Regenerist | By : botticelliangel Category: InuYasha > General Views: 2939 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 1 |
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Hello Everyone! This chapter is dedicated to all the dogs in me and my husband's life. Every one of the dogs I mention were/are real and loved. Only Pixie, Lucy, Shippo, and Ginger are left, and the stories behind each dog are mostly true. (This is a dog only household, dontcha know)
Love the FluffIn order to really enjoy a dog, one doesn’t merely try to train him to be semi-human. The point of it is to open oneself to the possibility of becoming partly a dog.
-Edward Hoagland Once upon a time we fell apart You’re holding in your hands the two halves of my heart. -Coldplay: Princess of China April 17, 1991 Dexter, Maine “Wow I do have to say you’ve fixed up the place quite nicely.” Kagura whistled hands on her hips. Sesshomaru raised an eyebrow. This was not the way he expected to be woken up. “Why are you here?” “Just passing by, Sesshomaru.” Kagura played with her hair a little. She had somehow managed to calm the wavy locks into straight strands. It was short again, only barely reaching her shoulders. He remembered the first time she cut it short in emulation of the stylish flapper girls in the 1920’s. With a bounce in her step she climbed over him and lay down next to him as if it was perfectly normal, except it was normal. Sesshomaru was used to Kagura being close. “I love your dogs by the way. They aren’t very good at guarding but they sure are cute!” Just as she spoke he could hear the rushing breath and pounding paws running along the hall floor. Sesshomaru didn’t have time to get up before the largest dog, an Irish Setter jumped up on the bed followed by two more Irish Setters, two American Eskimos, two Eskipoms, a Cocker Spaniel, a Dockson Chiuawa mix, a Boarder Collie mix, and two Silken Terriers. Their tongues were licking his face practically screaming “Good morning! Good morning!” A single unhappy growl sent all the dogs, large and small, running off the bed. Sesshomaru wiped his face free of saliva. He shot a quick glare to his little pack and turned over covering his head with a pillow. “Go away.” His voice came out mumbled, and he didn’t care. Kagura was inciting bad behavior in his pack. The weight on his bed shifted and Kagura tore the pillow away from his head. “Oh get up. I only have a day here, you should show me around.” Seeing as there was no getting rid of her Sesshomaru managed to stand himself up. His little pack came up one by one crawling on their bellies to lick his feet. Kneeling down he forgave them for such bad behavior letting his fingers pass through their fur. “Adorable!” Kagura exclaimed picking up one of the medium sized dogs. Sesshomaru glanced over seeing light golden fur and a black tipped tail. The puppy was sniffing Kagura and licked her nose when she got too close. “Her name is Ginger.” He clicked his tongue to the roof of his mouth and with deft hands picked up the other golden fur-ball. “I rescued her and her sister.” “Their sisters!” Kagura was definitely way too excited over this. “What’s her name?” She asked pointing to the one being held by Sesshomaru. “Shippo.” “What?” She looked as if she didn’t believe him. “She looks like a fox.” Sesshomaru explained shrugging. It was true. The dog looked remarkably like a really fluffy fox. And he wasn’t very creative with names. “That’s just weird Sesshomaru.” Ginger managed somehow to wiggle out of Kagura’s arms and the American Eskimo jumped up paws pumping in the air as he begged to be picked up. “His name is Taisho.” “Like the Emperor?” Kagura giggled. “I thought maybe you’d name him Chibi-Sesshy. He looks a little like you.” Sesshomaru snorted letting go of Shippo. “He was already named.” was his sneering reply. Walking into the kitchen Sesshomaru whistled once and all the dogs came running. Kagura followed them out of the hallway and giggled when she saw them lined up in front of the kitchen table. “Wow, you’ve got them trained already. Alright, Sesshomaru, introduce them to me Von Trapp style.” Kagura laughed. Sesshomaru didn’t like The Sound of Music reference because that was the movie they had been watching right before she disappeared from his life for 17 important years… he didn’t want to think about that. “He’s Casey Jones, a pure bread Irish Setter complete with AKC paperwork. He’s the beta. I obtained him with the other two Setters: Cinnamon and Buster Brown. They are also AKC pure breeds. The young man who owned them before was making a killing off of breeding the dogs. The bitch has had two litters already, one of 13 pups, and one of 11. This breed sells for 700-1000$ a pup.” “Wow. How do you know this?” Kagura asked with a whistle. “Research,” Sesshomaru shrugged. Did it seem so odd that he would learn as much as he could about what he was getting into? “The male American Eskimo, as you know is named Taisho. He actually belonged to one of the youkai service providers in Bangor. The idiot had no idea how to take care of a dog and was quite upset that Taisho ruined his furniture. I would have ruined the furniture too, if I wasn’t even allowed outside. I have paperwork for him too, but I doubt that matters since his owner had him neutered. The bitch is known as Winnie she’s very playful and tends to be the puppy watcher of the group. She is also spayed.” “Ouch.” Kagura winced. Sesshomaru generally agreed, but chose not to say anything. “The twins, Shippo and Ginger are Eskipoms… which I have deduced means that they are part American Eskimo, part Pomeranian. I rescued them from a pet store that lost its license and is under criminal investigation for mistreating the animals. Thankfully the girls were only there for a week before I got them.” “You are so possessive.” “The Cocker Spaniel is named Star. I also have AKC paperwork on her. She is the oldest of the dogs, almost 12. Her owner was sent to a nursing home after falling and breaking a hip. She was terrified that her companion would be put down because she is ‘too old to sell’.” Sesshomaru said, “I found her because her owner wrote up a column in the newspaper to save her pet. I’ve been bringing Star to the nursing home to see the woman every week. That dog is very loyal.” “Most dogs are.” Kagura interjected. “You are.” “This one,” Sesshomaru sighed continuing. “The Dockson Chiuawa mix is named Pepper, she is the mean dog of the group. Don’t get too close to her, she bites. Not that I blame her, the humans who owned her tortured her. She was rescued in Vermont and brought to Maine where she had a litter of 4 pups. The idiots who ran the shelter separated her from her pups and kept them in cages next to each other. She spent her entire time in that shelter able to smell and hear her pups, and being driven insane because she couldn’t reach them. The hour before I picked her up they sold her last pup.” “How awful…” Kagura sounded teary and Sesshomaru glanced her way only to be surprised that she grabbed onto his hand and squeezed. “These dogs are so lucky to have you.” “The Boarder Collie mix is named Ninja. His owner died suddenly, under suspicious circumstances. Ninja loves wearing sunglasses. I have a whole portfolio of artwork with this dog wearing various brands of sunglasses, and party glasses.” “You’ll have to show me later.” Kagura said still holding onto Sesshomaru’s hand. “The two Silken Terriers came from different sources. The older one is named Pixie. She is very friendly, and a little over enthusiastic. Some of the other dogs, particularly Shippo, don’t really like her too much. After she settles in I think the pack will be more cohesive. Then the youngest member of the pack is Lucy. She’s really too young to be away from her mother yet, she’s only 5 weeks old. From what I understand it is illegal to sell a puppy under 10 weeks old. I’ve been buying replacement milk because she doesn’t eat solid food yet.” “So for today, while I’m part of the pack,” Kagura whispered leaning in close, “Where do I stand?” “Alpha bitch,” Sesshomaru replied instantaneously. He was rewarded with a kiss to the cheek. “Just remember Kagura, dogs don’t have any compulsions about watching their alpha’s mate.” She snorted and slapped him. “So what’s with all the dogs anyways? You aren’t the kind to keep pets.” Kagura questioned heading towards his refrigerator. “The Syndicate agreed to let me open an animal shelter.” Sesshomaru replied opening the front door to the newly fenced in yard. The dogs bounded out into their 3 acre playground. “Animal shelter implies more than one kind of animal.” Kagura teased. “I don’t like cats.” Sesshomaru stated blandly. “As soon as I get the permission I’ll be getting a stable for horses. And there’s a rabbit in the living room, but I have it in a cage because when she’s out the dogs drag her all over the floor.” Turning back to the kitchen he scratched his head. The dogs needed some free time before he fed them. He wondered how they were going to behave with Kagura here. So far, while he wasn’t watching Rin he spent his time playing with the puppies and talking with the adults on his living room floor. The house was already collecting an amazing amount of fur. He suspected it was from Shippo and Taisho, they were the two with the thickest coats. He was constantly brushing them out in order to prevent their fur from matting. Matted fur was painful and annoying because it always seemed to happen just where a dog couldn’t reach. He would know. “I already put your coffee on.” Kagura stated pulling off her tight denim jacket and tossing it onto one of the kitchen chairs. A short red t-shirt was underneath. He could see her ribs and spine sticking through her skin under the hem of her belly shirt. “You’ve been eating?” He didn’t want to sound too concerned even though it made him feel like sending her off with the entire contents of his refrigerator to keep her healthy. He could probably survive off of dog food he reasoned then made a face at the idea. It was hardly appetizing and he was already feeling bad about having bought the kibble for his dogs. After watching them scarf it down the first time Sesshomaru wondered what it was that made them so excited for it. So he sat on the floor with them and tried a few of the dried up pieces. Sesshomaru brushed his teeth and washed out his mouth for hours before he could get the foulness to leave his senses. But he’d suffer through it if it meant he didn’t have to see a member of his pack starve. “Not as well as I’d like.” She answered rushing about his kitchen like it was hers. She was quick to find a pot to boil water in. Opening his refrigerator she sighed her shoulder’s slumping. “I wish I was in your shoes. Then I’d have a full refrigerator like you.” Sesshomaru was quiet as she fished out the foods she wanted: Eggs and rice, lots of rice. “The regenerist is Rin’s reincarnation.” He blurted. Kagura spun around forgetting all about the food. Her baggy jeans nearly fell off of her narrow hips as she walked towards him. “Are you serious?” She was shocked. Her pouty lips were open in the surprise, and Sesshomaru noticed for the first time that day that Kagura wasn’t wearing makeup. She must be really desperate to conserve her funds if she was forgoing makeup. And now he had upset her already delicate balance. She was reeling from the information maybe more than he was when he found out. No, she was just showing her surprise more. She seemed more fragile than usual. Maybe he should give her some money, and food… “The eggs?” “Oops!” Kagura spun again risking the loss of her jeans as she jumped back into cooking. Things got quiet as the dogs poured back in the house through the propped open front door. Sesshomaru stood up to feed them a few of the younger ones were vocally excited about the scent of food, but the older ones laid down calmly waiting for their morning meal. Pouring dog food into a large bucket on the kitchen floor Sesshomaru let nature take over. The first time he did that it hadn’t worked out too well. When he got the dogs some of them were extremely food possessive, and fights broke out between them. It only took a little intervention and leadership on his behalf to get things balanced. The older ones ate first eventually letting the younger ones to the bowl. He picked up the youngest one, Lucy, and fed her with an eyedropper. She was so small that he just leaned her back against his chest so that she felt warm while she fed. There was silence for a little, and Sesshomaru kept his eyes on the eyedropper to gauge how much the puppy was eating. He was a little nervous about this one because her food intake decreased since he first got her, but she was too young for immunizations. The silence was broken by the scent of tears. Glancing up Sesshomaru caught Kagura crying in front of the stove. She turned away quickly and hung her head over the food. “You would have made a good father.” She whispered into thin air. “I am sorry.” A knotty lump formed in Sesshomaru’s throat. The kind of knot that made his jaw hurt and his chest feel heavy. He wished she hadn’t said anything. He didn’t want to be reminded. But now the memory was there, intruding his thoughts. Kagura had been a constant presence in his life from the last years of Rin’s life on. She was probably the only reason he was alive and generally not maimed, and at the same time she was the cause of a lot of strife and grief. She would say the same about him, and he knew it. She was there when he was grieving and refusing to acknowledge it. Then she was there when he went through a phase of seeking out trouble and then fighting as sloppy as his long absent brother. She was there to nurse him back to health in a great moment of weakness. It was a disease that was canine specific and affected dogs the worst. He walked around like a skeleton for years after recovering. He was fortunate to have survived that because many of his kind did not. Kagura was there when they started the arduous downhill fight against Syndicate control, by then he considered her just as much part of his pack as he was. It was that long fight that rendered him one of less than twenty inuyoukai in the world. Inuyoukai were a dying species because before Rin came back to the world as a regenerist there were no women left. And then when that fight was done Kagura begged to be able to see him, screamed at her captors, and destroyed half of the building she was being kept in before the Syndicate got sick of her and allowed her to stay by his side. They were lovers off and on through the years. But, it was always destructive because he wanted commitment, and she could only commit to friendship. That was abundantly clear to Sesshomaru, because in 1968 she got pregnant. Sesshomaru could tell first because he could smell the change in her. He wasn’t thrilled, but he wasn’t unhappy either. Kagura was devastated. And they fought, a lot. Then one day after he was forced out the door to buy groceries she disappeared. They didn’t speak again until 1985. She showed up in his living room, as if she never left. For her credit, Kagura didn’t have an abortion. The Syndicate continued to use her as an assassin until she gave birth, and at her request they transferred her assignments to the boarder of The United States and Mexico. She sobbed, absolutely broke down into a pile of franticly raw nerves even though it had been years. Chokingly she told him that he was the father of twins; both girls. Their names were Jill and Hailey. They were born in Yuma, Arizona on April 23, 1969 premature, and Hailey looked like him. Kagura brought him pictures. He saw colorful Polaroid photos of the daughters he never met. He saw their baby pictures. Kagura was right. They both had his eyes, Jill had her mother’s looks, and Hailey looked like him. They both had different aspects of his markings. Hailey had his stripes, Jill had the moon. Jill had her mother’s ebony hair, and Hailey’s hair was the ethereal silver that Sesshomaru was born with. They both had claws and fangs. He saw when they were toddlers and Kagura snapped a picture of them sitting in a red wagon smiling up to her. She laughed sadly and gave him her favorite picture. They were six and she caught them with her makeup. Jill and Hailey drew their marks on the other in a very ironic twist making them both look more like Sesshomaru. “I laughed and cried.” Kagura said to him on the floor of his apartment, “They didn’t understand why I was crying, and I told them it was because they looked like you.” They sat on the floor looking at the pictures for hours. She showed him the last picture of them. They were ten and they were holding hands as they roller skated down a long straight road. It was taken two weeks before they died. And they were murdered; not just murdered, but tortured, raped, and set on fire to ensure their death. And it was the Syndicate’s fault. The Syndicate repeatedly refused Kagura’s requests for an office job once she became a mother. She applied so much that they sent her letters to cease her actions. They still used her to control other demons through fear and execution. It was three PrairieDog demons grieving and bent on revenge. Kagura was forced to kill their sister who had transformed right in the streets of Tucson and killed a human. Kagura terrifyingly relived that night when they broke into her small house in the desert. The PrairieDog demons didn’t know she was a mother and had only come to exact revenge on her. But while they tore her nails from their roots and watched her hands bleed the twins came to see if she was ok because they could smell her blood from their room. She almost died protecting them, and then tried to kill herself when they were gone. The Syndicate had her committed to a psychiatric hospital for years, and she only came to him then heavily medicated for depression because when they let her go she didn’t know what else to do. She was never able to tell him anymore than that, and he didn’t want to know. It was hard enough to see all the little moments that he wasn’t there for. It was hard enough that she brought their baby book and gave him locks of their hair from their first haircut. Sesshomaru felt tortured that those locks of hair imprinted in his senses the scent of the daughters he lost without ever having known. And it was sad how hard it was to see Kagura’s scars. She had very faint stretch marks from pregnancy, and many white and pink ribbons where she cut into her skin to try to kill herself. He didn’t know how she was able to scar at all until she confessed to him that she poured drain cleaner into the cuts to force them to stay open longer. He spent the next two years trying to put her back together. And that felt like a strange place to be because she was the one who was always putting him back together. Sesshomaru kept a few of the pictures, and they were some of the only things he was fiercely possessive of. He never told Kagura that he resented that she ran away and kept his children from him. He kept the rage inside and swallowed it because he couldn’t help but think that if she just stayed that would have never happened. He couldn’t help but think if she stayed and anyone had tried that he could have protected them. He never did understand Kagura’s motives. He didn’t understand why she chose to bless him with her unconventional and random wisdom. He didn’t understand why she always left when she claimed he was getting clingy. He didn’t understand why? Why anything with them? It was unspoken that she would be there, and it was equally implied that he would never question it. Why was she here now? Why hadn’t they had enough of each other? Why did he still love her? All those why’s led him to voice the question that hid them all. “Why are you in the United States?” Sesshomaru asked tentatively pushing the subject away. Kagura hummed and shrugged as she flipped up the eggs letting the topsides sizzle for just a moment before transferring them onto a plate. She rushed about putting the plate in front of Sesshomaru and smiling. She still had tear marks on her face. “You know… the normal…” There was something she wasn’t telling Sesshomaru. He glared at her and she squirmed. But she knew if she turned around that she didn’t have to deal with that, and it would force him to verbally show concern. “Hm.” Sesshomaru mumbled shoving the eggs into his mouth. He wasn’t going to give her the enjoyment of knowing he was concerned. He enjoyed the gooey centers and suddenly remembered that Kagura made the best French Toast in the world. “Can you make French Toast?” He blurted mouth still half full. For every morning of 1987 Sesshomaru had the privilege of waking up to Kagura’s French Toast. That was the year she started getting better, and he never did. Kagura turned around and looked angry. Sesshomaru paused and second guessed himself. Maybe he should have showed some concern. And let her think he was being clingy again, never. “Look Sesshomaru,” Kagura lowered her voice dangerously, “You didn’t hear this from me but there’s something going down in the Syndicate. They’ve… developed a new technology. I heard rumors… well they aren’t really rumors. The Syndicate’s made these microchips. They are going to be taking the place of the spells that make us humanlike.” Kagura quickly and nervously went about her business in the kitchen. “I was told that they are stronger than the spells. They are going to make us into humans.”Thank you everyone for reading, reviewing, and rating!
starchilds: Thanks for reviewing again! I agree Sesshomaru with a buzz cut is criminal... I will not lie. I cringed a little to think of it. I hope you like this chapter! Thanks again :) Support Fanfiction Writers! Reviews are awesome! 4/30/12: Fixed an inconsistency. The demon type responsible for the deaths of Sesshomaru and Kagura's daughters is PrairieDog demons, not snake. Ty for sending me an email, Harper!While AFF and its agents attempt to remove all illegal works from the site as quickly and thoroughly as possible, there is always the possibility that some submissions may be overlooked or dismissed in error. The AFF system includes a rigorous and complex abuse control system in order to prevent improper use of the AFF service, and we hope that its deployment indicates a good-faith effort to eliminate any illegal material on the site in a fair and unbiased manner. This abuse control system is run in accordance with the strict guidelines specified above.
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