in a fight," Kagome said shrewdly. Bankotsu let out a hearty laugh.

"I meant your dancing, love, not your fighting."

"Oh," Kagome wrinkled her nose as she was passed to a very handsome moth youkai. He smiled at her before giving her away to the panda general she met earlier that day and finally back to Bankotsu.

"But you have excellent form fighting as well."

"Thank you," she said with a nod of her head.

"Will you be practicing in the dojo?"

"Yes. Sometimes," as she was whirled away again. She was given back to Bankotsu as the dance ended.

"Thank you, Commander Bankotsu," she said.

"No, thank you, my Lady," he bowed over her hand and dropped a featherlight kiss on her knuckles. "I hope to have a rematch one day...the fight, not the dance." He added as and afterthought. It made her grin.

She made her way to where the twins had cornered Jomei about the incident Bankotsu had mentioned to get her to dance with him. Nikki clapped her hands in excitement when Kagome arrived at Jomei's side.

"Kagome, I had no idea you had it in you!" Nikko said. "I mean, I knew you had probably talked Jomei into teaching you some stuff, but wow!"

"Thanks Nikko." She turned to her bodyguard. "Do you mind if I retire? I'm feeling a little tired tonight."

"Of course, my Lady," Jomei murmured and offered her his arm.

"I'll see you two sometime later in the week," she told the twins who nodded and left the room relatively unnoticed.

00

It was past midnight, probably about three in the morning when Kagome woke, suddenly restless. She went to the small balcony of her room and looked at the stars, then at the grounds surrounding her.

Jomei would be so mad if he found out...

She tossed herself over the edge and ran as fast as she could towards the main gates and jumped over those. When she was out of the sight of anyone in the city or surrounding villages, Kagome flung off the yukata she had put on when she awoke. She relished in the feel of chill air upon her skin for only a moment and then youki snaked about her as she transformed into a huge black dog. She held back a howl of triumph, lest it awaken anyone, and just ran as hard and as fast as she could. It soothed her, on nights like these.

But Sesshomaru was also restless this night, awake, and had seen her leave the city. He followed her on a cloud of youki high in the air so as not to be detected. He nearly fell off the cloud of youki when she tore off her clothes.

He followed her as she made a wide loop and came back to the area she had undressed in, making sure he had her clothes in hand when she came looking for them.

00

Kagome sniffed the ground with her snout. This was the spot, but her clothes were gone. There was a very, very, very faint trace of youki, but it smelled like...Sesshomaru?

"Lose something?" The voice came from above. Kagome growled as he floated down. He held the yukata out to her, but she wouldn't take it.

"I have already seen you in the nude once, Lady," he sneered, toning the last word sarcastically. Kagome half growled-half barked and Sesshomaru rolled his eyes and turned around, arm still outstretched. He felt her shrink and she snatched the garment out of his hand. He waited a moment and then turned around to come face to face with a very pissed demoness.

"You followed me?" she hissed.

"Well if your excuse for a bodyguard can't keep an eye on you..." he never finished, as Kagome leapt to attack him. He grabbed her wrists and with a whirl, pinned her to the ground beneath him.

"One would think that we are courting," he commented with a sly smile that earned him struggling and a snarl.

"Don't be stupid," she spat, still trying to wriggle out from underneath him. The movement intensified and Sesshomaru felt his control begin to slip, eliciting a growl from him and a pause in movement and the appearance of heavy-lidded eyes from her. They looked at each other for a long moment before there was a frenzy of kissing. Sesshomaru threaded his claws through her hair, the other keeping him slightly above her and still clamped around her wrist. Kagome grabbed his clothes with the hand that had been freed. She proceeded to tear them off as Sesshomaru ravaged her mouth. All of the movement had caused her yukata to loosen and one deliciously round white breast topped with a small coral-colored nipple was exposed. He moved his hand to squeeze it roughly, pinning the pink bud between his first two fingers. Kagome moaned into his mouth and arched her back, wrapping her legs around him and grinding her pelvis into his as she pulled at his hair.

Then as suddenly as it started the two broke apart, the red bleeding from their eyes, Kagome scuttling away from him with wide eyes.

"You...you are in heat," Sesshomaru choked out, rising from where he sat about six feet apart from her. He realized now that the scent, which rose to a suffocating degree when he had stopped her attack, was what caused him to act without thinking; he was not expecting a receptive female and failed to guard himself accordingly. Kagome nodded, gasping for air and blushing, pulling the folds of the yukata closed again as she knelt into a more comfortable position.

"Sorry..." He interrupted her apology

"It is not the time. How...?" both were still trying to catch their breath. Kagome knew she had to explain. Her stupid father. He should have known this would happen.

"You know that most of the men of my clan do not live as long as they should." Sesshomaru nodded, a mystery of the Hoshikito Clan where the male's aging seemed to speed up so that they lived only a couple hundred years at most. Kagome continued. "The women make up for it by being fertile every month for five days."

Had Sesshomaru not been, well, Sesshomaru, he probably would have gasped. Instead he merely nodded. But there was more.

"And our carrying time is nine months."

This time Sesshomaru stopped dead and fixed her with a gimlet eye.

"Are you serious?" he asked softly. That was three months less the time of a normal youkai.

"Yes. It's not a secret, just nobody ever asked," she said stubbornly. "Besides, the carrying time is longer if we mate outside the Clan. Although, when we mate outside the clan our lifespan matches our mates..."

Her musing was interrupted by her companion.

"How long is the carrying time?"

"Around ten or so?"

More than likely, ten would just be seen as a premature birth and not cause too big of a stir. But still, no wonder the Hoshikito Clan was always having children! Fertile twelve times times as much as a normal demoness? Can have twice as many pups in three years? Twins ran rampant in the family too. He needed Jaken to research this. He needed to research this. He needed anyone to research this.

"You will speak of this incident to no one," he said suddenly.

"Gah! Well of course, I wouldn't want Father to hear and think I'm trying to mate you," she said nonchalantly after the one word outburst, picking leaves out of her hair. Then she realized what she said and clapped a hand over her mouth.

"What?" he said dangerously, rising.

"Well, you see, I suppose you're not a horrible demon to be with, but I don't really want to mate you," she said blushing and looking up at his form towering above her.

"That is not what it seemed like a few moments ago."

She glared at him and rose.

"Momentary loss of control," she sniffed as she crossed her arms. "Besides I have things to take care of before I mate."

"Such as?"

"Such as traveling! I'm going over to the eastern continent to fight in the War!" she dared him to laugh. "If I mate now, I'll be pupped for the rest of my life."

"The West needs pups," he mused.

"Not from me!" she exclaimed heatedly. "And I will mate for love!"

Sesshomaru looked perplexed.

"Youkai do not love."

Kagome looked at him with a sad expression.

"Yes they do, Sesshomaru. If the Council didn't meddle in everything, youkai would love all of the time."

And there it was again. That purity, shimmering in the air like a single note.

"What is that?"

"What is what?" Kagome asked.

"You have purification in your youki."

As soon as he mentioned this, it disappeared.

"You are insane Sesshomaru; youki cannot exist with purification," she said, but her voice sounded practiced and wooden. He put a hand under her chin and lifted her eyes to his. They were blank. He sighed inwardly.

Her lips parted slightly and he remembered how sweet she tasted. His head bent slightly and then the sun peeked over the horizon, shining in his eyes. Kagome gasped and broke from his grasp.

"We must get back! Jomei is going to kill me!"

Sesshomaru was surprised to find himself disliking that name. And the sun. And the council. And everything else that wasn't her right now.

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Link is: www. babynamesworld. com / names5 / japanese-names-and-meanings. html

Minus the spaces of course.

P.S. CobaltHeart awesome.