Strength

Helloo all, Just so you all know I am editing Strength as it comes to a close. To date I have edited until chapter 10. There are some changes minor changes to smooth some small inconsistencies in the story, or to add some details in the story, most changes are in chapters 8-10. You do not have to reread but you can if you want. :) Oh keep in mind that its me editing – so there will probably still be some mistakes, but hopefully much less than before. If the chapter has been edited I'll say so at the top.

I have never been happier to receive death threats. Thank you all so much for caring enough about Inu to make the threats. You rock, but all I can say in response is read the story :3.

Read, review and enjoy.

Chapter 41 : Wrapped in Moko Moko

Moko Moko undulated around the strong body it was draped around. The distinctive fur, ruffled in the mid morning breeze. Those that caught a glimpse of it, never failed to stare in awe at the living fur, that seemed to glide and float so effortlessly in the air. The fact that it was Inuyasha the fur was curled so happily around, with the Demon Lord no where in sight, may just may, have been an additional reason why the fur was drawing extra attention.

"Err.. Lord Inuyasha, moko moko sama does suit you." Sora's voice had an unnatural squeak to it,as he and the other aides met Inuyasha outside the royal suite.

"This heavy thing? Keh! You want it?" Inuyasha grumped, only to have the fur curl around the Hanyou almost reproachfully. "This stupid pretentious thing curled around me this morning and refused to let go. That blasted Sesshoumaru would not to order it off me. So I'm stuck with this bit of fluff." Inuyasha's voice was grumpy. Sora could not help but notice that in spite of what Inuyasha said, the clawed hand that stroked Moko moko was extraordinary gentle.

"We'll I'm sure Moko Moko sama just wants to spend some time with you." Sora's voice was cheerful, but he hesitated when he noticed a slight reddening of Inuyasha's cheeks. The diligent assistant had learned that when it came to Inuyasha's health, any kind of clue HAD to be followed through or they would never get the whole story. "Umm, Inuyasha sama, IS Moko Moko Sama staying with you for fun, or is there another reason?"

Inuyasha muttered something unintelligible under his breathe, and tried to walk away. The three assistants escorting Inuyasha all stopped in their tracks and circled their Lord. They had come to read the signs of potential trouble rather well. Himiko, the Otter Demoness assistant placed a placating hand on Inuyasha's sleeve, made her eyes wide, beseeching and with a tearful voice pleaded, "Inuyasha-sama, do you not trust us, have we failed so badly?"

Inuyasha ground his teeth at the teary eyes demoness. He knew, he damn well knew, she could kick the shit out of Sora and the other male dog demon assistant if she wanted to. All three of his female assistants were great warriors, BUT... somehow every time they wanted him to tell them something he didn't want to tell, one of the females would go all teary eyed and beseeching. And if he was foolish enough not to give in, they would start crying... lamenting their uselessness and failure. Inuyasha who HATED making females cry, would grudgingly give in. How had they come up with this... this EVIL strategy?

"Fine, fine, stop it already! You look horrible when you cry, much worse than the others!" Inuyasha snapped giving in less then gracefully. "I.. I sort of coughed, just a little this morning. Stop looking at me like that, it was just a little! And Sesshoumaru went all ballistic, he only calmed down when Moko-Moko decided to come with me, to keep me warm." Inuyasha was glaring at his assistants, it was futile. Even as he said the last words, the assistants were snapping orders to keep the room warm, change his lunch to a warm soup AND have the healers on call. How they could be more on call than they already were was a mystery to the Hanyou.

"STOP IT! It was just a little cough." There he was, talking to the walls again, how is it everyone ignored him when he TOLD them his health was fine?

Inuyasha ignored the flurry of movement around him, crazy panicky assistants. His claws stroked Moko Moko sama, he would never admit it, but the fur around him felt wonderful, warm and comforting. It was much like having his mate's arms around him, only Moko Moko sama belonged on Sesshoumaru, and as much as Inuyasha enjoyed it, he preferred the fur on Sesshoumaru. Watching his brother leave the room sans Moko Moko this morning had just seemed horribly wrong. Inuyasha sighed, he was causing so much trouble. Freaking weakness, messing up their lives in so many ways. Inuyasha's palm stroked his distended belly.

Two more weeks and one way or another it would all be over. Inuyasha inhaled deeply, and turned his attention to the petitions waiting for his attention.

Later that afternoon, Inuyasha stood on at the balcony watching the Pups practice their Kata's with Sesshoumaru's generals. The five Pups were all with individual trainers, matched specifically to their level of ability. Inuyasha watched amused as Naoya had given his nurse the slip to run to the garden and join his siblings.

The ribbon that usually danced around the little God was not in sight. Inuyasha's eyes narrowed, he spotted the ribbon in question and grinned cheekily. Naoya was definitely his son, the divine ribbon was currently stuffed rather ingloriously in the little Pup's mouth. Naoya chewed happily on the ribbon as he ran around the gardens, his shoes missing and his clothes a mess. His exasperated nurse trailed just a few steps behind the mischievous God. Without the ribbon, Naoya looked like any other Hanyou child, albeit a gorgeous one. From his current behavior no one would ever guess he once terrorized the country side, as a rampaging God.

Naoya basically slept, ate, pooped, played, trailed around Inuyasha, Sesshoumaru and Yuusha, pooped some more, ate and cuddled, played and cried when things did not go his way. While his piercing cry was a formidable weapon, the toddler had shown no extra powers and no sign of his God-hood since Inuyasha had accepted him. He was like any other eighteen month old, crying, eating, sleeping, being naughty and being adorable, sometimes all at the same time. Inuyasha had no complaints, he loved the Pup as he was.

The training continued, and as Inuyasha watched his pups, a strange depression took him. It was alien, strange and lonely to watch the Pups practice battle without him in the thick of it. Inuyasha sighed sadly, and Moko Moko curled comfortingly around him. Inuyasha's claws dug into the balcony ledge, he wanted this weakness over with, he wanted to be healthy again. For a moment, he wanted to give in and howl his fear and agony at the world, to rail at how everything was so damned unfair.

The moment came and passed. Inuyasha silently released the knot of dark emotions, as a smile touched his lips. His choice, no one had ever promised the world was fair... and this was his choice. His life had been worse than many peoples, but his life had also been much better than the lives of others. His choices, he could not regret them. His claws relaxed on the ledge and he leaned forward to watch his pups in action.

"Why is HIS fur draped around Papa?" Yuusha demanded of Sora while he took a break in his training. The Pup cast annoyed glances at the fur around his Papa on the balcony. The Hawk Demon had joined the Young Lord in the garden to give his daily report.

"Your Papa had a little cough this morning, and Moko moko sama is keeping your Papa warm." Sora answered dutifully.

"Keh! Did Papa tell you that?" Yuusha asked his eyes trained on the fur taking too many liberties on his Papa's person. Still, a satisfied smile crossed the Pup's lips. "So my plan is still working?'

Sora nodded, "Yes My Lord. It is so much easier to keep a real track Inuyasha sama's health once you told us to use the female assistants tears to help get Inuyasha sama to talk. He would never say anything to us if not for that." the relief in Sora's voice was audible, all the assistants had initially felt helpless when they could not get Inuyasha to tell them his true state of health. Only when Yuusha had ordered the females to use tearful appeals on his Papa had they finally made progress. Yuusha felt a tiny bit of guilt about telling the assistants about his Papa's weakness to female tears, but only a tiny bit. His Papa's health right now was the most important thing.

Naoya came toddling up, and wrapped his hands and feet around Yuusha's leg, gurgling happily at his big brother. Yuusha blew out a slightly annoyed breath, then he reached down and ruffled Naoya's hair. The pup cooed in delight, and tugged at Yuusha's clothes. The Pup wanted to play, so Yuusha initiated the game that they had developed soon after Naoya had joined them.

He suddenly scooped Naoya up and like a ball tossed the laughing toddler at Kishi. His younger brother, in a smooth move, threw the staff he had been practicing with in the air, caught Naoya, and sent the Pup flying towards Shiori. Kisho caught the falling staff before it hit the floor. Shiori not pausing from her Katas used her mental barrier to catch and redirect the laughing toddler mid air towards Me-chan. In the middle of a hand-stand the female Shiro Inu did not bother breaking stance, instead she propelled herself off the ground and snared the air born child with her feet. Still in the air she twirled and sent the' ball' flying at Shippo. Shippo in the middle of fox fire practice did not even bother turning around, he transformed into a huge balloon, and bounced the Pup back towards the grinning Yuusha. And so the game continued.

Hana had almost had a heart attack the first time she had seen the new 'game', only as the laughter reached her ears, she realized they were all enjoying themselves. They were not human, and even if they had dropped Naoya he would only have been a bit bruised, not dead like a human child would have been. Hana forced herself to relax. They were Demon children in a violent world, and coddling them was an act of a foolish human. And though Hana was a human, she was far from foolish.

In the middle of the game, Yuusha suddenly froze. Kishi who had been about to rocket Naoyo towards his big brother, noticed the inattention just in time and aborted the throw, mid move. Unfortunately his momentum, brought both Naoyo and him crashing in a heap to the earth. The yells of concern at the pups fall was drowned by a roar!

Yuusha's agonized howl rang throughout the palace. The pup was in the air before anyone else realized what was happening. His body elongated, Yuusha transformed mid leap, the body of the deer sized white dog breaking the fall of the unconscious pregnant Hanyou. The Pup however was not strong enough to hod his Papa's weight in the air and the force of gravity was overcoming the Pup's strength. Moko moko expanded around them both to create drag in the air, and just as they were about to hit the earth, the small dog and his Papa were both tossed in the air again, and caught securely in the huge jaws of the transformed DaiYoukai.

Yuusha transformed back, his arms tight around his Papa. He did not realize he was whimpering in distress, until he felt Sesshoumaru's hand stroking the back of his head in comfort. Yuusha, not appreciating anything drawing his attention form his Papa, growled in irritation at the DaiYouaki cradling them securely in his arms. Sesshoumaru found his son's predictable behavior, equally endearing and annoying.

His arms tightened around his mate. He shuddered slightly at the memory of the fear that had infused his system when he heard his oldest sons howl for assistance. A part of h was pleased that Yuusha had howled for his assistance, but a greater part of him never wanted to hear such a howl from his son again. This was not going to happen again.

Inuyasha's eyes opened a few minutes later. The Hanyou had actually had a rather pleasant if short dream of running with his pack. As he awoke, he blinked at the bright afternoon sun. As his vision cleared, he saw the concerned faces staring worriedly at him. The last thing Inuyasha remembered was watching the pups play catch Naoya from the balcony. His eyes flicked to the balcony high above them, then he looked at the worried and fear filled faces of his pups. Yuusha especially looked distressed. Inuyasha reached for his son, and the pup with a sob, sank into his Papa's chest, apologizing for not being strong enough to hold his papa in the air. Inuyasha held Yuusha tight as he quickly figured out what must have happened. Damn his timing.

Hesitantly he looked into his mate's eyes. And though Sesshoumaru seemed calm and collected, Inuyasha could see the myriad of dangerous emotions churning in Sesshoumaru's hooded eyes. The Hanyou smiled rather sickly at his mate, a very bad sinking feeling in his belly.

"Ah, Sesshou, err.. ahh.. well... no more balconies.. I guess?"

-tbc-

Lol No balconies... what is your guess? Well did you enjoy that? Count down to pups birth. Review please. I like the title of this :)