The Progenitor by thetroll

Chapter 1

A/N: This fic features previous assault/rape endured by Sesshomaru prior to the start of the fic, as well as mentions/descriptions of previous child abuse. It's a fic of healing and recovery, but please be mindful if these might be triggering for you.

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The boy appeared in the village one day out of nowhere in the dead of winter. He gave his name as Fuyuzuki and insisted he would speak only to Sesshomaru, for whom he had an important message to give the daiyokai. One that had to be delivered in person.

Fuyuzuki was an adolescent, not much older than Rin or Shippo per Kagome's eye, but there was something oddly familiar about him. Whether it was his yoki energy or his appearance, she couldn't put her finger on it, but there was no denying that he felt familiar somehow.

She took a moment to study him, trying in vain to place where she knew him. He had long silver-blue hair with long bangs that covered his forehead, golden-turquoise eyes, and he dressed in all white and blue. There was a sword at his side, but Kagome had no way of knowing if he regularly used it or kept one at his side out of habit, as Koga often did.

"Sesshomaru isn't here right now," Kagome explained before InuYasha could make one of his customary belligerent demands that the boy leave. "But he should be here in a fortnight or so if you'd like to wait for him."

"Hell no he's not hanging around here til the asshole shows up, K'gome!" InuYasha didn't remove his hands from Tessaiga. "You don't even know the runt!"

Kagome gave InuYasha a sharp look. "He hasn't done anything to hurt anyone," she reminded her best friend. Sometimes, InuYasha was just as suspicious as he'd been when she'd first met him over a decade ago, but he meant well. He had no desire to see any of his human friends hurt.

InuYasha huffed. "Yet." He gave the boy a quick glance over. "Though he's too puny to even swat Myoga."

Fuyuzuki took umbrage to that, puffing out his chest. "I could easily take you and this Myoga," he proclaimed with a bravado that matched InuYasha's. He made no move to reach for his sword, however, and Kagome hid a sigh of relief as she stepped in between both of them.

"That's enough, InuYasha. You can always keep an eye on him if you're so worried." She raised her brow.

InuYasha snorted as though he intended to do exactly that regardless of what she said, but before he could reply, Fuyuzuki spoke up.

"InuYasha?" The boy eyed InuYasha as though measuring him up. "You are InuYasha?"

"Keh." InuYasha shoved his hands into his sleeves. "What of it, runt?"

The boy suddenly prostrated them as the entire village looked on in astonishment. "I am humbled to meet you, Oji-sama," he said, pressing his face into the dirt. "Please forgive me; I did not realize who you were before I spoke. I apologize for the offense."

Oh hell, Kagome thought, suddenly realizing why the boy seemed so damn familiar.

He was Sesshomaru's son.

And abruptly, his name made perfect sense: Winter Moon.

But why had they'd never heard of him before? Who was his mother and where was she? Why had he arrived alone?

"Shit." InuYasha's eyes widened as he came to the same realization. "You reek of the bas—ah, Sesshomaru. You're his, aren't you?"

Kagome heard the gasp from Sango as Fuyuzuki confirmed that with a small nod. "Please do not tell Chichi-ue of my actions here today. I do not wish to displease him on our first encounter—"

"Shit," InuYasha said again as Kagome echoed the word.

"You've never met him?" Kagome fumed privately at Sesshomaru's callous disregard of his own son and her heart went out to the boy. She stepped forward encouraging him to get to his feet. "Don't worry, Fuyuzuki-kun. We won't tell Sesshomaru anything, okay?"

But Kagome planned to say plenty to Sesshomaru once he arrived about how he'd handled the situation with his own child. Just when she'd thought Sesshomaru had finally turned things around for the better, this happened.

The relief on Fuyuzuki's face was palpable as he nodded his head.

"Why don't you come inside and tell us about what happened, okay?" She reached for his arm, ready to encourage him to enter the home she'd inherited upon Kaede's passing. Rin lived with her still, but Kagome had the feeling the girl would be moving out soon—so long as Kohaku didn't drag his feet about the proposal they all knew was coming.

Fuyuzuki gave InuYasha a nervous look. "I will go inside your home, miko," he said, the pride he'd arrived suddenly returning. "But I will not say anything else until Chichi-ue arrives. He must hear the truth of this from me alone."

Kagome pressed her lips together but didn't pry. "Okay," she agreed lightly, giving InuYasha another look when he opened his mouth to protest. "We won't ask you anything else then, Fuyuzuki-kun. Let's get you inside and warmed up, okay?"

He said nothing else as she led the boy into her hut, InuYasha on her heels, but that didn't keep her from planning out everything she was going to say the moment Sesshomaru finally arrived for his customary visit with Rin.